Transcripts
1. Introduction: Have you ever tried drawing
a bicycle from memory? Try it and you'll quickly realize how complex
they really are. Welcome to Motion
and Illustration. I'm Yifat Fishman an artist and illustrator based
in North Texas. I specialize in portraits
and vibrant compositions, and I love illustrating
motion in everyday scenes. In this playful and
practical class, we're going to take on the challenge of
drawing a bicycle, bring it to life with
the riding character. And create an illustration
full of movement and style. We'll kick things
off with a fan warm up sketching a
bicycle from memory. Then we'll compare
it to a reference, and you'll be surprised
at what we missed. From there, I'll walk
you through how to illustrate the
bike step by step. But the real magic happens
when we add a character, someone who connects
with a bicycle and gives your project a story. I'll show you how
to use pose and movements to create a
narrative and charm. Along the way, I'll
share my tips for keeping your process
playful and flexible. Whether you're an
aspiring illustrator or just love drawing
dynamic scenes, this class will help you
break down complex objects like bikes into simple
drawable shapes. By the end, you'll have
a bike illustration that is vibrant and joyful, perfect for sharing, growing your drawing skills or
adding to your portfolio. Ready to roll?
Let's get started.
2. The Project: For the class project, we'll illustrate a bicycle
and add a riding character. Keep things simple
with a bike and rider. Or take it a step further by placing your bicycle
in a full scene, like a field of flowers or a scenic road or maybe
a colorful cityscape. The goal is to create a visually striking and personal piece, something that is yours. The good news is
we'll go through this entire process in
the following lessons. We'll start by building
the structure of the bike and then move
on to drawing the rider. And finally, we'll
add fun details that bring it all together
with movement and energy if you're
interested in learning more about drawing human
figures and characters, check out my classes that dive deeper into character
and pose illustration. We're also drawing
flowers in class, and I have a few classes about floor
illustrations as well, so feel free to check them
out after this class. Now, you might be
wondering how long does a project like this
actually take to complete? The one I made for this
class took me about 6 hours. I'm sharing that to help you set real life expectations for
your own creative flow. And I didn't sit
6 hours straight. I took breaks in between
to think through certain parts like what I should do to create
a sense of movement. Eventually, I decided to fill the bike basket
with flowers, flying in the wind,
but that idea came after stepping away from
the illustration for a bit. Alright. When you're done, make sure to share your
project in the class gallery. I'd really love to
see what you create. And if you enjoy the class, I'd so appreciate if you
left a quick review. So, let's get started. Up next, we'll talk about
how to draw a bicycle.
3. How to Draw Bicycles: In this lesson, you learn
how to draw a bicycle. But first, let's start with what bikes
shouldn't look like. When we try to draw a
bicycle from memory, it might feel right at first, but once we take a closer look, things start to fall apart. We might realize that we forgot key parts of the
frame or made it too heavy to ride or design something that's just
impossible to steer. So I want to show
you a fun project by a Bologna based artist
named Gianluca Gemini. He asked random people to
sketch bicycles from memory, and in about six years, he collected over 376
sketches that he later turned into three D model renderings to check if they could really
work as functioning bikes. So let's take a closer look at some of these
project sketches. So what's not working
in this bike sketch? When we look at the
three D model rendering, handles in the seat are very
far away and hard to reach, and I don't think that the rider can actually
reach the pedals. In these bikes, we're
missing a few parts. And I believe the
most important part that we're missing
are the pedals, and there's no way
for them to be attached to the frame that
seems very heavy and bulky. Okay, what's going
on with this design? It's really cool, but the
frame sits on one side, and the wheels on the other. So let's imagine a
rider on this bike. They'll have a hard time
balancing themselves. The chain goes both ways to the front wheel
and the back wheel. I don't think we can
have this in a bike. And overall, everything
seems very bulky and heavy. And what about these bikes? Frame seemed to be
supportive enough, though we might be
missing part of the frame between the back
wheel and the pedals. I'm pretty sure there
should be a bar there. I think I see what's wrong here. So the part of the
frame that supports the seat is touching
the back wheel. Yeah, that's not
going to work either, and maybe the angle of the frame that supports the
seat is way too back. Alright, what do we
think about this design? It's kind of a retro,
beautiful olive color. What stands out to you? Can you imagine a
rider on this bicycle? What are we missing?
I think we're missing the frame bar that connects the seat to
the center of the bike. We have nothing to support
the center of the bike. Somebody sits there.
