How to Paint Fantasy Art

For me, and probably many artists, painting a picture is like a study in layers.  I almost always start with a basic sketch, usually not very detailed, of the painting I'd like to do.  I start with very basic ideas, but I allow my ideas to evolve as the illustrating process goes on.

If you look at my original basic sketch of this painting I just finished of a Barbarian Woman riding a grizzly, you see my original idea was to have the woman  in a very different pose.  But once I finished most of the background and added a few colors to the woman, I decided I didn't like her pose because it didn't look natural.  Therefore, I colored over it and did another very loose color sketch of a woman in a different pose.  In fact, I tried several poses before I finally landed on one I like.

Never be afraid to change a picture for the better, even if you've already put a lot of work into your picture.  I once scrapped a children's book I had worked on for months, just because I thought the main character didn't resemble herself enough throughout the book.  That was a painful decision, but one I don't regret.  I knew I would never feel comfortable publishing work that I hadn't put my very best into.

Remember, your audience, no matter what age, will appreciate your hard work and attention to detail.