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Hi everyone! I'm Bryce Ko, a concept artist and illustrator. You might know me from "Sea of Stars," where I did all the illustrations and character designs. In this article, I'll walk you through my process for creating a "Spirited Away" fan art illustration.

Fan Art: Spirited Away

Research and Exploration

For my "Spirited Away" fan art, I needed extensive research. I drew various characters to get familiar with Miyazaki's style, starting with rough sketches and gradually capturing the mood I wanted. This phase helped me decide which characters to include and how to evoke the feeling of the film.

Thumbnails and Composition

I created several thumbnails to plan the composition. Initially, I considered a horizontal orientation with Sen, but I wanted to include more characters. I settled on a scene with the main characters flying over a night market, inspired by my experience at the Raohe Night Market in Taiwan.

Line Art and Flats

With the composition set, I dove into the line art, incorporating various Ghibli characters as Easter eggs throughout the scene. For the flats, I kept the color palette cohesive, adjusting colors to fit within a unified scheme. By limiting the colors, I maintained harmony and made it easier to adjust later.

Adding Shading and Light

I added highlights and adjusted values to achieve the nighttime vibe of a bustling market. By crunching down the color palette and focusing on the main light source, I unified the piece and made the primary characters stand out. The final result captures the atmosphere I aimed for, with hidden details for fans to discover.

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That's a glimpse into my illustration process for my personal work. Starting with thorough research and planning allows me to create more cohesive and engaging pieces. Remember, the more you connect with your artwork, the more it resonates with others.

Check out the premium course for additional lessons, demos, assignments and critiques!