The front wheel is going to eventually
break apart. I believe there are
too many frame parts constraining the front wheel, so these bikes are
only going to ride straightforward until
eventually they'll fall apart. But they do look beautiful. Okay, this is the last
pair. Super cool design. I love the style,
really, the colors, the little flag, something to think about when
we design our bike. But what is not working here? The designer did connect
the back wheel to the frame properly
with, like, a V shape. But what we don't want here is too many connectors
to the front wheel, and we actually have
three frame segments that hold this wheel in place. So yeah, while these
are very stylish bike, they'll only drive forward. Alright, that was really fun. Up next, we're going to have a drawing exercise where we
sketch our bikes from memory. I'll see you in the next lesson.
4. Sketching: Memory Vs. Observation: Okay, let's start with
a simple exercise. Before looking at a
photo of real bike, grab your sketchbook
and try drawing bicycle entirely from
memory. Don't overthink it. Just go with what feels right. Once you're done, look at a reference photo of bicycles
and compare the two. What parts did you forget
or get totally wrong? No judgment. It
happens to all of us. This is a great way to train
your observation skills and see how your memory
interprets everyday objects. So let's do this little exercise of memory versus
reality together. Split your page in two. On the left side, draw
your from memory bike. On the right, sketch a real
bike using a photo reference. All right, so let's get started. I'm actually not going to give myself too
much time for this. I'll try to limit myself to just 1 minute to
draw a quick sketch. And so I'll divide
my page in half. One side will be my
bike for memory, and the other will be my bike
using a reference photo, so we can compare the two. Okay, here we go. It
seems simple enough. We know we need two wheels. I'll sketch a guideline
to help place them, and then we need a frame. To hold everything together. So handlebars. And we need
a seat should be here. And, of course, yeah, more of the frame and try to
hold everything together. And yeah, we need the pedals so that we'll be able to
move the bike forward. The frame should be strong
enough to support the rider. All right, this seems
like decent bike to me. But then again, so did all the other sketches in
Gian Luca imini'sEperiment. Now let's go grab a few bike reference
photos and compare. Here's one I like. I'll save it. And here's another great. I might save a few more
and I'll bring one of them into my Canvas so we can take a closer look and compare
it with my memory sketch. Alright, let's see how I did. I definitely messed up the seat. It's a supportive frame. It actually blocks the
back wheel. What else? Oh, it looks like my
pedals are too far out and hard to reach. And even though the
frame feels solid, I don't think my bike
could actually move because the frame is blocking part of the front wheel as well. Yeah, and same goes for
the back wheel, too. So lots of things to keep in mind when
drawing from memory. So these are little
details that make a big difference and they're easy to miss when we
draw from memory. And now let's switch gears. I'm going to use a
reference photo to draw on a new layer right over it, really studying how
the frame is built. So let's lower the opacity
of my reference photo and grab the pencil again and really basically just sketch
the main part of the bike this is the parts that connects the
handlebar to the wheel, and we need to leave a
lot of room for steering. We have several circles
here that we'll try to sketch in better details
and more accuracy later on. This is the actual frame. It's a diamond shape that really distributes the weight of
the rider on the bike. And here is how the seat
is connected to the frame. The pedals are placed just
in front of the gear. And we got to make sure
that behind that the frame wraps under and around to
support the whole structure. And of course, the wheels should be free of any obstructions. There we go, a more accurate
structure of a bike. Comparing the two side by side really shows how helpful
a reference can be. Drawing from imagination is fun, but using a reference
helps you understand the mechanics and makes
your drawing believable.
5. Basic Shapes: Wheels: So now let's start by drawing
our basic wheel shapes. I'm going to lower
the opacity of my sketch layer just so we
can use it as a reference. And now let's begin
with drawing a circle. I want to show you a simple
method for drawing a clean, accurate bike wheels
in Procreate. Here's how first step, tap the selection tool, make sure it's set to ellipse. Then start drawing your shape, and as you're drawing, hold one finger on the screen, and that turns your ellipse
into a perfect circle. Now adjust the size
roughly to what you want, and it's okay to go
a little bigger. I would actually prefer
if you go a little bigger because you can
always scale it down. And once you're
happy with the size, just drag and drop a
color into the circle. And now you've got a perfect
texture free circle. The reason I'm not using
a brush is because I want a perfectly smooth circle with no texture or
line variation. So instead of drawing a
circle using a brush, I've used the selection
tool to create my will. Now, why not use a brush? Well, when you draw a
circle with a brush, you often end up with pressure
sensitive variations, thick and thin parts where
the stroke begins or ends. Plus, that can cause
issues when you try to fill it with color because the edges aren't
completely sealed, you'll get those annoying
little gaps or uncolored pixels that need correction
and are caused by the stamp used for
creating the brush. That's why I'm showing you this clean method with
a selection tool. It saves time and gives
you precise results. Now that you have a good circle, you'll want to place
it over the sketch and make sure it's overlapping
the front bike wheel. If it's too large, we'll size it down to
follow the sketch. Next, let's try to be organized. I'm going to rename this layer
template and duplicate it. The duplicate will
become our wheel layer. As a general rule, try to
remember to name your layers. It's just easier later on when you have many
layers for your project. Let's change its colored so we can see the
difference easily. One is going to be
black and one in blue. Next, let's pick our
top circle and use the transform tool with
uniform mode selected. Make sure the magnetics and
snapping are turned on. They'll be really useful when we align our two
circles later on. Now I'll scale the shape down to determine how thick
the wheel should be. Since the snapping is active, when I move the black circle, those blue lines help center it exactly
over the blue circle. Once that looks right,
I'll tap the black layer and choose Select to
select its shape. Now that I've selected
the inner circular shape, I'll hide the black layer
and go back to the blue one. What we have here is an active or selected inner
circle over our blue shape. Let's hit the transform
tool again and now I can size down this circle until
it fits right over my sketch. Just like that, we've created a ring with a circle
in its center. You can rename the
final layer wheel and duplicate it to
make another one. Again, we use the
snapping settings with the transform tool to help align your second
wheel with the first. And there you go. You've got two clean centered wheels
and ready to roll.
