One of the things I love most about creating art is allowing my mind to drift off. When you tune out everything and really focus on what you see, you learn to appreciate all the small details.
This digital illustration was created using Procreate and consists of about 90 overlapping layers. I was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's veiled glazing oil painting technique in which various layers of lightly tinted varnishes are applied over the existing painted surface. This creates subtle differences in color and shading which gives the subject a sense of dimension.¹ To achieve this effect, I laid out solid shapes as a foundation then progressively stacked transparent brush strokes on top layers. I then blended each layer to create seamless gradients that follow the contour of the face, hair and fabric.
¹http://monalisa.org/2017/10/13/leonardos-late-glazing-technique/