Are you a beginning artist looking to build your skills? This step by step video tutorial of a 1/2 cartoon digital portrait is a great activity to develop your skills. This tutorial shows how to use layers, opacity, blending, and more! It’s fairly easy, yet produces a really cool result! This post includes materials list, video tutorial, and step by step photos with instructions for artists who would like to work at their own pace.
* Hey educators! Scroll below to purchase this ready-for-class instructional lesson.*
Interested in more digital drawing tutorials? Check out posts on how to digitally draw a misty forest and digitally tag a graffiti wall.
Materials Needed:
In my tutorial, I will be using a free web-based drawing program, www.kleki.com. I love this program for beginners because it is so user friendly and focuses on the essentials. However, you may use any digital drawing program of your choice.
I highly recommend if you are a newbie to digital drawing that you invest in a digital drawing tablet. My personal favorite is the Wacom Intuos. To be honest, it’s the first and only drawing tablet I’ve ever had. I just love it. The set up is easy, it’s petite but effective, and the stylus has a great feel on the tablet surface. There are lots of pressure points and I just love the response of my marks to the computer.
Video Tutorial:
Step by step photos with instructions:
Step 1- Go to file tab > import > choose the photo you wish to use > choose ‘as a layer’
Stetch to fit your canvas.
Step 2- Remove any excess canvas, if needed. Go to edit > crop
Step 3- Go to Layers > select your photograph layer. Drag the opacity bar to about 25% to make it more translucent.
Step 4- Go to Layers > Click the + sign to add a layer > rename this layer outline.
*PRO TIP* Make sure this layer is ABOVE your photo layer.
Step 5: Creatively draw a line that divides your photograph in half. It can be straight, curvy, or maybe you come up with another creative way to divide your space.
Step 6: Outline the contours of your photograph. Focus on getting all the details drawn by zooming in.
PROTIP: Make sure you are on the outline layer. You DO NOT want to draw on the photograph layer.
Step 7: Go to Layers > Add a layer + > Rename it ‘COLOR’
PROTIP: Be sure to drag this layer below your outline layer to ensure that you can still see black lines on top when adding colors.
Step 8– Add your color! Get creative with colors!
Step 9- Go to Layers > Add a new layer + > Rename it background color.
Drag this layer BELOW your color layer.
Step 10: Creatively add your color to your background. Explore patterns and value. Be sure to go to FILE > SAVE when you are finished.
*Hey teachers!* Click here for my TpT shop if you’re interested in this lesson, which features a full slideshow presentation and a project specific grading rubric.
I would love to see your finished work! Feel free to email me at makeamarkstudios@gmail.com or tag me @makeamark_studios. Thanks for checking this out!
-Stephanie Villiotis