I've been doing some cowboy characters just now, so I thought I'd pop one up here, and show how he developed from first sketch, to refined line, to coloured in.
I had the idea and image in my head quite clearly for this one, with the pose and outfit, so it was sort of just a matter of copying it out of my imagination and onto the page.
Which is sort of how I work. I sit and think for a while until I have an image in my head, and then try and replicate the image on the page. So the more clearly I can visualise the illustration before hand, the quicker it comes out.
So the first sketch here is pretty refined and complete, I didn't have to do a second version or fiddle with anything much to get it how I wanted it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQXSyI6oy8mRB0BYH5sJ8OfgWwgsj-z6hVlJPe2nKTWAj3L2IyPOOPht2anSc-VeG7rFi8txgaZfr_4HLPBBq7eMKeyD5dt8t88fV8BAHqFCws3MTjSbKCNjHT4LJnJNXTSnmLscPcIA/s320/Cowboy-rough-line.jpg)
And then I put the colour on. Fairly straightforward outfit for him, basically blue, but I wanted a bit of variation within that too. Not just flat.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXqMjBAMSa769ofPVDgnAMvOtrohqwtgl0yZNk7JfycnLky1jI_OgUbig-V6Hq2AAYjm68tiseJbzopvAN2R5sEsUaZZnQpWuVIDBlSj2JZiu9VZYRziUWj_NZfUzofcUFZ4zK39Nmjw/s320/Cowboy-rough-line&colour.jpg)
And then I knock back the rough line to 40%, as if it's on a light-box with a new sheet over it, and do the refined finished line on a new layer.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLokpJaVr_wToZsyqIvzWBzQNen70sWksF7URdILuAweceXAD2L0pBm8oCzRJ-gTLx5ABXuThkx2ARRPTNe2FB0xHIVBIVpZnICwjIk7O0AP-t2GPJ_LPNhdcU3WUkSNXibk1EE087BA/s320/Cowboy-lightbox%2526colour.jpg)
I've got a brown colour that I like using for my ink, and I set this layer to multiply.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_xZjCBVH3yij6Oxb_of2xVgCT_Ql5NvWoswEax3DPC7b0PisTwU5qYOsQ6JJu8NsNV44KnqxmehO12MaMvnAjcSdfrQd049yDP_aKaZumxiYyYJ2IPedYUhksBDhHVpy7_6gmw9WXPg/s320/Cowboy-finished-line%2526colour.jpg)
So there he is, and hopefully it's a bit informative and interesting, or at least a mildly diverting read :)