After doing some character thumbnails, little 2-inch doodles in my sketchbork, I worked up this pencil sketch, just getting everything set in place and making sure the character is looking how I want it.
After I was happy with the sketch, I went in with some dip pens and sumi ink and lined the whole thing, clarifying some stuff and adding additional details here and there. I prefer dip pens to standard pens simply for the added line variety you can get out of them.
After the lines were done I pulled out my trusty brush and a cup of water and went over the whole thing with thinned down sumi ink washes. This is probably my favorite step, I always love adding tone and wet media makes such gorgeous abstract shapes. Plus this reminds me of the B&W drawings found in game manuals which I just love.
And finally I went in and did some digital color washes in painter, just to spruce it up a bit and play off the lovely stuff made in the ink washes.