6. Basic Shapes: Bike Frame: In this lesson, we'll create the basic shape of
the bike frame. Just a structure for now, we're keeping it simple, but this fundamental
step will get us closer to the fun
part, adding colors. So while it might be tempting to jump straight into
color and shading, starting with a strong
frame shape gives you so much more control and flexibility in
your illustration. It's like laying
down the foundation of your drawing before
you bring it to life. There are all kinds of bike
styles to choose from, and the one you
pick will influence the mood and character
of your piece. I'm going with a
retro style bike. It has that nostalgic
charm that I love, but the approach I'll
show you will work with any bike that you choose.
Let's get started. I'll start by placing a
reference photo on the canvas. I'm using Procreate's
floating reference feature to guide me through the process. Next, let's find the
right brush for drawing. I'm looking for a simple
un textured brush. My liner is great for this job, but Procreate's inking brushes would do great here as well. When you get your brush ready, make a few marks on
the canvas to help set up the correct brush size
to follow your sketch. Once I've got that
basic frame in place, I'm going to use my sketch as a guide and start
adding more details, going a little beyond what
the rough sketch suggested. At this stage, don't rush, take your time and really design everything
the way you want it. Focus on the little things
like how the frame connects to the wheels and how all the
different parts meet up. The handlebar is a
great example of how a little detail can
affect your entire design. You can stick pretty close to your original sketch or you can start experimenting and change things up if you feel like it. Straight lines are definitely
the easier way to go, but I'm adding a few
curves here and there just to make the frame a little
more interesting and personal. The bike seat will mostly end up covered by your rider later, but it's still a
fun detail to draw. I'm spending a
little extra time on it just because I really
enjoy the process. D. Next, we'll draw the gear
that moves the bike chain. It's a small but important part that adds a lot of
character to the bike, even if it's a bit
tricky at first to draw. And you can always
replicate segments of the gear until you complete
the entire shapes. Another fun thing to
add are the spokes, the lines that connect the rim of the wheel
to its center. Once you finish them
for the front wheel, it's super easy to just copy
them for the back wheel. I'm keeping all these parts
on separate layers too. It gives you a lot
more flexibility, and it makes it easier to adjust things if you need to
tweak anything later. And finally, we'll
draw the pedals. And with that, the bike
frame is complete. Alright. Now that we've got a strong frame and all
the details in place, we're ready to bring
it to life with color. Let's jump into the fun part.
