Pipeline: thumbnail → rough → block-in → refinement → finish
Move a painting from thumbnail through rough, block-in, refinement, and finish while preserving its core idea.
What it is
Develop one image through defined stages. Use thumbnails to test pose, composition, lighting, and large shapes before adding detail.
Expand the selected thumbnail into a rough that clarifies drawing, volumes, perspective, light, shadow, and broad color relationships. In the block-in, establish silhouettes, value and color masses, and the separation between light and shadow.
Refine forms, drawing, edges, color, and material cues within the established block-in. Finish by tightening needed areas, unifying rough spots, checking light and color consistency, and adding small cues for scale and material. Use adjustments or overlays only after the paint is solid.
Why it matters
A reliable pipeline keeps decisions in sequence and reduces large revisions caused by early detail or competing drawing and color changes. It also supports consistent process across pieces and makes work easier to revise.
You can check it when
- ✓Show at least 3 saved stages, including a thumbnail, rough, and block-in. Each stage is more resolved while preserving the core idea.
- ✓Check the block-in at thumbnail size. The subject, lighting direction, and overall color impression remain readable before detailing.
- ✓Review refinement and finish stages for large repainted areas. Composition, drawing, and color decisions were established earlier.
- ✓Compare multiple pieces and verify that their process stages follow the same thumbnail, rough, block-in, refinement, and finish order.
Related skills
- Thumbnailing (multiple variations, simplification, reading at thumbnail scale)
- Organizing values before rendering
- Reading clearly at thumbnail size
- Edge hierarchy
- Controlled finish — knowing where not to render
- Major workflows (grayscale-to-color, direct color, line-to-paint, painting under/over line art)
- Non-destructive editing — flattening/merging intentionally