doodles, designs and art by Dan A.: Walkthrough: Leonardo and Ezio

I was recently commissioned to draw Leonardo da Vinci and Ezio Auditore da Firenze of Assassin's Creed II by a friend. I've never played this game but it being mainstream and a favorite of some of the artists I follow, I more or less know what's going on. Won't stop me from actually getting the game though!

Here's the process for this commission.

The commissioner was very kind to give me information on these two characters and a basic idea of what she wanted. Working with those, I make a basic sketch.

I let that sit for a night while I get some shut eye. In the morning, with fresh eyes, I review the image and decide it's lacking interaction. Where are their other arms? So I set off and make a sketch based on the first.

Awful chicken scratch in the corner is mine. I wanted something more romantic, so I had them interacting more. Here I also sketch in an idea for their facial expressions. There's something not sitting right with me though. I've decided Ezio would be hugged by Leonardo, but his left arm kind of obscures Leonardo's face. Not to mention closes off the composition too much.

I make a new layer and adjust things a little. There, that's better. This way we can see Leonardo's face.

I look at a lot of their reference pictures. I even look at dozens of the game videos. Also, around here I notice that Ezio has very Italian features that a lot of artists don't draw. A low brow ridge for instance, thick eyebrows. A strong nose. I decide to bring these out in the sketch. I start getting an idea for their clothes as well. It's a mess right now.

I block in a few things to get a better idea of how they flow. Well, that looks pretty much correct. Let's get started with inking!

As always, I start inking on the face. I discover I may have drawn Leonardo's head too small. Oh dear.

Time for me to adjust Leonardo's head just slightly. There. That looks better. I ink in their hands next. And start seeing all sorts of anatomical errors. YIKES. None of my sketches are 100% fool proof, traditionally or digitally. Mistakes just crop up when I start getting serious. Around here, a friend lets me know I drew their hands too small. ;A;

Hands corrected! And the rest of the ink is magically done?! No, no, I spend an hour or so fixing that. I also start detailing here.

Adjusted Leonardo's face and hat because it kept bugging me.

I start laying down my base colors. A lot of them I referenced off in-game stills, while others I pick up from other artists' renditions of them. I gave Ezio a more olive complexion than Leonardo.

I had to stop for a moment to broaden Leonardo's jaw and chin to lessen how girly he looked.

There's all the colors. As you can see, I started detailing the cuffs of Ezio's shirt. I can't find very good references for them so I had to improvise.

Leonardo's tunic looked a little too washed out, so I darkened it. I started detailing his tunic as well.

More detailing! My eyes are starting to bleed at this point.

MORE DETAILING. Although, not gonna lie, I had a lot of fun doing those leaves.

Ezio's vest was a bitch to detail! It was a very complicated pattern I couldn't make sense of so I partially improvised. Think of it as paisley's cooler cousin. None of those prints were textures; I hand drew them myself.

Time to get coloring! I did Ezio's eyes first, to get a feel of the piece. Then his skin. I almost always start at the face.

Don't mind that crude sun, it's just a light source guide for me. Kept refining the colors on his face and his hands until they looked right before I started painting his shirt.

Not wanting to lose the detailing in his vest, I had to duplicate it, setting one layer to Screen, the other to Luminosity. The patterns were saved from the deep dark shadows of his vest. Painted other things as well, his arm accessories and his leg.

His hair was particularly challenging in this one. I wanted to show the texture of his hair so I switched to an Oil Brush to get that quality I wanted.