KP022 - Water Flavor (making of)

I finally got to the point where I had accumulated in my mind enough references and skills that I want to put together for this series, “Kokeshi Protocol - Virtual Machines”, and thus I’m now able to continue it. Water Flavor refers to a vision where in a no so distant future (unfortunately) natural water is so rare that is only found as a techno-induced beverage flavor.

As with my previous drawings I used a photo reference, which helps a lot with the shadows/highlights placement, allowing for a more fluid look. Also made entirely on Krita 4.x, development version, this allows me not only to try the latest in Krita’s technology but also in finding/confirming bugs that I can report back to the developers of the program.

Basic coloring was done with a “air-brush”, this technique allows for a very smooth and unreal skin texture, it does gives a little tridimensional effect while keeping a sort of “flatness” feel to it, its an aesthetic I found very appealing from 40′s-60s illustrations such as pin-ups, where some realism is achieved but the overall look shows without a doubt, even at first sight that this is a painting.

Borrowing a bit from anime/manga styles, I want a bigger than normal eyes/head and thus the basic bone structure has to be modified or “cartooned”, also the hair is made to resemble a plastic figurine’s, thick strands and no halo/small highlights on it, all of this also to enhance the “futuristic artificial life” look.

I was looking for a cyber-punk feel or I rather called Electro-punk, and thus the background has to provide enough components for it, after I spend some time with it, I realize that less is more, and end up using about half of the planned objects, also I obscure them enough to prevent distraction, the crude look of it is made to contrast the softness of the character.

During many of my paintings I realize there are some stages of it that I really like, specific colors, backgrounds, etc. One of the big benefits of digital painting is the ability to cleanly change or switch parts of it, thus for this piece I also have a electro-punk-less portrait, and a “ink” comic versions of it. Check them out too! : )

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