Transcripts
1. Welcome to the Class!: Hello. My name is
Anna Stapenko and I'm excited to welcome you to my new class Tropical
sketching Markers, inspired by a beautiful
island of Bali. In this class, we will dive into tropical vibes and sketch two bright and simple
illustrations, a French Japani flower and
a coconut with a stroll. They are perfect for
beginners and a great way to relax and enjoy
the sketching process. You will learn how to create smooth gradients
and bold shadows. Blend colors for soft
transitions and smooth feels. Use Alina to add
definition and contrast. Work with limited palettes
to get rich vibrant result. If you are completely new
to markers, don't worry. There is a dedicated
marker basics lesson included to help you feel
confident right from the start. This class is perfect, whether you're just
getting started or looking to build a
relaxing creative habit. By the end, you will have two colorful tropical
sketches and maybe even feel a bit of
the badly magic that inspired this class. So grab your supplies and
let's start sketching.
2. Marker Basics: Let's take a moment to talk
about some marker basics. I will be working on Bristol
paper by Windsor and Newton, but there are many
other great brands that make this kind
of paper, too. It's an excellent
choice for markers. It allows me to create smooth color fills and
beautiful gradients. Now, let's get familiar with different types of marker nips. There are a few common
ones you will come across. First, the brush nip. It looks and feels a lot
like a real paint brush. It's perfect for expressive
flowing lines and gives your strokes a
dynamic painterly feel. Next is a chisel nip, great for covering
larger areas quickly. And if you tilt it, you can also get thinner
lines with the edge. And finally, the ballet nip. This one is ideal for crisp lines and small
detailed areas. Let's try creating a
gradient using two colors. First, I lay down
the lighter color. Then I add the darker color, slightly overlapping
the lighter one. I go back in with
the lighter color and blend the transition. You can go back
and forth between the two markers to soften
the gradient even more. Here's how it looks up close. You can also create a gradient
using just one color. Since marker ink
builds up in layers, you can get a full range of tons from just a single marker. For example, I apply the
first layer of color. Then I move slightly to the
side and add a second layer. I keep repeating this adding more layers with
small gaps between. And you'll see how the color becomes richer and
darker with each pass. Look at the tunnel range you
can get all from one marker. Now, let's talk about filling
an area with a solid color. To create a smooth even fill, use a small circular
motions marker, working wet on wet without
lifting your hand. Of course, you can
also use strokes like this to create some interesting
texture and effects. I also have a magical tool
here, the colorless blender. It's used to soften blends, but also to lift
color from the paper. I like to place an extra sheet of paper underneath my work. This helps absorb
the ink I'm lifting. Watch how the pink fades out. It's a great way to create
highlights and fun effects. Just remember to
clean the blender tip afterward on a scrap
piece of paper, since pigment tends to
stay on it as well. And here are a couple of my favorite tools for
highlights a white gel pen. It works beautifully on top of marker layers and is perfect for adding sharp,
bright highlights. And a white pencil. This one gives you
soft white accents and can help brighten up areas
without looking too bold. It's not as opaque as gel pen, but it creates a
gentle glowing effect.
3. Frangipani – Pencil Sketch: All right. Let's begin
with the pencil drawing. First, I sketch the general
shape of the flower. It is roughly a circle. Then I mark the
approximate center and start outlining the petals. Now I take a kneaded eraser
to lighten any extra lines. At this stage, I also refine the shape of the
petals and the flower, adding more definition. And
4. Frangipani – Liner Inking: Next, I take a fine liner. I'm using a micron 0.1. But you can take any
other liner you have. It's important that
your fine liner is waterproof because you'll be working with markers afterwards. If the liner isn't waterproof, it might smash and
that won't look great. So if your liner
isn't waterproof, skip this step for now and come back to it after you
finish with the markers. When I work with the liner, I try to draw each
line just once. There is no need to go over
the same line multiple times. It will make the
sketch feel heavy. In some gaps, add
dots or small dashes. I think it adds a bit of charm and interest
to the sketch. Now that we have outlined
the flower with a liner, we can erase the
remaining graphite. I start with a needed eraser
and do it very gently. Then is there still some
harsh pencil lines, I use a regular eraser
to clean them up. And now we are ready to move
on to the market work. Doth
5. Frangipani – Coloring Part 1: I'm going to use blender marker. So let's add it to
our palette as well. We will be working
petal by petal. First, I apply the
blender to the platel. This helps me create
soft gradients and smooth transitions
between colors. Then I take the lightest gray, I have C one and start
shading the petal, focusing on the shadow areas and blending them out right
away with the blender. Next, I grab my
