I came across an Instagram tip a while ago now that had this interesting approach to the transition from sketch to lineart: all of us who work that way know how hard it is to preserve the sketch's momentum and movement, and often simply correct anatomy, in the lines. This approach suggested that, as opposed to drawing over your sketch and trying to hit it again, you erase the stuff from your sketch that doesn’t contribute to the overall idea. I'd never really done that, but I figured a gouache "lineart" was the perfect moment to test it. I don’t really try to preserve my lineart in gouache, except in faces, AND gouache adds another layer of uncertainty to whatever you laid down in your sketch, as things tend to move around again when you paint over your lines. I had that really strongly with the latest Syl/Kaladin piece, where Kaladin’s face just totally wandered off in the gouache stage.
So this is what I‘ll try for "lineart" with the Dalinar piece. A very refined sketch that I hope will guide me as I paint over (parts of) it, and that can already serve as a coloured underpainting for the bubbles (gloryspren).
I also swear this piece brings out the worst in my association brain. I keep thinking of this when I look at it. 😂🤭
Also, in some cool news: I invested in a pigment ink printer again. My old printer, which I got after my eyes prevented me from working traditionally, had already been getting on my nerves a LOT for years now, so I went and bought myself another Epson SureColor, which can print water-proof on watercolour paper. It makes things so much easier. It was also the most incredible breeze to set up, and after having SureColor printers for a decade or so, this feels like coming home. I can't wait to start painting this on proper watercolour paper. Now I hope all my paper hasn’t gone bad! They do that sometimes. =O