Illustrator,Lux Details
Intro
Class Intro
Illustrator, Lux
Learn how to incorporate multiple elements into your work while maintaining a balanced composition that avoids a sense of overcrowding.
Dynamic Anime Illustration with Timeless Details
When you look at Lux’s work, it almost seems as if it is frozen in time, ready to start flowing and moving again, as soon as you take your eyes away. After some observation, you realize that every single component is meticulously put into place, creating a sense of movement and purpose that draws you in and holds your gaze.
With this class, we want you to aim high, because Lux is here to guide you through it. The goal is for you to complete a seamless illustration, featuring a complex composition of characters, backgrounds, and layers of details, all while maintaining balance and avoiding clutter.
Drawing inspiration from classical paintings, statues, and architecture, Lux will walk you through the process of studying, deconstructing, and incorporating these details into your own art. Learn how to build compositions that can support your vision throughout, and experiment with contrasting colors to achieve harmony and ambiance. Leave this class knowing exactly how to craft an illustration with detail, movement, and narrative, all with your own artistic intention.
Drawing inspiration from classical paintings, statues, and architecture, Lux will walk you through the process of studying, deconstructing, and incorporating these details into your own art. Learn how to build compositions that can support your vision throughout, and experiment with contrasting colors to achieve harmony and ambiance. Leave this class knowing exactly how to craft an illustration with detail, movement, and narrative, all with your own artistic intention.
Class Preview
Still Not Sure?
Check Out Lux's Class Preview!
Chapter 29:
Coloring Long Hair (Part 1)
1. Hair studies/sketches
2. Hair rendering
Class Perks
Get These Coloso Exclusives
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Final Illustration File with Layers- Final Illustration working file in PSD, Clip, and PNG
- References parts 1 and 2
- Illustration Thumbnail in PSD and CLIP
- Timelapse parts 1,2, and 3 -
Study & Sketch Worksheets- Personal background reference images
- Painting reference and list of links
- Art fundamental studies parts 1 and 2
- Perspective studies
- Warm up studies -
Speedpaint Videos of Other Illustrations & Files- 3 additional illustrations and their PSD, CLIP, PNG, and timelapse files -
Custom Brushes, Textures, & Image Sources- Custom brushes and sources
- Image material decorations in PSD and CLIP
Expert Illustrator Lux's Portfolio
*This portfolio Includes fanart
Why Take This Class?
It’s time to step out of your comfort zone.
Intimidating compositions, complex details, strong contrasting colors, and majestic characters and backgrounds—these are some of the most daunting challenges for learning artists. Yet, Lux seems to get them right every time, blending these elements seamlessly to create a magically cohesive scene.
You may be thinking, “I can’t do that,” but that could not be further from the truth. Lux started from the same place and is here to share every bit of knowledge acquired along the way. Join this class and gain the confidence to tackle the challenges head-on. Stop dwelling on the skills you've already mastered; instead, move on to the ones that will effectively expand the scope of your work and elevate your techniques to new heights.
16 Class Exercises
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Workspace Set up and Tools -
Thumbnails -
Sketching
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Painting without Lineart -
Value Analysis -
Composition Analysis
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Perspectives -
Skin Coloring -
Sketching Long Hair
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Coloring Flowy Long Hair -
Drawing Eye-Catching Eyes -
Clothes and Fabric
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Details/Accessories -
Background Studies -
Texture Brushes and Photobashing -
Applying Final Touches
* Above are sample images for a better understanding
Final Product
Final Illustration with Characters and Background
Instructor
Illustrator
Lux
Hi, I'm Lux.
I'm a freelance illustrator with a passion for creating illustrations with flowy and detailed compositions. Before choosing to become a full-time artist, I studied Chemistry at University for five years. I had a short job experience as a scholarship researcher. But because art has been my main interest since I was a child, I decided to try it and do my best to improve my art skills to make art my main job. I have always drawn multiple subjects and tried different styles, but I got really fascinated by anime-style digital art and decided that I wanted to develop my unique style, learning from both current professional digital artists and past classical art masters.
I do my best every day to keep on improving and be able to materialize my ideas in detailed illustrations with backgrounds that tell the story of the characters I'm drawing. Lately, I have been focusing on creating more original art based on a story I'm developing, and I hope to inspire other artists!
Illustrator, Lux
[Current]
Freelance Illustrator
Projects & Awards
[2024] Background Artist for HoYoFair April 2024's "Titanslayers: Edge of Oblivion"
[2024] Illustrations for SEGA - Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage EN
[2023] Character Design + Card Illustrations for Fabled-S
[2023] Character Design + Card Illustrations for Tetraverse TGC
[2023] Background Artist for HoYoFair September 2023's "Gaze of the Abyss"
[2023] Background Artist for HoYoFair Spring 2023's "Pactsworn Pantheon"
[2023] Background Artist for Fatui Harbingers - House of Wolves animation for Hoyofair 2023 New Year
[2022] Art exhibition "Moonlight Carnival" at Gallery IYN (Osaka)
Student Reviews
Read the reviews from enrolled students!
Millie
I’m in love. I consider this class one of the best on Coloso! I’d recommend this course for intermediate to advanced artists, but definitely not for beginners. There aren’t many chapters focused on theoretical explanations (except for two brief ones on perspective), but rather a step-by-step, "do it with me" approach—no speedpaint at all—demonstrating the practical side of Lux’s method. It might seem difficult at first, but her commentary at each step, explaining every choice and decision she makes, really makes a difference.
