Step 01
Draw on a paper sheet to get the hint about the main force and structure of the drawing. Later took the rough drawing to Photoshop and starts working on light source and shadow in outline with the help of Wacom tablet.
Step 02
With calligraphy brushes applied basic shade for a base colour. Here it's better to know a grey scale in detail, as the skin style will be very important for the final output. Skin tone is prepared by overlapping of multiple layers, which makes skin look more realistic. Used the same process for the hairs & clothes too, using dark and middle tones with some highlight. For beard used stippling style to get the realistic feel using both mouse and pen tablet.
Step 03
The clothes are as important as skin to create that realistic look. Drapery and fold have been achieved by creating shade and highlight. For bright reflections kept the path open with white colour. To make the clothes more appealing also embedded logo and text on the T-shirt. Also kept a single light source to create the depth in illustration. Used the same process for other objects like a hockey stick, socks and shoes. To work further merged all layers into one.
Step 04
Used smudge tool at 60% opacity to create stokes which shows the force behind the action. Outlines may look a bit blur after using the smudge tool, so created a black outline around to maintain the sharpness. Additionally applied a motion blur effect to half of the image to achieve speed.
Step 05
To make the illustration more believable used the watercolour splatters, droplets, flow and strokes to portray the sweat, as it would be an important part of the illustration. Applied watercolour flows and white spatters to merge the background and the character. Then finally applied shadows to create the depth.
Step 06
The final illustration achieved.