7. Coloring, Shading and Textures: In this lesson, we'll render our bike and use
clipping masks to do it. This is a professional
approach to coloring because it gives
you tons of flexibility. You can explore different
color options while keeping the basic shapes of the
wheels and frame intact. So let's get into it. First, light the layer above
each of the main elements. The wheels and the frame each gets separate layer above them, and I'll set them up
in clipping masks. These will be our
coloring layers. Next, it's time to pick
a brush for rendering. We want something wide, soft, and lightly textured. I'm using my jellybean brush. It's perfect for
this type of job. Now let's start with the wheels. I'll fill them in with black, then add highlights in shades of gray to
create definition. When I paint the grays, I try to stay loose
with my brush strokes. I'm not going for super
clean lines here. I want to create a fun
abstract texture that helps suggest the rounded
form of the tire. I ing. Now, let's color the spokes, those thin lines
inside the wheel. For this step, it's
best to use alpha o on the spokes layer rather than adding another clipping mask
just to save on layer count. I'm keeping it simple here, just using two gray shades. Next, we'll move on
to the bike frame. This part has lots of
small interesting parts. When I'm shading with color, I usually pick three
to four shades that work well together. First, I'll choose a main color. I'm going with a
bright red because I want the bike to feel
bold and eye catching. For the metal parts like the handlebars and those
pieces under the seat, I'll use the same
graze from the tires. But in those areas, I try to be more
precise with my shading and highlights to define
the form more clearly. That contrast between
the loose rendering of the frame and the sharper, more three D metal elements
add a lot of visual interest. Both. I use a cool pink
for highlights. Pink and red are great combo, and I bring in a
vibrant orange to add more light and
dimension to the curves. Now, red, pink and
orange work in harmony as they are close
together on the color wheel. So picking harmonious
colors is a good way to go when you want to bring out
the sense of certain palette. These are all harmonious
colors that work within the range of my main
color that is the red. Lastly, I'll use a darker
red for my shadows, something deep that
won't distract, but helps shape the form. Now here's why
it's so helpful to keep your shades and
colors on separate layers. If you need to tweak the shape, say to adjust the part of the frame that overlaps
with the gears. You can just erase or draw on
the base blue shape layer, and your color layer will automatically update
along with it. I'll show you that again a
bit later in this lesson. If you need to add any
new parts to your bike, like a connector piece between
the wheel and the frame, feel free to create
it on a new layer. We'll also be adding more details towards
the end of class. Now is also a great time
to experiment with colors. Because we've set up
our layers this way, all you have to do to
test a new palette is add another layer
in a clipping mask. For example, I love how this
bike looks in green two. Drawing in this way, it's easy to test out
and see what works. Now let's move on to
some finishing touches. Let's take care of the
handlebars and the seat. I've got a reference photo for inspiration
and I'm going with a light orange for these parts to give
the bike a retro feel. I'm also coloring the gears and the pedals using Alpha lock
directly on those layers. Lastly, let me show you
again how easy it is to change the bike's shape
without redoing your colors. I'll go back to the
blue frame layer and I want to add a little bit
and refine the form. Because the color layer
is clipped to it, it adjusts perfectly
with those changes. And that's it for this lesson. We covered a lot, and you've
got texture, shading, and a flexible workflow ready for the next stage
in the project.
8. Rider: From Basics to Body: In this lesson, we'll add
a rider to the bicycle. If drawing human figures
feel intimidating, don't worry, you're not alone. Like many artists, you
may find it challenging, but we're going to break the
process down step by step, and by the end, you'll
have a confident, well posed character that
brings your scene to life. We'll start by identifying the three key contact points where a person
interacts with a bike. The handlebars, the
seat, and the pedals. To make your rider
feel naturally seated, they should be connected to
all three of these areas. I'm using a reference photo of a bike rider to help
visualize the pose. If we look closely, you can see the forward lean of the rider's torso and the bend in the front leg as it prepares to push
down on the pedal. But before I begin drawing, I want to establish
the body's angle. So I start with a
simple directional line to help me define the
lean of the torso. Right away, I
realized there's not enough space for the head
at the top of the canvas, but that's an easy fix. I'm just going to
select all the layers, use the transform tool, and scale the bike down slightly while repositioning it
lower on the canvas. Now we've got more
room to work with. So let's draw the leg next. If it were straight, I'd place the knee in
the middle of the leg. But since it's bend, we need to figure out
the correct angle. You can place your
pencil directly over the reference photo to study the bend in
the writer's leg. Then use that angle
to draw two lines representing the two parts of the leg joined
together in the knee. I next, I mark the shoulder
