"I'll Get You My Pretty" has taken on a whole new meaning in this tutorial. The Wicked Witch of the West now dons a stylish collection of haute couture clothing to be rivaled only by her fabulously evil attitude. Join me in a maddening ride through form and color as we create a stunning witch and her entourage of flying monkeys.
1. Stage the Sketch
Using my scanner at 200 dpi to catch as much of the detail as possible, I've captured this image from my sketchbook.
We'll be working with a clean line quality from Photoshop and now we can begin to work. I'm working in Adobe Illustrator in RGB mode at a size of 11 x 17 inches for this specific project.
I'll label my first layer as "Sketch" and lock the layer to make sure I'm not accidentally working on this layer. We'll be loosely following this as our guideline.
2. Add Initial Body Lines
Step 1
Using my Pen Tool (P) with a Stroke line weight of 2 pt, I've started to outline the contours of her face. You'll find that most of my forms start face first. You of course are welcome to start any way you'd like, but it allows me to map out the rest of my composition.
Step 2
While we are working on this vector, we'll play with the Line Weight by utilizing our Width Tool (Shift-W). I like to start with a rather thin Stroke line, usually around 0.15 pt, and expand it where needed.
Step 3
I'll be switching colors periodically while making my Stroke lines. This is in an effort to make it more visible. Had I stayed with a darker line, it would have been more difficult to see over the pencil sketch.
Step 4
Here you can see that I've made my lashes with a Stroke weight of 0.25 pt, which will for the most part be the smallest weight we'll comfortably use for this project.
Step 5
I've recolored the project to make it easier to see the differences between the details.
3. Put in Body Line Details
Step 1
You'll notice that I will lower the Transparency in order to see the sketch directly underneath. Normally 40–50% will do the trick.
Step 2
Here, I'm showing the clean version, without the Sketch. It makes a world of difference, doesn't it?
Step 3
At this stage I'm continuing showing the clean version over the sketch. You can see that we have plenty to complete, but our end result will be easier to color and scale.
4. Continue With the Intricate Details of the Witch's Body
Step 1
An easy way to make cleavage is to utilize the Width Tool. It's quick and a nice adjustable method for making the perfect "set".
Step 2
During this step, I've made progress with the cape, fingers, hair, and feathers. I'm using relatively small Stroke lines made with my Pen Tool (P) and following the Sketch to develop my clean version of the project.
Step 3
At this point, I've started to add my dress details. I'm putting together simple shapes that can be easily colored later.
It may seem complex, but the pearls really are just small circles made by the Ellipse Tool (L).
Step 4
I have also taken a bit of time to make my emerald crystals. The Stroke weight is quite a bit thicker. It's about 2.5 pt in thickness. It's a small detail, so this will allow the crystals to be more visible.
Step 5
Here, we can see all of our detail brought into the upper half of the Witch's body. We've added folds to the scarf connected to the hat, as well as starting our clouds in the sky.
Step 6
Next, I've added a Layer to include our Gradient background. Sometimes, it's helpful to step back to see how far along you are. I gain perspective this way.
5. Add Background Elements
Step 1
The next step is to begin a new Layer to incorporate the background elements. This will be separate from the Gradient layer as well, to make working easier. Please note that I lock all of my unused Layers to prevent any selection errors.
Step 2
I've proceeded to add the Emerald City buildings and Yellow Brick Road. I'm making my bricks via freehand, so don't think that you have to be completely accurate here. Even a few imperfections will add character.
Step 3
During this step, I have made very simple flowers which I have then Grouped (Control-G) to make it easier to manage them.
I've made a few little flower clusters here and there, but I'm doing this with a minimalist approach. I will not push for a detailed poppy field this time around, simply because it will be fully readable as a field once we've colored it.
6. Build a Hot Air Balloon and a Tornado
Step 1
The next step is to make our hot air balloon. I've started with a simple Ellipse (L) and will Unite the upper and lower halves to make a full balloon shape.
Step 2
After finishing the hot air balloon lines, I've turned on my Gradient layer to see how my colors will look behind it. This isn't the final color, but it allows me to visually rule out this color and experiment with the next.
Step 3
The previous sketch had an angular tornado. I didn't feel that this worked with the composition, and therefore didn't read well. Using a series of simple curves, I mimicked the previous tornado and came up with a much better representation.
7. Add a Thick Stroke to the Witch
Step 1
At this point, we're ready to create a nice thick Stroke of about 2.5 pt around our Witch. I suggest making a duplicate of all of her parts and Uniting the pieces while creating the line work with Rounded Caps and Rounded Join Corners. These settings will be found on your Pathfinder tab.
Step 2
Once you've applied your Stroke line, your Witch will look more pronounced. We're trying to achieve an almost Art Nouveau look.
8. Add Monkeys
On a separate Layer, we'll start working on our Flying Monkeys. The Stroke line will be 1.75 pt, just a hair thinner than the Witch, to allow her to remain our focal point.
9. Layers of Composition
Once we've made all of our initial lines, we can see just how many Layers we made. You can see in this step the clean version on top of the sketch, as well as the clean version by itself. We honestly could leave it as it is, but what would be the fun in that?
10. Separate the Line Work From the Fill
From here, we'll do our prep work to make way for our colors. I recommend making duplicates to work from and saving a copy of your originals just in case, since this is where it gets a little tricky. Put all of your vectors on one Layer and make sure to select all of your Paths. Expand only your Strokes. In your Pathfinder tab, click Divide and this should jigsaw all of the layers together.
