Illustration (new—-> old)

My working method is similar for all those: I make preliminary concept sketches, then I start painting on a colored ground. The color I start painting on, will influence the whole color scheme. At the beginning, I already try to get down the general shapes with light and shadow, and to achieve a good composition. For painting figures, I often make light drawings from reference models or photos, and paint over the drawing.
I use photos for reference often (not to be confused with photomanipulation). Check out the Goodies section for tutorials! :]