For each brushstroke, she tells you why she’s doing it. And for me, the biggest takeaway so far has been getting the chance to see her process—I’ve never seen anyone approach the thumbnail stage the way she does. She works through three stages of thumbnails and even creates two semi-thumbnails before starting to refine anything. It’s a really interesting process that’s helping me develop a more professional approach to my workflow.
On the left is one of my recent pieces, and on the right is the one I recently created using her techniques. I’m definitely understanding values, light, and shadow better.
Highlights
Class Highlights
Importance of References to Level up Your Work
There is the misconception that using references is a cheat code in the artistic journey, but it is far from the truth. In this class, learn how references can change the way you approach fundamentals. By properly leveraging references, explore new compositions and develop a style that you can call your own.
Compositions That Catch the Viewer’s Attention
Different values, strong lighting, and contrasting colors are key elements that draw the viewer's attention to the focal point of your illustration while creating an engaging flow and intricate details. In this class, learn how to blend these to complete an immersive artwork from the very first stroke to the last.
Characters and Backgrounds that Complement One Another
Drawing backgrounds can be intimidating, especially when it comes to seamlessly integrating characters into them. With Lux, learn to create immersive backgrounds, ranging from simple settings to complex scenes with dynamic camera angles. By studying perspective and drawing inspiration from references, you will build solid, engaging scenes that enhance your characters and help tell their story.
Class Details
You'll Learn
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Reference Observation to Learn and Create New IdeasReferences, real-life photos, and artworks are significant to developing artistic skills and an excellent visual library to help artists find new and interesting inspirations. Everyone interprets references differently and this class aims to teach you how to incorporate and leverage references in your workflow to make it your own. -
Sketching a Composition that WorksHaving a good starting sketch may look simple, but it is a meticulous skill you need to develop and acquire. When mastered correctly, it will support you throughout the entire illustration process, particularly when working on complex artworks full of details. -
Understanding Light and ColorsStrong and directional lighting, paired with contrasting and dark colors, conveys a completely different emotion compared to a soft and bright color palette in a sun-kissed scene. Mastering lights, color hues, and values is fundamental, and you will learn the entire process of light and color setup from start to finish.
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Perspective and Scenery for BackgroundsDrawing immersive backgrounds requires knowing the basics of perspective, how to apply it to characters and objects, and how to deform it to make the composition more dynamic and intentional. -
Rendering Different Materials and TexturesTextures, photo bashing, and layers of brush strokes can add significant movement and variation to your artwork, helping to distinguish different elements within an illustration. These techniques not only add realism but also create a tactile quality, almost as if you could touch the artwork and feel the paint. -
Using Details to Add Flow and IntentionDefined and simple shapes are essential to creating a smooth composition. However, with the help of intricate elements like long hair, flowy clothes, birds flying, and other detailed objects, we can add a sense of intention and a captivating flow to the illustration.
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Interview with
Illustrator Lux
Question.01
Is there a specific reason why you chose this specific topic/themes?
I have always loved complex artworks, both from artists from the past and the present. I love to add many elements that tell a story to my art, but the challenge is to keep the balance and not overcrowd the painting. Even when I start with a simple idea, I always feel the need to add more details and colors to the outfits, the background, and the textures or have an interesting angle/perspective to make the composition more interesting but still pleasant to the eye. Still, to avoid confusing the eye, I keep every detail simple, made of basic brush strokes and textures that give the idea of the object I want to represent without actually drawing it. This is an important skill to develop to be more efficient while drawing and not feel overwhelmed.
Question.02
Could you please share how you started your journey in the industry?
I have always been drawing, but I never thought it could be an actual job until I was around 25 years old. Back then, I was focusing on my university studies and I was satisfied with them and really wanted to be a chemist. I was still really enjoying the art of course and wanted to draw a lot, but I was also not really considering the option of art as a career but just as a hobby or side job maybe, due to the social background I was living in: there was the common knowledge that art was a tough career to pursue and live off and only existed for a few selected people, and generally, artists, particularly visual artists, aren't considered having a regular job, unlike musicians, writers, actors, etc. At least, this is what I was noticing back then around me. This changed when I started using social media to share my work. I discovered international artists and a whole new world unfolded before me. Video games and webcomics were a huge market, art livestreams were appreciated, and anime conventions were an excellent opportunity to sell your works, meet more artists, and expand your audience. This is what convinced me to give the full time artist career a try after I worked for a short period of time at my university and when I thought my art skills were at a decent level for my standards back then. And here I am; it is never easy, but I love what I do and am willing to go on this journey.
Question.03
What do you think is the most important trait(s) to success in your industry?
Being unique with your art could be a key point in succeeding. Even if your style and what you like to draw are not the most common and trending ones, as long as you put love and persistent effort into what you do, you will find an audience and people willing to work with you. Trying to follow trends that maybe aren't your cup of tea for the sake of success, in the end, leads to burnout and losing your passion for art, which is the thing that, in my opinion, fuels an artist to pursue this career that is not easy at all, since there is a lot of competition and pressure to be able to have enough work to afford a living. Being a full-time artist can be challenging, but I think it is a good deal if your life goal is to draw what you like every day. This doesn't mean, of course, that you shouldn't also develop some marketing skills and hop on trends from time to time, but the important is to love what you do and be always willing to improve and learn new things.
Required Programs
This course will use Clip Studio Paint. Version 2.0 or higher is recommended but not mandatory.
Please purchase and install these program(s) for an optimized chapter experience.
*These programs and/or materials will not be provided with the chapter.
