I'm not the best with solid lineart, so I usually make the lines very thin. I never use black for my lineart, unless the character is black. I always use a very dark version of the base color.
I have a system that I use for everything I draw digitally.
-Gesture sketch
-Shaping sketch
-Final sketch
-Lineart
-Base color
-Secondary color (and sometimes I use two layers for this)
-Shading (Sometimes multiple layers here too)
-And lighting
I use a lot of sketch layers becuase it lets me build up the drawing without worrying about fine details. The gesture sketch is just a quick drawing of shapes and lines that show where everything goes and the "energy" of the drawing.
The shaping sketch is pretty much what the name is. I use ovals, circles and other shapes and lines to simpify the character I am drawing. I put simple circles for eyes, boxes for talons, so on and so on. I can use the lasso tool to move around my shapes if I think something needs changing.
ALSO! I flip my canvas a LOT, to make sure everything looks right. This is a lifesaver when it comes to making things look good.
The final sketch is basically very rough lineart, I add the fine details with a pencil brush and add everything thats missing from the shaping sketch. Scales, teeth, spines, all of this is added here.
Lineart is BY FAR the thing that takes longest and is the most boring, in my opinion. I take a dark color, not black, and draw over the final sketch, adding fine details if needed.
After this I put in the base color. Basically, I fill in the whole shape with the same color. This would be easier if my Select tool actually worked, but instead I have to do it manually. Takes a bit of time with the tail and the wings, trying not to go outside the lines.
Then I add other colors, the eyes, the wing membranes, the underbelly, and all that good stuff. Sometimes I add another layer to add more detailed colors, like with Poinsettia, the dragon I drew, I used a second layer to put the red on her wings.
SHADING is what really brings things to life. I'm still not very experienced in this, but I use a brush that smears a bit to add my shading. I usually define where the light is coming from with a sketch, and add shadows where they belong. I never use only one shade though. I shade use a lighter shade, moving down to darker colors for the deeper shadows. This part can take awhile if you want it to look good.
You can also use cell shading, something I use for making reference sheets and simpler things. You use a darker color, NEVER black, and just fill in "cells" of that color where the shadows are. This method can come out looking very nice if applied correctly. Again, always define where the light is coming from.
Next is lighting! You have to be very careful to not overuse this. You use a lighter color, and put it down where the light from your imaginary source is coming from. Light varies! Don't use the same shade at the same opacity. Change it up, use different colors, and experiment! Adding lighting is one of my favorite parts. This is the time to add highlights, in the eyes, the mouth if needed, and *sometimes* along claws and spines.
You can do a background too, surprisingly they aren't very hard if you practice a bit and use a reference, in my opinion. It depends on how detailed it is, too. It only took me about an hour or two for Poinsettias background.
Whew! There is MY way of doing digital art! Remember that I am not, by far, an expert and this is just the way I do things. There is no solid, written in stone way for art! And now, I shall go try to revive my dead fingers....