and draw the arm and hand as they reach forward
to grip the handle bars. After that, we'll add the head. It's a simple oval shape
that we refine later. And now you have the
basic shape of your rider sketched in simple guiding
lines like a stick figure, believe it or not, that's all you need to build
full character. So on a new layer, we'll start defining
the rider's body using rounded organic forms. Starting at the set bones, I sketch a curved line
to represent the back, which follows the natural S
shape of the human spine. From there, I add the
neck and head using the head's angle to give
the rider some personality. In my version, the rider's
head tilt slightly back to express joy
and freedom as if they're really
enjoying the bike ride because this is the kind of emotion and mood that I want
to infuse into my itration. And now I'll sketch in a few facial features
like the nose and mouth. A key thing to know is
where to place the ear. So remember, it usually
lines up with the eye, and that's a small
but a helpful detail. Now, my style is more painterly, so I like to get into the
curves and the details, but you can keep your
sketch more simplified. Use straight lines instead
of curved lines and style the shape as detailed or
as basic as you like, and it depends on your style
and your drawing ability. Moving back to the arms, I add volume to the guidelines, and I like to emphasize
the natural curves of the shoulder and the muscles. It really helps to bring
the figure to life. For the torso, my
rider is female, so I draw curves for
the waist and chest. Then I move on to the leg, shaping the thigh and shin using the same method
I used for the arm. The key here is to
align the knee with the bend we sketched
in the guiding lines. Et's take a look at the foot that's pressing
down on the pedal. It should push downward
and slightly back. Almost everything
is in place now, one leg left to draw, which will mostly be hidden behind the bike
and the front leg. And once the full
figure is drawn, you can hide or delete
the guiding lines. At this point, you're ready to move on to the next lesson, where we'll fill the
body with color. But you're also welcome to
stick around and watch how I refine the character even
more, following my style. I take some time here to adjust proportions, clean up lines, and add clarity to each body part to make the
character feel more complete. So I'll go back to the hand on the handle bar and
add more details. I want the arms angle
to look natural, and I really love
paying attention to how the fingers
hold the bikes. And then I revisit
the face to refine the features in a way
that reflects my style. While I simplify the face a bit when we get into
color and shading, I like having a strong
foundation to work from. So I'm messing with the face
until it looks right to me. Lastly, let's adjust
the rider's foot. It was actually
angled incorrectly, and I noticed this at the later stage of my
sketch, but that's okay. It's good to catch things at this stage rather than when you're finishing up your work. So the heel is
pressing the pedal, but we need to change
this position, and now the front of
the food presses down, which is the correct
and more natural pose. I also tweak the pedal shape slightly so it fits
better with the foot. So go ahead and draw
your bike rider. We'll be adding colors
and character up next.
9. Rider: Creating Form with Color: Now that we have our
rider sketched out, it's time to start rendering
the body in color. As we move forward from our pencil sketch to a
fully formed character, we'll use color to shape
and form our bike rider. This step is more than
just filling things in. It's a chance to
refine your ideas, make small adjustments and start shaping a character
that feels dynamic, expressive, and
part of the scene. Let's get started.
So first thing, pick a brush that suits the style you want for
your illustration. It can be smooth or textured. I'm using my pastel brush
because it gives me a soft, natural feel with
a subtle texture that adds character
to my outlines. I'm working with a new
layer right on top of the pencil sketch and
using it as a guide. This is a great opportunity to smooth out any rough
areas in the pose. Adjust proportions and refine the curves and structure
of the body more clearly. I like to work on
separate layers for different body parts. I will create the arm on a
new layer as it will give me more flexibility
when dressing up the rider and don't worry about details like
clothing just yet. We'll get those
in the next step. When drawing your writer, slow down and really
get into the details, especially the hand that's
gripping the handlebars. I try to be true to form here, giving it a bit more attention. I've chosen a vibrant pick as the main color for
the bike rider. It's bold enough to
stand out on the canvas, and I can always add lighter
tones for highlights or go with a darker shade to build dimension and
shading later on. How it also helps to keep the pencil sketch
visible while we work. And same goes for the face. We want to really refine it
and get into the details. And I want to make
sure the angle and shape feels right
because this is where we'll soon be adding even more expression and personality when we add
the rendering and shading. And now one last thing
for this stage is, let's paint the back leg. Since it's further from the
viewer and mostly in shadow, I'll use a darker tone. And because the rider
is straddling the bike, that back leg should be placed under all
the other layers. And that's it. We now have a strong foundation
for our rider. Up next, we'll
style the character with clothes. But
let's keep going.
