MEET BELLE
Meet Belle is a big fan of sweets, sushi, and flowers, especially sunflowers.
Due to that passion, she has her own shop in the city, which makes her happy all the time, accompanied by her favorite friends.
1. SKETCH
For this exercise, the illustrator chose a sketch of Belle surrounded by large cupcakes—her favorite!
2. STRUCTURE
Begin by sketching Belle’s stance. With her hands up toward her face and her leg bent, she looks to be jumping with excitement.
3. VOLUME
Outline the shape of her body and add her facial features. To make her look like a true chibi, make her eyes large.
4. ANATOMY
Next, give Belle beautiful flowing hair and a bushy tail. Don’t forget to include her ears!
5. DETAILS
Now it’s time to add details. Dress Belle in a ruffly dress with an apron and, to make her look a extra cute, put a bow in her hair. Next, add the background elements, which include two giant cupcakes and some berries. Place everything on a giant serving dish.
6.1. COLOR
Begin coloring by adding base colors. This is just a step to enjoy and explore, since the final work will be very different.
6.2. COLOR
Once you have chosen your final colors, its time to give the image more depth by adding highlights and shadows.
Start to shade by using a solid brush, changing tonality when necessary.
7.1. BACKGROUND
Since the illustration of Belle and the treats is heavily detailed, create a simple background with a fun pattern. Add a bow and beads to give the background some fun details.
7.2. BACKGROUND
Now the only thing you must do is play with the different layers, until you get a nice contrast between the background and the main scene.
8. FINISHING TOUCHES
White stars are added to the cupcakes to give them a little sparkle.
Merge layers and add effects using Photoshop to make the image saturated.
TIPS & TRICKS
• Add reflected lights to her eyes to show she is excited by what she sees. This can also be done by adding some hearts floating near her.
• When drawing food, especially desserts, use bright colors that will attract the attention of viewers.
• To give the whole drawing a soft 3D look, color the edges of each element with slightly darker shades than the base color.
• Software used: Paint Tool SAI & Adobe Photoshop.