Once you're at this stage, create a new Layer. Select either the white or colored Fill and in your Task bar, hit Select > Same > Fill Color. This will highlight all the pieces associated with that particular color.
Take your mouse or pen and select the space on your Layer in the Layers tab that is located next to the small circle on the right hand side of it. Drag to the empty Layer. This should drag all Fill layers of that color to the new Layer. Hide the Layer with the white Fill. I've recolored the necessary lines black. We're now ready to color!
11. Add Initial Color
Step 1
Now that we have our black lines, we have two options. We can utilize the white Fill that's already there and edit the colors, or we can make a New Layer to create all of our new shades. Here, I'm showing you how to utilize the already separated white Fill.
Step 2
With this step, I have decided to create all of the under color. I'm using two color Gradients for most of my work. I try to keep it under three for a project with this much detail.
12. Add Background and Foreground Elements
For the buildings, I'm sticking to a similar color palette as the dress. I'm attempting to keep a theme going throughout our artwork.
13. Add Large Gradient Elements
Since the grass initially was this color, I decided to stick with it for our crystal ball. I've added feathers to her hat, as well as the initial monkey fur color. Try to block in the larger colors first before starting on the details.
14. Create Glowing Smoke
For the Witch's smoke, I'll be doing a two-step process. Once I have my initial color blocked in under the black line, I'll return to the my black line Layer and I'll edit the colors of some of my lines. Doing so with the smoke gives it a very eerie feel, and allows it to stand apart from the rest of the composition.
15. Continuation of the Glowing Smoke
Step 1
I've only begun to work out the smoke outlines. Be very careful of small pieces that you might miss along the way.
Step 2
Once you've finished putting in the larger amounts of color, you can go back in and add organic curves to enhance our billowy smoke.
Step 3
Add a bit of smoke also to parts of the dress. I like to think of this Witch as melting into her own magic, so don't be afraid to allow your colors to mix together.
16. Add Details to the Dress
Step 1
Add small accents using the color from our crystal ball, and take advantage of your ability to use Transparencies in order to add to the dress details.
Step 2
This could be a very flat-looking piece, so we need to incorporate light and dark treatments. I'm using the colors taken from the smoke to enhance her body. I've used a Feather effect with a Radius of 0.3 in and an Opacity of 30%.
17. Add Details to the Face
Step 1
Details to the face are a must. Since this is a fabulous, fashion-forward Witch, we'll give her daring ruby red lips and just a hint of eye shadow.
Step 2
We've also gone as far as to enhance her chest. I imagine this woman thinks that beauty is pain, therefore she's most likely alright with the lack of oxygen.
Step 3
At this stage, I've decided that her hair was a bit too dark for the overall project. There's a bit more blue to the general deep-green mix previously used.
18. Finish the Details of the Hot Air Balloon and Sky
Step 1
By this stage, we're ready to add the hot air balloon colors and clouds. We can also add a few layers of color to the entire sky to give it a dreamy sunset appearance.
Step 2
I also want to note that the color of the background has changed to incorporate light and dark, but in a more dramatic fashion.
19. Add Lighting Details
Step 1
Make sure to add light to your composition. The smallest detail can be overlooked, but when you give it a bit more attention, it can turn into a game changer. The feathers were a bit tedious, but well worth the patience!
Step 2
I'm now ready to add color to the tornado and hot air balloon's line work. By using the colors of our sky, we've managed to incorporate more light without much effort.
Step 3
The Emerald City wouldn't be the same if it wasn't a spiraling metropolis of glittering green, so we'll add a bit of glow to give it that dream-like look.
I've also designed a few circular light rays, which was a popular touch in most propaganda posters in the 1930s and 1940s. I like to mingle new and old ideas. It creates a whole new look that becomes more relatable to a wider scope of people. Both the glow and light rays have been placed in a Mask to keep our beautiful edges flawless.
20. Add Rays of Light Behind the Hot Air Balloon
Since I'm enjoying the finished look of the Emerald City, I thought I'd carry the theme over to the hot air balloon.
21. Add Details to the Monkey
With our sweet but completely devious monkeys, we'll add hair details and teeth. It doesn't take much detailing at this point, since we took all of that time to create the line work.
22. Add Additional Lighting
We'll finish off our yellow brick road with just a bit of our glowy green. I love the idea that as you approach the city, it becomes a whole new source of light.
23. Color the Ruby Slippers
Step 1
We'll create our beautiful haute couture ruby high heels at this point. I'm using a pre-made Symbol for my glitter. You can find the instructions for it in my Create a Lisa Frank Inspired Colourful Pegasus in Adobe Illustrator tutorial.
Step 2
If you need to recolor the Symbol, merely double-click on the Symbol in your Symbols tab and recolor your artwork. This will be linked to any that you have previously put into your composition, so keep that in mind.
24. Add the Last Rays of Light to the Emerald Crystals
My final act of insanity is to incorporate our rays of light into our emerald crystals as well. You can Mask these for a cleaner presentation around your composition.
I'm Melting...
Hopefully you've made it past the lions, tigers, and bears, and your end result is just as fun and festive. Remember to make room for fun, and nothing has to be exact to look perfect in your eyes. The purpose is to enjoy what you do and explore the vector world at your own pace. Thanks for taking another "sizable" journey with me. Stay fabulously colorful, friends!