Beauty is Relative: An Ideal That Can Be Approached but Never Fully Attained
The deadline for the Yuki Miku 2026 competition is tomorrow, and I only found out now. I don't think it's an electable design anyway....but at least I loved it so much that I scribbled it!!!
And I doodled it as Miku's Day. I want to draw a Miku picture in a traditional Eastern style with great care, just like the Reimu picture I drew before…
How I Draw: PART 1
Hello, this is Zeyheri. While I was happily drawing, I suddenly realized, "Oh no, the new school term is coming! Once I start going to school, it'll be hard to draw! And my promise to share how I draw will be delayed so much!!! (I'm doomed!)“
...So, even though I haven't finished my drawing yet, I thought I should at least upload a post to prevent my trust from shattering into pieces.
I’ve noticed that authors always include words of gratitude in their book prefaces (so I’ll imitate them!). I sincerely thank the two people who’ve helped me a lot in writing this post and who will continue to help with many questions in the future. I also love all the users who constantly take an interest in my drawings!
As you probably know, I’m not a professional illustrator. The only formal art training I’ve had was at an art academy in elementary school! So, it’s probably not a great idea to expect to learn much from my writing. However, anyone can enjoy drawing even without formal training. "The act of appreciating art" is an even more accessible field to enjoy. If you read this and felt intrigued or inspired to try something experimental, then that is exactly the purpose of this post, and I will be happy.
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(1) Tools & Programs
I use three programs to draw: PaintTool SAI2 / Corel Paintshop Pro / Corel Painter. Oh, I almost forgot-The tools I use are the love-hate Surface Pro 8 and the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 (4k).
-Rough sketching, inking, base coloring, adding shadows, and initial corrections: PaintTool SAI2
-Adding paintbrush effects: Corel Painter
-Other corrections: Corel Paintshop Pro
(*If you're wondering why I don't use Clip Studio, it's because my beloved Surface laptop might die from it! "Then how do you use Corel Painter?" you ask? The moment I open Painter, lag starts, and the fan goes crazy. If you value your laptop's lifespan, take my advice and avoid it!)
In fact, about 70% of the process happens in SAI. So, in this post, you’ll only see me using PaintTool SAI2.
(2) Rough Sketch & Line Art
Rather than creating a detailed rough sketch, I prefer to draw lines while adding rough sketches when needed. The first image is proof of that! For me, the rough sketch stage is less of "the first step in drawing" and more of "getting the atmosphere right."
For the lines, I use the SAI pencil, adjusting the brush density to around 75-85. Other than that, it’s probably set to the default settings, at least as far as I remember. (It's Korean, but I believe you can understand what it means by location)
If you look at my line art, you might notice faint shadows sometimes. This isn’t because I adjust the brush density; I adjust the layer opacity instead.
(2-1) Drawing Hair
Now, one of you asked me a question: "How do you draw hair?" I’ve created a simple resource to explain!
As always, there are exceptions, but when I draw hair, I tend to make the shapes angular. This way, the hair looks solid, almost like stiff RNA strands.
After that, I add lines following the flow of the hair, giving it a fuller look. I usually add these lines when I’m refining the inking stage.
Sometimes, if I’m feeling it. I add thin strands of hair around the edges to give it a more "hair-like" appearance.
(2-2) Drawing Eyes & Coloring
There was also a question about how to draw eyes. I’m not the type to add sparkling glitter for a glamorous look, so my approach is very simple.
In the picture, I’ve divided it into several steps, but honestly, it’s a very quick process. Start by shaping a hexagon and keep adding multiply layers while coloring. The key point is in the 6th step, where you cover the entire eye with a light pink multiply layer. Doing this creates a much more eerie, painful, and melancholic look! (I was really excited when I first discovered this! Yay!)
(3) Coloring
Now it's time to add color. Typically, I would choose colors that fall within the left square area, but if a highly saturated color seems more fitting, I use colors from the right square area. If you ask me why I choose these colors, I'm not sure. I just feel like I like low chroma colors.
Be thorough in coloring, and once you're done, apply textures lightly to finish it off. (You’re asking what texture I use? Well, since I’m not a texture creator, I don’t think it’s appropriate to talk about it publicly. But if you send me a private message, I’ll answer you secretly. I think it was over $30.)
While coloring, using an Overlay layer to test can help when adjusting the color tone later on.
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Thank you for reading. Please look forward to our next post as well! Feel free to let me know if there are any awkward expressions or anything you would like me to add to the content of this article!
Collaboration work with CHzPNCI(https://www.pixiv.net/users/15851904).
*セーレ・ヘイズ from CHUNITHM and Juri Arisugawa from Revolutionary Girl Utena.
Enjoy!