This is the year of the Monkey so drawing monkeys should be a common sight :D Here is the rough progress of my drawing.
1. I start out with rough sketches, usually smaller size, like 1024 x 768, to get the composition and key objects. After that I changed different colors for each key objects to see if they are balance. ( the overall shape should be interesting with min overlapping, avoiding missing limbs. There should be a general flow of direction, which leads the eye through out your drawing)
2. Final outlines with basic color fill. I locked the pixels in Photoshop for each layer so I don't have to worry about painting them out of the lines later. It is always good to prepare all these basic layers properly before you add details to save the hassle later!
3. Adding the details. Sometimes when I am unsure of the colors, I revert back to greyscale, or add a color/saturation adjustment layer so it is easier and faster to paint. The painting should still be of good contrast when in greyscale. The colors can be added in after you are done in greyscale.
4.Final color, changed the colors of the lines on different parts, such as the wings and background. Will be easy to change if you locked the pixel tranparency on the layer.
5. Final image. Add a overlay layer of orange and green, duplicated and blur the outlines to soften it. Added a white 'border' for more interesting composite and compliment the flow.
That's it. Hope you find my blog useful and fun! If you have any comments, feel free to write to them or comment below.
Cheers!