lightest yellow Y 11 and while the ink is still wet, I add it to the petal And blend it again. I go back to the gray Sivan to show shadows where the petal falls and add a touch of light yellow to
soften everything. Now, I take my meat tone yellow. This is Y 15 and edit where
I want more contrast. Then I blend it out with
Y 11, my lightest yellow. I repeat the same steps on the folded part of
the petal mid yellow. Oh Then blend with light yellow. Now I will use my brightest yellow or
even a light orange. I'm using YR 18 to mark the most vivid spots in
the center of the flower. I soften them with
a mid yellow Y 15. And repeat the same process
on the folded area. Then I go back to my lightest yellow Y 11 to further soften the gradient
and smooth everything out. To finish, I take the
light gray again, C one, and add a bit more
shading to the petal. Then I blend it
with the blender. My light yellow on top to
bring back that soft gradient. The first petal is done. Now we can move on
to the next one. For the second petal, I will be repeating
the same steps. First, I wet the petal
with a blender marker. While it is still wet, I take my lightest gray C one
and add shadows wet on wet. Then I go in with the
lightest yellow Y 11, coloring the petal while
leaving a small gap between the shadows and the yellow
to keep some highlights. Next, I use the blender
again to soften everything. I also add a touch of light yellow to the folded
part of the petal. Now, I take my meat yellow Y 15 and add it to the
center of the petal. Then blend it using
my light yellow. Around the edges of the petal, I use the blender to
soften the transitions. With mid yellow Y 15, I add more color to
the brighter areas. Then I take my orange YR 18 and add it to the fold that's closer
to the flower center. I immediately blend it
with my mid yellow. And towards the outer
edge of the petal, I soften it with a blender. I also add a bit of orange
to the very center of the flour and blend it
with my neat yellow Y 15. And that's it. The
second petal is done. Let's move on to the next one.
6. Frangipani – Coloring Part 2: Now we are moving on
to the next petal. Just like before, I start by wetting the
petal with the blender. Then I add shadows using
my lightest gray Sivan. Next, I take my
lightest yellow Y 11 and fill in the petal, stopping just before
the gray areas to leave a bit of space. Thanks. I soften everything with a blender to create
smooth transitions. Now I take the mid yellow y 15 and color the brighter
areas of the petal. Right away, I blend
it with light yellow. And then again, soften the whole petal with a blender
to create a nice gradient. As add a bit more light yellow and blend again
to make it even softer. Now I want to add
some orange YR 18 into the center of the flower. I blend it with a mid yellow. And then use the blender once again to smooth
everything out. Finally, I refine the
edges of the petal. And that's it, the third
petal is finished. Now let's move on to
the fourth petal. I start by preparing the area. I wet the petal
with the blender. N. Then take my lightest gray Sivan and add it in the shadows. As you can see,
the steps are the same as with the
previous petals. Next, I feel the petal with
my lightest yellow white 11 Then go back in with the
blender to soften the colors. Now, I use my mid yellow Y 15 to color the brighter
areas closer to the center. And I blend that out with
Y 11, my light yellow. Then I add a bit of
orange to the middle. And plant it again
with the mid yellow. As you can see, I'm
working on crystal paper, and I try not to go over
the darker areas with a lighter marker
because that will lift the pigment and
make the color lighter. Of course, you can use this as a technique for special effects. But here I'm trying to keep the gradients smooth and soft. H And now we are moving on to
the final petal. Once again, I start by
wetting it with a Blanda. Then I add some shadow
with my light gray. And fill the petal with
my lightest yellow Y 11. Next, I add meat yellow. And blend it with
the light yellow. I go over the edges once more with a blender
to soften everything. He Now, I take my mid gray C three to add shadows where
the petal is curling. I blend this gray with
a light gray C one. And then add both light
and middle yellow on top. To finish the petal, I add orange into the center.
7. Frangipani – Final Details: Now, let's add more depth to
the flower using shadows. I take my meat gray C and start adding shadows
throughout the flower. Then blend them with
mid yellow y 15. Pay special attention
to the areas under the petals or where one
petal overlaps another. That's where the
shadows are strongest. In the brightest
area of the flower, usually near the
tips of the petals, I use light graci one
for softer shadow. And in those same areas, I blend the gray using
my lightest yellow it 11 to keep everything
looking soft and glowing. Now, I take my darkest gray. In my case, the C five and add just a few accents in
the deepest shadows and the flower center. M. Again, I blend everything
with meat, yellow, Y, 15. To finish, I use a warm brown to add a final accent in
the center of the flour. And soften it with met yellow. And that's it. Our
flour is complete. Good
8. Coconut – Pencil Sketch: Next up is the coconut, a classic tropical drink. I begin by sketching
the general shape, which is roughly a circle. Then I start defining the
form of the coconut itself. Next, I draw the
chopped top part. And the spot where
the straw goes in, And finally, I
sketched the stroll.