10. Rider: Styling Clothes and Shoes: In this lesson, we'll style our rider by adding
clothes and shoes. This is where your character
really starts to take shape. Clothing helps
define personality, mood, and adds context to
the bike riding scene. I'll be using reference
photos for inspiration to make sure the outfit and shoes feel natural
and relatable. So let's dive in and give
our rider more style. When drawing the shoe, follow the shape of your rider's foot. Since the shoe
sits right on top, it should naturally follow
the form underneath. The reference photo I'm using
shows plain white shoes. But since white doesn't
stand out much, I choose two soft
neutral tones instead to give the shoe some presents while still keeping it subtle. Once I have one shoe
drawn and placed, I can easily copy it over
to the other leg and then make quick adjustments to
fit it properly in place. Now let's create a new layer above the rider's body
to draw the clothes. You can dress your character
however you like shorts, long pins, a dress, a skirt. I'm going for a mix of long and short elements to keep the outfit
visually interesting. Inspired by my reference photo, I'm starting with short pins. This choice helps highlight
the long leg that is extending forward and adds to the feeling of motion
I want in the scene. Next, let's draw the shirt. I've saved a few
reference photos, some for the outfits and other for the rider's
pose on the bike. And I really like the
clothing style in this photo, but I also want to add
a sense of motion. So I'm designing a shirt that looks like it's
being blown by the wind, and that helps
reinforce the idea that the rider is
moving forward. I'm sketching the shirt
in a vibrant green, inspired by the style I liked
in the reference photo, but I'm shaping it based on another image that better captures the flow and
movement I'm going for. Just like I did with the shoe, I'm following the writer's
body closely as I draw, making sure the shirt
sits naturally. To emphasize that sense
of wind and motion, I switch to a wide
and soft brush to blur the back
edges of the shirt. That subtle blur really
helps suggest that the rider is moving forward with the fabric
trailing behind. Next, I'll draw the sleeve, and this is where it
really pays off to have the rider's arm in
a separate layer. It makes it so much
easier to separate the clothing elements and
focus on the details. With a shirt, I really want
to lean into the design. This is a great opportunity
to let your creativity shine. I'm inspired by the
reference photo that shows a shirt made from different fabrics with vibrant
colors and fun patterns. That's exactly the look I
want to give my character. So I'm designing a pattern
directly on the sleeve layer. As I draw, I try to
use colors already present in my project to keep
the color palette cohesive. For example, the blue I'm using in the shirt is
the same as the pens, just a lighter shade, and the red is pulled
from the bike frame. Now let's move on to
the rest of the shirt. I'm creating a new layer here to add shading and a
subtle pattern. I switch to my wide
soft rendering brush to paint in gentle shadows, which help give the shirt
more depth and form. I also love using
small pencil lines for details like a quick line
to define the color, which brings that handmade
feel into the design. For the shirt pattern, I'm loosely sketching natural
organic shapes to create some visual contrast with the more defined
parts of the drawing. These free form
lines bring a sense of movement and
energy which I love. Next, let's go back
to the pins and add some shading the same
way we did with a shirt. My reference photo
has fun banana motif, and I just have to include it. Now, drawing it in a super
loose and playful style, similar to the shirt pattern. Clothing is the
perfect stage to let your imagination run free and have fun with
your design choices. Finally, I'll finish
off with the shoes, adding some simple shadows and details to give them more
character and style.
11. Character Drawing: Face and Hair: In this lesson, we'll
bring our character to life by focusing on the face, hair, and adding shading. This is where we
really get to add personality and
expression to the rider. We'll start with a
new layer set as a clipping mask over
the rider's body layer. This will be our shading layer. Next, pick a brush
that is wide and soft. It could be textured, like the pastel
brush I'm using here because I love the
grainy texture. It gives a soft, natural feel to the shadows. We want to create a
sense of dimension in the flat shape we created
for the writer's body. We do that by shading the back of the head
under the nose, on the lips, and just
beneath the mouth. These soft shadows
help define the face even before we add any linework. Repeat this process with
other parts of the rider, creating shading
under the clothes behind the leg and
near the shoes. This not only gives the body
a rounded dimensional look, but also helps visually separate the clothes and shoes
from the rider's body. And here you can
see another reason for keeping the clothes and shoes on separate
layers than the body. That allows us to color under each layer to create
that shading effect. Now we'll add some highlights to bring more life
to the character. Think of your light source
as coming from above, so your highlights should be placed at the top of the legs, hands, and in the face, we'll highlight the cheeks
and maybe the nose as well. I like to keep checking back
with my original sketch. It really helps guide and
inspire the illustration. Using the sketch, let's start framing the face by
drawing the hair line. I want to draw a few
hairs blowing back in the wind to establish that
sense of motion forward. Next, we'll mark
the faces features, the nose, eyebrows,
eyeliner, and mouth. Once you've got that down, you may want to turn off
the sketch layer. It starts to feel too busy and
I find it too distracting. When drawing your carts mouth, focus first on creating
the upper lip. Use a darker color
than the lower lip, and I like to draw it
in a curve to create a smile that makes the
writer feel more natural, approachable, and create
a joyful expression. For the eyes, you can
keep them open or closed. I think closed eyes are simpler
and still full of charm. But I want to show you
how to draw an open eye. I start with the
whites of the eye, then build the lines for
the eyelids and eyelashes. I love drawing eyelashes. They always add personality. Drawing the nose, I use soft shadows to
suggest its shape. And later on, I'll add a
line just for the nostrils. Next, let's move to the hair. I suggest you'll start with a wide soft brush to form
the shape of the hair. I use my jellybean brush
because it has a light texture. It responds to stylus
direction and has a nice brush tip that
follows the brush strokes. When drawing hair, first lay down the overall
shape of the hair, then work your way
into the details. The hair around the ear also gives you a great opportunity to define the shape of the ear without needing to outline it. And later, I will clean it up and shape it more
with the eraser. As I draw, I experiment
with brush strokes to find the right movement
and flow for the hair. If something feels right, I follow the direction. It's a creative and intuitive
part of the process. I also like to layer
deeper shades of the same color to add
volume and visual interest. It really helps to
work in layers here, keep one layer for the
main shape of the hair and another for details
and definition. Oh for the details, I switch to a brush I design, especially for drawing
hair and grass. It's perfect for adding
flying strands of hair that helps create a sense of wind
and speed in the scene. You can also use a simple
pencil brush to get that soft, sketchy hair blowing in
the wind, sense of motion. I really enjoy messing with
those pencil drawn hair, adding these playful hairlines, but try not to overdo it. A few of these work just fine. Enhance that movement even more, I like adding accessories. So think about a
necklace, an earring, or even a flowing jacket, something that responds to the
breeze from the bike ride. You can even draw a hat. I will draw an earring that matches the
style of the clothes. This part is especially fun because it gives
you a chance to add personal touches and really connect with
the character. Up next, we'll add those finishing details
to the bicycle. I'll see you in the next lesson.
