Draw in Photoshop: From Sketch to Color, Shading, and Effects

Go to File → New and create a large canvas (bigger allows more detail, but needs more computing power).

Open the Layers panel and click the + (Create a new layer) to draw on a layer above the Background.

Press B to use the Brush Tool and draw; toggle the Background eye icon to see lines separate from the background.

Use V to Move, or Ctrl+T to resize/rotate the drawing layer without affecting the background.

Press Z to Zoom, then Alt+Zoom to zoom out, or press Ctrl+0 to reset view.

Hold Space to pan the canvas while zoomed in.

Use [ and ] to decrease/increase brush size dynamically while sketching.

Open the Brushes panel (right-side icon or right‑click on canvas).

Open Brush Settings (next to Brushes) and experiment with Shape Dynamics/Texture/etc. until strokes feel right.

Adjust brush settings in the top Options bar as needed, then click the + in Brush Settings to save a new brush.

Optionally, install an .abr set (e.g., a pencil set) by dragging it into the Brushes panel; organize into a custom group.

Open your reference image (File → Open).

Go to Image → Image Size and set Width to 500 px (for simplification preview).

Optionally go to Image → Image Rotation → Flip Canvas Horizontal if it reads better.

Go to Filter → Filter Gallery → Artistic → Cutout and tweak sliders to reduce detail into clear geometric shapes.

Create a new layer for the rough sketch.

Keep the brush large; stay zoomed out and copy the big geometric shapes and angles from the simplified reference.

Use Ctrl+Z to undo; use E for Eraser to clean stray lines.

Use the Lasso Tool (L) to select and reposition parts; press Ctrl+D to deselect.

Lower the rough sketch layer’s Opacity in the Layers panel to lighten it.

Switch your reference back to the original photo.

Create a new layer and sketch smaller details, correcting proportions and thinking in 3D forms.

Flip horizontally occasionally (Image → Image Rotation → Flip Canvas Horizontal) to spot issues.

Hide the first rough sketch and lower the opacity of the refined sketch.

Create a new layer for line art; zoom in and draw clean, confident strokes.

Vary line weight (thin/thick, tapered/rounded) to accentuate key edges and overlaps.

Create separate line-art layers for overlapping objects (e.g., the branch). Name layers clearly.

Select the line-art layer, choose the Magic Wand Tool (W), and click outside the line art; adjust Tolerance if needed.

Go to Select → Inverse to select the inside of the outline.

Create a new layer below the line art and fill the selection with Paint Bucket (G) using any solid color; press Ctrl+D to deselect.

Repeat for each object (e.g., animals, branch), naming each mask layer (e.g., “Leopard_mask”).

Select the Background layer (or create one if needed).

Click the Adjustments icon (half‑filled circle) → Gradient, and choose a bluish‑white gradient to mimic cloudy sky.

Adjust the angle/scale in the Gradient Fill dialog to taste.

Select an object’s mask layer, then create a new layer above it.

Alt‑click between the two layers to create a Clipping Mask (the new layer will only paint inside the mask).

Paint the base color, then add a second, similar hue using a hard brush to introduce variation.

Repeat for each object’s base colors.

Click and hold the Brush Tool (B) and choose the Mixer Brush Tool.

Use a Soft Round as a starting tip; in the Options bar, adjust Wet/Load/Mix until it blends as desired.

Test on your color layers; save your favorite Mixer settings as a new brush via the + icon in Brush Settings.

Blend only within the same clipped layer for smooth transitions.

Create a new clipped layer above the base colors to paint small details.

Create another clipped layer for patterns (e.g., leopard spots) so you can edit them independently.

If blending across layers is needed, temporarily merge or paint on the same layer for the Mixer Brush to work across edges.

Create a new clipped layer above an object’s color stack, fill it with white (Edit → Fill → White), then set its blend mode to Multiply.

Paint shadows using a greenish‑yellow hue (avoid pure black) with a hard brush; keep large shadows lighter and use smaller, darker accents for depth.

Add a second white Multiply layer for sky‑colored ambient shadows on top/left planes to enhance 3D form.

Repeat for all objects, including the branch.

Tweak the sky gradient if needed to match your palette.

Create a new layer and go to Filter → Render → Tree; choose a ‘Shrub’ tree and click OK.

Use the Move Tool (V) to place it; Alt‑drag to duplicate more shrubs; Shift‑select them and press Ctrl+E to merge.

Lower the merged shrubs’ Opacity for atmospheric perspective; go to Filter → Blur → Lens Blur and adjust for background depth.

Evaluate the whole image without the reference and make adjustments layer‑by‑layer (you’re fully non‑destructive).

Duplicate a layer with Ctrl+J to intensify an effect, then reduce Opacity if it’s too strong; add new paint layers for extra details or shadows.

Press Ctrl+A, then Edit → Copy Merged; File → New → OK, and paste into the new document.

Go to Image → Image Size and set Width to about 1000 px; then File → Save As → PNG to export for sharing.