My Illustration Process
The whole process of drawing an illustration / done with the iPad Pro and Procreate (6B Pencil for Line Art & Color).
![](https://i0.wp.com/hannah-detterbeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1-Late-Night-Encounter-745x1024.jpg?resize=745%2C1024&ssl=1)
Starting with the sketch. The idea I had in mind for this was I wanted to draw a girl crouching down wanting to pet a cat. I wanted to draw a door that would be lighting up the scene and some moths around a lamp. I wanted the bottom to be dark and full of leaves.
![](https://i0.wp.com/hannah-detterbeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2-Late-Night-Encounter-745x1024.jpg?resize=745%2C1024&ssl=1)
Next step: the line art. Here I just go and make the lines more even.
![](https://i0.wp.com/hannah-detterbeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/3-Late-Night-Encounter-745x1024.jpg?resize=745%2C1024&ssl=1)
Then I start with coloring the bigger chunks of layers – I usually start with the sky and the ground. I always put these on separate layers because I usually change the colors for them later on.
![](https://i0.wp.com/hannah-detterbeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/4-Late-Night-Encounter-745x1024.jpg?resize=745%2C1024&ssl=1)
Another layer for the more prominent parts like the girl, cat and lantern. And another layer for the part on the bottom which I want to be in the shadow later.
![](https://i0.wp.com/hannah-detterbeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/5-Late-Night-Encounter-745x1024.jpg?resize=745%2C1024&ssl=1)
Here’s how the color looks before tweaking anything.
![](https://i0.wp.com/hannah-detterbeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/6-Late-Night-Encounter-745x1024.jpg?resize=745%2C1024&ssl=1)
Next steps: Tweaking the coloured layers separately. Adding lighting with the Riso brush (TTB Riso Brush Set for Procreate), putting lighting on a layer on top and usually set the opacity to overlay or pin light. I also added a darker lighting on the edges of the illustration to put the focus on the middle. Then I tweak the brightness and contrast in the photo app (the one that comes with the iPad).
Hope you like this illustration! Let me know if you have any questions 🙂
![](https://i0.wp.com/hannah-detterbeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/7-Late-Night-Encounter-1024x683.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/hannah-detterbeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/white-border-curve-transparent-2.png?resize=1024%2C93&ssl=1)
Find more of my recent art on my Instagram.