12. Wrapping Up: Adding The Fine Details: We are almost at
the finish line. Now that our main
elements are in place, let's take this illustration
one step further with those fun finishing touches
that really bring it to life. In this lesson we'll complete the final details on the bike, things like chain, Mud guards, brake handle and wire. These small details help your illustration
feel more complete. This is also a great moment
to add personality and charm. Think about adding a basket, a dog running alongside the bike or flowers and petals
flying in the wind. These creative touches
give your scene movement, story, and a sense of joy. Let's jump in and
bring it all together. I'll start by changing the background color
from the default white. Choose a color that complements your artwork and helps
all the elements stand out without overpowering or
losing any of your details. Now, my bike may look complete, but I actually left out
a few important parts, parts that make
the bike function. Be sure to look closely at
your reference photos to see how these components
fit into the design. I'm using references
that show simpler bikes without complex gear systems to match the look I'm going for. Let's draw the bike chain next. It's basically a straight line that should sit in
front of the wheels, but behind the bike frame. So make sure to place
your layer accordingly. Once that line is in place, I draw the individual
chain links. It's a simple step, but now the bike looks much
more reliable and real. Next, we'll create the
brake handle and wire. A reference photo
is super helpful here to get the placement
and shape right. I'm using my liner brush for these details since I want
a clean, non textured line. But you can use one of the procreate native
inking brushes to I make sure to
erase the part of the wire that sits behind the frame so it
feels integrated. Then I apply alpha ok
to the layer and add a darker gray for shading just to blend it in nicely
with the frame. It's a small touch, but I think it's really helpful. Let's move on to the Mud guards. These are the small
parts of the bike, but they add so much arm and
an extra splash of color. Start by drawing the arc shape, then fill it in with color. Don't worry about
coloring too precisely. We're going to place this
layer behind the wheels. I use Alpha Lock again
to add highlights and shading with a wide soft brush. I think adding all
those color touches really makes it pop and much more interesting than just a flat one color
for this element. Now, even though they're
just a small detail, those extra touches really help these added parts feel vibrant
and natural in the bike. Once you're happy with
a rare Mud guard, simply duplicate the layer
and move it to the front, then adjust its size and
shape to fit the front wheel. It's usually a little
shorter than the back one, depending on your reference. Now, let's add an extra
but charming detail. The rare flashlight,
it's quick to draw, and it adds a lot of
personality to the bike. From here, you can go wild with your own creative touches. Here are some fun ideas. A backpack hanging off
the back of your rider, a dog riding in the
backpack or in the basket, a scarf or streamers
flying in the wind. Think about what you can add to your illustration to make it
your own unique creation. For my own bike, which has a nostalgic
retro feel, I want to add a
basket to the front. I'm using two photo references, one for the basket shape, and another for inspiration. For the color palette, I'm pulling tones from
the bike seat to keep the basket colors feeling cohesive with the
rest of my work. I use three shades
of brown and add a weaker basket texture with light strokes and detailing
in a pencil brush. Up next, flowers. I love drawing flowers. I draw them with a
pencil brush here, working loosely and intuitively. Go. I'm picking colors I've already used throughout the illustration for the greens, the pinks and oranges to keep the palette
tight and harmonious. The flowers bring vibrancy
and playfulness to the piece, and I love how they add to the
sense of movement and joy. Take your time with these
fun added little elements. These are the things that really give your artwork personality. If you're curious about
drawing wildflowers, be sure to check out
my other classes on fun floral illustration. For this piece, I created a few bold striking
flowers for the basket, and up next, I'll
show you how to use those flowers to add even more motion and
energy to your scene. See you in the next
and final lesson. Y
13. Bring It to Life with Motion and Mood!: Now it's time for one
of my favorite parts, adding motion and mood to bring
the illustration to life. Let's start with what's
already in the work. Beginning with the
flowers in the basket. It feels natural that
these flowers would trail behind the bike
blown by the wind. So I'm duplicating the
larger flowers and placing them behind the rider to suggest they're
flying in the air. Just like that, we
added movement. Other built in elements
