Metamorphosis

I created this original digital artwork using the Procreate App on an iPad Pro. Procreate is a multi-award winning painting app designed for creative professionals. Made exclusively for iPad, Procreate allows you to create beautiful sketches, inspiring paintings, and stunning illustrations wherever you are (source). On the iPad Pro I used an Apple Pencil to sketch, paint, and create. I also used multi-gestures with my fingers on the touchscreen to change colors and brushes.

Step-by-Step: First I took a reference photo and used it to draw a free hand sketch of a portrait of a girl with a butterfly on her hand with the HB pencil tool on the Procreate digital canvas (on the iPad). Next I used the Narinder pencil tool as a fine liner on a different layer to add details and line-art. Then I added color to the piece on another layer under the first layer. I colored the skin, hair, eyes, and lips. I also added shadows and highlights and used the smudge tool to blend colors especially for the skin. After that I used a different layer to draw the butterfly to go on her hand. I first outlined it in black and then adden different shades of blue. As an extra touch, I added white spots to the black spots of the butterfly to make it look more realistic. Also I colored and shaded the subject’s shirt. Finally, I looked at a reference photo for the sky and colored it using different shades of blue going from darkest at the top to lightest at the bottom and I added clouds using the cloud brush tool.

I was inspired to create this piece because my younger brothers have been interested in the life cycle of butterflies. When matched with my recent digital art growth (or you could say: metamorphosis), capturing the likeness of people through portraits, I thought it would turn out interesting.