Tag: Colouring

Procolouring

I’ve started a short procreate colouring course by K. Michael Russell and used this doodle from work to put my line art on a transparent background and just mess about.

The last time I bought one of Kurt’s CSP courses, it really levelled up my colouring knowledge. It’s a course I’ve since returned to a few times between long gaps in my work.

Since I ditched CSP on the iPad I’ve been using procreate more and I want to do as much as I can with it. With procreate there’s also the option to work in CMYK (that I hadn’t realised until this course). Generally I’ve been working in RGB (CSP doesn’t handle CMYK well yet) and only ever converted a file (usually in affinity photo) to CMYK for print if needed.

Putting scanned line art on a transparent layer in procreate requires a few more steps than CSP but it’s surprisingly easy after a few attempts.

Tried using some clipping masks here also and they’re okay for the most part but I think I’ll probably prefer using selections for more detailed work.

Kurt also has a fantastic (and popular) short tutorial of the technique, just 40 secs!

October 2026

Been sketching a bunch of Judge Death this month for some reason *gestures broadly at everything*

This guy, always bringing the positive vibes

Trying out some visor styles, at least I think it’s a visor

Eventually I’ll add a sketch post on here that doesn’t include any skulls

Scraptober

So far October is a scrapfest, scribbles here and there usually at stupid o’clock. Even ditched CSP on the iPad as I wasn’t drawing enough to justify the annual sub. I’ve got procreate still which surprisingly keeps updating on my hardy 2016 iPad. CSP EX is on the laptop though if I ever feel the urge… remember the days when you only paid once for the software/things you own? I feel old Frodo.

March 2026

It’s the end of a month which means only one thing round these parts, a massive and possibly illegal dumping of sketch stuff and scraps from the auld decrepit iPad.

Paddy’s day was definitely a thing that happened in March…. I worked up this sad lad in procreate and then completely forgot all about it

Looking again at the initial sketches I prob should have drawn the wee guy dangling from the pint glass with his arse out

I drew a bunch of Blob & Duck by **Lobster Robin**

Struggled a bit to turn that duck falling pose into something good

Absolute characters are so hot right now

Continued #animalstudies with some great suggestions on Cara including the Tanuki, which admittedly I was not aware of, such a delightful creature if a little tricky to draw.

Walking eyeballs were cool before Alien Earth ya know, at least in my book

Hulk not have TMJ, Hulk just a little stressed

Really like the colours on this Rathraq, picked them out pretty quickly too

Was curious to see if I could do something similar in a larger fan art piece, might revisit this in April

One fan art leads to another with some Hellboy doodling, might give him an axe instead

I’ve been enjoying Terran Omega by PJ Holden but haven’t really figured how to approach the character. Think I’m getting closer here but still doesn’t feel like it’s on model as such/captures the right feel… I dunno.

Tricky to balance the feminine physique of Terran with the armour, etc.

I mocked up a rough Terran helmet in card for reference

Abs Bats brings the gun show to close this out

Dailies

Moving the pen, wanna make it a daily habit this year

2 Jan 2026

Photos shared to my bluesky and cara accounts

It’s been surprisingly difficult to carve out the time to draw each day this week. Something that years ago before the birth of my son seemed so easy to me, necessary even and often ritualistic. I always feel better when I draw, there’s a surprise of sorts and a meditative stillness that I find myself within. I’m not sure what I’ve missed more really, creating something from nothing or just the quiet escape that drawing provides for me.

The biggest challenge I’ve found has been settling on something to draw, mainly finding the inspiration or spark to start. I’m just trying to draw through it really, hoping that if I sit at the table long enough and fill enough pages something will catch. I’m probably just tired and lacking concentration, motivation and intention.

When you set some time aside to draw for yourself you feel a pressure to make it worthwhile. After 10 or 20 minutes of noodling at something or rubbing out pencils the inner critic gets louder and the urge to give up is strong.

I’ve been here before and I know I just need to lower my expectations and have fun.

With that in mind I think I’ll keep at this wee sketchbook, I just might not post anything more from it on SM, I’ve got into a bad habit of measuring the quality of my work in likes, comments, and follows.

If you’ve made similar plans to draw daily this year, let me know what’s keeping you motivated in the comments. Also, if there is anything you’d like to see me draw, I’d love to hear it!

June 2025

Bed time doodles in Clip Studio Paint… you should see the ones I didn’t include

The colours did a lot of the heavy lifting on big chin here

Had a pretty good response to the Dredd sketch on bluesky, a big surprise really, I haven’t seen much reaction to anything I post there honestly, lucky to get a reply or comment at all. Haven’t drawn any Dredd stuff in years, the helmet is always tricky but this looks alright… it might even be a new favourite of mine. The Eastwood of this is entirely accidental btw, couldn’t resist adding a wee speech bubble nod to auld dirty Harry.

Not a great HB, but I like how the colours turned out

Bit of a wonky sketch but who cares right?! (I mean, I do actually, it’s bloody wonky)

Was in two minds about posting this Ultramega but I’ll let it slide as I’ve already put it on insta… that’s late night posting for ya. Someday I’ll do a decent drawing of this awesome character and melt some eyeballs.