Greetings to my beloved Splinterlands Community! How is everyone? I hope all is well. This week, I chose to draw COASTAL SENTRY, a water unit. According to COASTAL SENTRY's lore, they are beautiful and dangerous, guarding their people and the sea life. For Splinterlands Art Contest Week 284, I interpreted it as a white mermaid with red eyes, sharp ears, and inherent beauty. Join me in the process of drawing and my inspirations until it's completed.
| Illustration 1 | Illustration 2 | Illustration 3 |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
Using the IBISPAINTX app on my cellphone, I started sketching on the first layer with a 2500x2500 canvas for a quicker sketch. I used the Dip Pen Hard for the resketch, with the stabilizer set to ensure smooth lines. After a long sketching process, I added a new layer beneath and began coloring the base using the BUCKET tool. I use the bucket tool to speed up the base coloring. Once all colors were filled, I started adding hard and soft shadows with the AIRBRUSH TRIANGLE tool. I place shadows to determine the light source and add detail.
| Illustration 4 | Illustration 5 | Illustration 6 |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
I started adding details to the face after placing the shadows. Next came the body and the eyes before merging the layers. I added a new layer on top of my sketch to erase the lines and achieve a semi-realistic texture. I continued with the nose and lips, keeping them on separate layers while working on the eyebrows. Afterward, I shaped the red cover on the chest, resembling a shell, and colored it red. For the hair, I added a layer underneath the drawing to place the hair behind it. Meanwhile, I added another layer on top to draw the front hair using the HAIR BRUSH. I merged the layers and, for the final touches, used the AIRBRUSH to adjust colors and blend.
| Illustration 7 | Illustration 8 |
|---|---|
 | |
For the background, I chose water to match the mermaid inspiration. I initially made it a black background and drew waves using a custom brush in IBISPAINTX. To focus on my fan art this week, I used the blur tool. Before concluding, let me share a childhood story. We used to live near a river, and there were beliefs about mermaids when it rained. If you heard a beautiful voice near the river, you shouldn't approach because it might be a mermaid. However, now that the river is dry, I haven't seen a mermaid yet, so I express my ideas through drawings based on childhood stories.
That's all for now. I hope you enjoyed my fan art process and mermaid story. I'm Noblebright for this week. Take care, everyone!
App and Tools used:
IBISPAINTX APP
DIP PEN HARD
AIRBRUSH
HAIR BRUSH
BUCKET TOOLS
Artist:
Noblebright
