Luminance
Digital Art (drawn on Procreate)
Each year, I set a personal goal for my art. My objective in 2024 is to improve my skill in constructing backgrounds, as it has been my weakness for a while. I accordingly created this illustration intending to make the backdrop the focal point and the character a supporting element. I challenged myself to craft a uniquely striking and elaborate background that I’m usually afraid to take on. As one of the most difficult paintings I have ever attempted, Luminance took me a total of 14 hours to render and refine every detail.
I created the character and background using local colors before adding the rainbow hues. I then adjusted the saturation several times to achieve the final result. The character has also been significantly altered in my drawing process. I originally wanted her to face the sunset, but I ultimately changed the pose so that she would face the viewer. Believe it or not, I have roughly 20 other drafts of this piece, each with different designs and colors. Out of the 14 hours that I spent, 2 hours were just dedicated to fine-tuning the colors in this artwork. I also gathered constructive criticism from peers and made adjustments based on their feedback.
Though I finished Luminance in the end and even displayed it at the Greeley Art Show, I’m not completely satisfied with the result: I believe many aspects of this illustration could still be improved. However, by persisting through the artistic process, I learned many new techniques that I will most definitely use in the future. This drawing tested me as an artist in aspects such as patience and endurance, and it serves as a stepping stone for my future artistic endeavors.
