Stan Sakai wrote: July 6, 2016
Here is the step-by-step for the back cover watercolor drawing for the Usagi Yojimbo Sketchbook 13. It was done with watercolors and some color pencils on 8x10 inch 500 series 4-ply cold press Strathmore bristol with a 6x8 inch image area.
These are all the tools I used.
I really enjoy using the aqua brush, though the bristles do not last long. But they're great, especially for plein air paintings.
Quick pencil with a 3mm HB mechanical lead.
Used grayish-blue for Usagi's shirt.
Starting to work on the background, and spotting tones throughout. I'm just laying in flat colors at this stage.
Working on backgrounds.
The trees are there mainly to make the sword stand out and to break up the sky.
I wanted a sky with texture, and mixed blue with a small amount of the green I used for the trees.
I kept my palette simple, limiting the colors.
I strengthened some lines with blue and brown color pencils and drew a border to finish it off.
step-by-step of the back cover for UY Sketchbook #13
- Steve Hubbell
- Taisho
- Posts: 6050
- Joined: Thu Sep 19, 2002 15:25 -0700
- Location: Kalamazoo, MI
step-by-step of the back cover for UY Sketchbook #13
- jabba359
- Daimyo <High-Ranking Lord>
- Posts: 2058
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2013 1:55 -0700
- Location: North Hollywood, CA
- Contact:
Re: step-by-step of the back cover for UY Sketchbook #13
Wow! I really like how the back cover turned out! 

-Kyle
Re: step-by-step of the back cover for UY Sketchbook #13
Check out those eyes!!