We recently caught up with illustrator Jason Chan P.L. who took us through his sketchbooks. He's previously worked on children's books such as Hilda's Book of Beasts, Jason loves to take to the streets with a sketchbook and watercolours to paint and draw what he finds.
Below Jason offers some quick tips and advice he's learned while sketching and painting into sketchbooks. If you want to try this for yourself, read our guide to the best sketchbooks for artists. If you're a digital artist you can try the advice below too, using one of the best iPads for drawing.
Finally, I focus on shadows and line colouring. This is when everything begins to really pop out! I usually choose cool blues for shadows. However, when it comes to interiors and there is no strong sunlight, I opt for a warm blue. I establish a soft overall light with a wet-on-wet wash.
This is the best technique to make a scene bright. I also leave some areas with the white of the paper peeking through to get the brightest light. I sometimes add shadows that do not exist to push contrast and volume. I then use brownish colours for my final line art. It helps create a warmer, softer finish than black lines.
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I'm Madalina Buzenchi (aka madalinartz), an illustrator based in Italy. She is picture book passionate. As a self-taught artist, talking to other artists in the field and listening to their journey and advice has played a crucial role in shaping my path and art skills.
