I started out this redraw with the intention it would look more like the ones with no background. Then I decided to try and incorporate some of the background into the line art to avoid the disjointed look in 03 and then I ended up putting in more effort than was necessary.
Again, I went straight to full colour, because I wasn’t expecting it to turn out like this (I blame myself for wanting to draw a sunset)
I started out doing the lineart, then drawing the edge of the ship and some ropes for the rigging, then to give myself a light source: the sunset. Colouring the character herself was great (especially the lighting), but I did it so her eyes would be the most saturated colour and main focus of the drawing.
I’d actually also done the shading of her clothes with a textured brush and blurred the edges to give it less of a flat look (like a combination of cel shading and blurring the edges). Then I coloured in the wood and rigging- again, all well and good.
Then I drew the sunset.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve very happy with how the sunset and sea turned out- especially the clouds and faint stars in the sky. But when I finished, I realised original plan of making her eyes the most colourful piece of the picture was overshadowed by the colours of the sunset now.
Well, now I know. This is why a black and white rendition would help with planning lighting and colours.