How to Create a Jellyfish in Five Steps

Hi everyone, can't believe it is May already. April seems to have passed in a flash...

Thank you so much for the positive feed back from my last post. I had hoped to film the process of creating an image to show you all, and will definitely do so some time soon. Instead, I will try to explain the steps I used and forgive me if I do not use the correct terminology.

In response to Miriam, Rinda and Alexa's questions, my friend had a Griffin Stylus. It was the first time I had used one (it was a day for firsts, considering I had only just switched the iPad on) and then immediately proceeded to open up Paper 53.

STEP 1: My first layer on the 'Page' was to give the background a wash with colour (in this case a yellow ochre) using the paintbrush tool. Once that was complete, I gave another layer of darker colours (grey and black). I tried to keep it light in touch as I didn't want it to look too dark in appearance.

STEP 2: With the background complete, I started to draw the jelly fish using the white colour and the paintbrush tool. This was to affect the appearance of a 'glow' around the jellyfish. If I had more time, I would have loved to have investigated if I could make the marks bigger or smaller.

STEP 3: Now it was time to draw. I started with the dark grey that is in the automatic paint palette and used the pen tool to draw free hand the basic features of the jelly fish. Once that was done, I then changed to the slightly lighter shade of grey and drew over the top of that. It does not matter that the colours overlapped. I personally think it created more character. 

STEP 4: For the next layer of this particular image, I then used the same (or close to) ochre colour as the background and drew over the top again but this time, I only drew into the shadowy areas. I feel this gave a transparency to the jellyfish.

Step 5: To the underneath of the jellyfish, I added some darker shadows to give it some depth, and I also gave a quick 'swish' down the tentacles. After that, I added some final details. I went back to the lighter grey and used this on the top sections of the jellyfish and to where the light would hit it, I added pure white.

I hope that was helpful? I found myself treating Paper 53 like a sketchbook more and more over the time I was able to use it, and it was so refreshing to paint and draw without the necessity of having to get out all of my art equipment.

I did not just stop at jellyfish. I had a go at lichen, mushrooms and even Chillies made a come back, all using the same process I have included above.

 

The frog and mushrooms were loosely based on a photograph (I think!) that I saw in an old National Geographic magazine.

Using the layering and drawing techniques, I hope this is a good rendition of lichen?

I am trying to talk my friend into lending the iPad to me again. I really want to try some other drawing programmes and I would love to do either a video or a series of photographs of the process. I will let you know how that goes...

Half term is fast approaching, so I may get an opportunity to spend some more time using the drawing programme. It is addictive!

In the meantime, enjoy your Bank holiday weekend if you are in the UK and a very happy National Scrapbooking Day to all you happy scrappers out there.

Andy.