This is an illustration for chapter 13 of Science, Eternal Life, and a Traveling Circus. I plan to do a second version in simple black and white including a second character (Master Hughes, for those who know my characters) and possibly Elliot and Tim lingering somewhere in the back. 

This took me a long time and I'm not really happy with it, but I need to move on with my week and my work...

Step 1: Pencil Sketch

I worked on this drawing with pencil (traditionally) and scanned it to my computer. To make it black and white, rather than grey and white, I used the "auto contrast" function on Krita. (you can see my rough Hughes in there, a very unusually happy gremlin)

Step 2: Lines

I hate doing line-art. I use a pencil-like imitation brush with a color that is NOT black... but a very dark red or brown. (you can see on the color wheel). 

Step 3 and 4: Colors and Colored lines

For flat colors I use the fill tool, with the threshold/expand set to actually fill. Sometimes the fill doesn't fill all the way and I have to tediously go over everything with a brush. Bleh.

For coloring my lines, I switched the layer of dark lines to "overlay" to give me nice colors. (I wouldn't use an overlay layer for lines, just bear with) I color-picked from the overlay and that is ALL I used the overlay for. I then switched the lines to "normal" and "alpha-locked" to color over them with nice colors.

Step 5: Simple Lighting/Shading

Here I just stuck in the bright lights from my character, Alyn's glowing hands. (it makes sense if you read the story. It's a big moment, okay <<) I added simple shading with reddish/purple tones. I made the background dark so that I could properly see what I was doing and not over-contrast? If you work on a white canvas, you tend to color things too lightly. (so i've heard)

Step 6: Background

Um. Ugh. I have nothing to say, I have not advice. I'm awful and I didn't know what to do. Sue me.

Step 7: Touch Up/Complex Shade

I give myself too much credit by saying 'complex'. I just added a few more highlights and shadows in purple and yellow tones and overlayed some gradients.

Step 8: Filter

It's not really a filter. I put a "soft light" layer of a pastel paper texture. I just like textures.

Finished product: (as finished as it will get)