9. Coconut – Liner Inking: H. Now I'm taking a
micron 0.1 lnum, the same one I
used to the flour. And I'm starting to
outline the coconut. Just a quick reminder. My liner is waterproof, so I can safely go over it with alcohol markers without
worrying about smudging. But if your liner
isn't waterproof, I recommend skipping this step
for now and coming back to it at the end after you
have finished coloring. So I outlined the
shape of the coconut. And begin adding some texture
using short lines and dots. I also outlined the
stroke completely. Since it's white on
a white background, I want to clearly
define its contour. Mm hmm. As you can see,
in the reference, the surface of the coconut has lots of rough marks
and little scratches, so I want to show those as well. These details help
make the illustration look more lively and realistic. Okay. After that, I carefully erase all the pencil lines first
with a needed eraser, then with a regular one. And that's it. We are ready to move on to coloring
with markers.
10. Coconut – Coloring Part 1: Now we are starting to
work on the coconut. I wet the top area
with the blender. And take my beige marker
E 51 to begin working on the light part of
the coconut using a wet on wet technique to
start building texture. Then I blend it out with the blender for
smooth transitions. Next, I wet the left side
again with the blender. And go back in with
the same Bache E 51 this time following the
direction of the texture. Now I take my lightest gray swan and start adding some shadows. And, again, I soften
everything with the planter. Then I pick up a yellow y 11 to add some warms to the lighter
areas of the coconut. By combining warm and cool
tones in our marker work, we can create a more
rich and vibrant effect. I blend everything
again with the blender. Now I take a brown marker to
define the darkest areas. And in those same spots, I add a touch of orange YR 18. Then I use a medium gray C three to deepen the
shadows even more. I return to the brown to add some texture around the area
where the straw goes in. I also add a bit
of yellow again. And a little more orange just to keep things
colorful and interesting. Finally, I go back to
my Biche marker and deepen the tone of the
coconut where it is needed. Oh
11. Coconut – Coloring Part 2: Now we are moving on to the
bottom part of the coconut. I start with my yellow Y 11 and fill in the area to
create a warm undertone. I next, I take a light
green G 82 and go over it. Leaving a few yellow
highlights showing through. Then I soften everything
again with the yellow. Now, I grab my
darker green G seven and start working from the
left side of the coconut, since that's the area in shadow. I slowly work my way to the right without going
all the way to the edge. And then I blended out using
the lighter green G 82. I go back in with a darker
green to build more texture on the coconut and deepen the tone on the left
side where it's darker. And once again, I soften it
all with a lighter green. Now, I bring in my
brown marker to show the darkest areas
on the left side. And I blend that with a darker green to keep
the tones smooth. A I also use the brown to add more texture, like small scratches
and deeper shadows. And then I soften
everything again with a darker green or
smooth transitions.
12. Coconut – Final Details: Now, I take the brown marker again and use it to
add some bold details. Then I soften that color
with my beige E 51. Next, let's work on the shadows. This will give our coconut
more depth and realism. I take a grays rim and
start building the shadows. When working on shadows, I move gradually from
lighter to darker tones instead of going in
with a dark gray right away. I soften the C three slightly
using a lighter gray C one. Now I grab an orange YR 18
to add a few bright accents. I use the light gray Swan. And the blender to
soften everything again. Now let's move on to the stroll. I will create volume
using different grays. First, I wet the area
with the blender. Then I apply C and blend it out. Next, I take a more
intense gray C three and apply it to one side of the straw where the
shadow is stronger. I soften it with C one. Then I use an even darker gray C five to deepen
the shadows even more. I blend it first with C three. And then again, we
see one to create a smooth gradient.
The straw is done. Let's return to
the brown and add a few more details and
accents to the coconut. I soften them with a beige E 51. And also add a touch
of yellow Y 11. Now I take gray five to deepen the shadows
on the coconut. And then I use my
darkest gray C nine. You could also use
black, for example, to show the darkest shadows, which as you can see in the
reference are almost black. I use the same dark gray to add a few strokes to suggest
texture on the coconut. And then I soften
those with the brown. Using brown again, I deepen
the shadow areas even more. And then soften the
brown with a dark green. I also add a bit of
green to the top part of the coconut just to keep the
effect rich and vibrant. Mm hmm. Now, I work on the shadowed area where the straw is inserted. Using C t and brown. You see three? I
add more shadows. And then soften them with bache. Then once again, I take the brown and add more
details to the coconut. And to the shadow area. And finally, I add a bit of
light green one more time, again, to keep things
rich and vibrant. That's it. Our coconut is done.
13. Final Word: And here's our final result, Franchi pani flour
and ze coconut. I hope you enjoyed working
on these tropical subjects, and I'm sure your artwork
turned out beautifully. If you would like to
keep creating with me, make sure to check out my class, sis getting candy edition.
Anna Ostapenko, Watercolor & Marker artist
