Drawing Note: Building Color with Flow

When I start painting, I don’t think about details.
I think about movement — how colors connect across the canvas,
and how light flows through the form.

The early stage isn’t about what I’m painting yet.
It’s about building the space where the subject will breathe.

1️⃣ Laying the Foundation

I begin with soft, blended strokes — using brushes that allow colors to merge easily.
Here, the goal is to catch the movement of air on the canvas,
not to define edges.
Using the Smudge Tool in Procreate helps connect these transitions smoothly,
as if light were leaking across the surface.

2️⃣ Connecting Color and Light

Once the main color families begin to connect,
the painting starts to feel more “alive.”
At this stage, I’m not yet shaping the figure —
I’m defining the atmosphere that surrounds her.
The warm and cool tones begin to communicate with each other.

3️⃣ Introducing Form

Now, I begin to carve the shape gently out of the color field.
Instead of drawing firm outlines, I let color temperature shifts
define where the light turns and the form bends.
Edges remain soft and flexible.

4️⃣ Establishing Focus

As the structure becomes clearer,
I bring attention to the focal area — the face.
This is where value contrast starts to matter.
I keep the rest of the image slightly loose
so the viewer’s eye naturally finds the face first.

5️⃣ Finishing with Intention

Toward the end, I don’t try to polish everything.
Instead, I leave some areas — especially outside the focal zone —
with visible brushwork and rough transitions.
The contrast between refined and unrefined areas keeps the piece alive,
and directs the viewer’s focus toward the center.

🎨 Tools Used

This piece was painted using my Color Flow Brush Set for Procreate.
→ Download the brush set here

💬 Share Your Thoughts

If you try painting this way — starting from atmosphere and flow —
I’d love to see it.
Send me your process or questions, and I might feature them in a future issue.

🧵 Daily Sketches on Threads

I’m posting my daily sketches and experiments here:
→ threads.net/@9brookskim

You’re always welcome to drop by.

— Brooks