like the rider's hair and shirt blowing
back already gives us a sense of speed
and now let's get a little more
playful and imaginative. I'll grab a soft
pastel brush that I love and on a new layer, start drawing abstract shapes
that trail behind the bike. They feel like
windy motion marks. I like the shapes,
but I want them to blend better with the
rest of the artwork. So let's experiment
with blending modes. I like the ad mode, which makes the shapes
feel light and airy, almost like glowing clouds. I love how it softly shines
through the rider's hair. These abstract
shapes remind me of clouds or thought bubbles. They bring a dreamy, almost real mood to the scene, which I really enjoy
adding to my work. To integrate them, even better, I use my brush to gently erase these edges where
they overlap with the hair. This helps everything
flow naturally together. I also created another
light cloud in front of the bike to enhance the
airy mood of the piece, and it also brings some
light into that element. And here's a more advanced
technique I want to show you. I apply a layer mask
to the cloud layer. This lets me edit the drawing
in a non destructive way. With a soft brush set to black, I gently erase parts of
the shapes to open it up. If I want to bring
anything back, I just switch the brush to
white and paint it in again. I like this freedom of using
the mask over my drawing. It gives me room to
play and adjust. Now, let's loosen up and
get even more creative. This is a part of the process where your piece
really comes alive. Don't be afraid to experiment, play, and follow your instincts. Motion and mood can be created in so many ways through colors, shapes, textures, patterns,
and the story you're telling. I switch to my liner
brush and pick colors from the illustration to keep the palette consistent. I start drawing small
abstract shapes, maybe they're butterflies,
maybe they're petals, or even little bursts of joy. I'm not trying to
define them too much. I just want them to feel right, colorful, free,
and full of life. These small elements
help to tell a story. They give a feeling
of positivity, freedom, and a
beautiful breezy day. To take it a step further, I lock the layer with
alpha lock and then use a wide soft brush to
gently shade the shapes, adding more depth
and softness to the flying dust or petals,
whatever they are. Another technique
I love is using the smudge tool that's the little pointing
finger in the top menu. I unlock the alpha lock on
the flying dust layer and gently smudge the edges of the shapes to
create a motion blur. I don't smudge every shape, just a few to show that fading
motion behind the bike. It's a startled effect, but makes a big difference. You can also play with
framing to create motion by cutting off elements at the edge
of your canvas. For example, letting a
flower or a ribbon fly off the edge can suggest that the scene continues
beyond the frame. And finally, one
last playful idea using a special brush to
add floating particles. I like to use my
confetti brush for this. It's perfect for
drawing flying dust, and because it gives you
lovely colour variations and a scattered fun result. If you want to add more
depth to your background, here's how to create
a soft gradient. On a new layer, paint a darker color near the
bottom of the canvas. Then go to adjustments, pick Gaussian blur and
slide your finger across the screen to blur it until it blends smoothly
into the background. It's a simple way to give your background more atmosphere. I can't wait to
see the energy and personality that you bring
to your final illustrations. So let's wrap it all up in the next and final
lesson. See you there.
14. Final Thoughts: Congratulations. We
made it to the end, and thank you for joining
me in this amazing ride. We started with a simple
sketch from memory, and step by step, we build it into a vibrant
and expressive illustration. You learn how to draw a bicycle
with structure and style, how to add a rider
full of personality, and how to bring it all
to life with colors, playful details, and motion. I hope this process
gave you confidence, not just in how to draw
a bike or a character, but in how to take an idea and grow it into something
meaningful and joyful. That's really what this
class is all about, having fun with your ideas, building them up with care, and telling a visual story
that feels like your own. I'd love to see your project
in the class gallery. Sharing your work is a
great way to connect with others and celebrate
what you've created. And if you're interested in learning more about
drawing human figures, check out my classes that dive deeper into character
and pose illustration. And if you enjoy this class, please consider leaving
a short review. It really helps more
people find the class, and I truly appreciate
your support. So thank you so much for being here and making art with me. I can't wait to see
what you create, and I'll see you in my
next class. Bye for now.
Yifat Fishman, Artist & Illustrator
