[url=http://i.imgur.com/naSL4.png]Konoko vs Thrall[/url]. (small part of a larger project I'm working on.) [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Plain Ben What I'm curious about is how you go about the clean linework and coloring. I paint in Photoshop a lot, but I can't keep my stuff as 'clean' as your stuff.[/quote] Part of it is simply that's the way I draw. I go for a more simplified, cartoony look (Grew up watching a lot of Samurai Jack). Still, here's some basic stuff I do that may help. Sorry if it is a little long winded. Skip to the bold stuff if you get bored. [b]1.) Draw things BIG![/b] Don't feel like you have to fit everything on screen at 100% size. This does two things for you. First, it lets you add detail much easier. You'll have plenty of room so you won't have to squeeze important things in. Second, when you finally finish, you'll be shrinking the whole piece down which helps smooth over some rough edges. It won't cover major blemishes, but it does help hide some little things. For me, shrinking the picture down also keeps me from getting too caught up in drawing the tinniest details. When you re-size the finished product to fit on a screen, you'll be losing some of those little details anyway, so it frees you up to be a little more heavy handed. Working in Photoshop has really helped me learn more about what details I need to keep and what I can throw away. [b]2.) Use lots of layers.[/b] I probably overdo it a little with the sheer amount of layers I use, but I figure I've got the option so I may as well use it. Unless the pic isn't going to have an outline, I start by drawing one. Then when that is mostly done, [b]I duplicate the layer with the outline on it. I'll use the bottom layer with the lines on it to lay in the most basic, solid colors, and the top layer for the actual lines.[/b] (When you lay in the basic colors with the paint bucket, there will likely be a small white section between the color and the line that won't be filled in. I go back and manually color that with a brush. It is a little tedious, but it makes things look nicer.) The color details go on another layer between the basic colors and the lines. Basically if a color is supposed to be on top of another, I put it on a new layer. Like I said, I use a lot of layers. [b]3.) Use thick lines.[/b] For me, it is more of a stylistic choice (again, like the cartoonyness), but having a thick line really makes stuff pop. After I've got all the coloring and detail done, I usually go back in with a much thicker brush and thicken most of the line work as well as add a few details. It also helps me avoid too many tinny details when I know they'll be covered up by a thick line. [b]4.) Keep it simple.[/b] Practice drawing things with only 2-3 colors, or even just black and the background color. It'll help you see things as shapes rather than shadows, reflections, or objects. It'll also help you get better at picking out what shapes and details are vital, and what can and should get thrown out. Also, for background objects that are supposed to be far away, Gaussian Blur is your best friend. Hope that helped a little bit.