Winter Night

This is one of the illustrations from my diary, which you can see on my Instagram, "A Swallows Diary." It depicts a cozy winter night where I’m sitting on a sofa near a wood stove with my dog by my side. I created this scene using Procreate on my iPad, aiming to capture the warmth and comfort of a quiet evening at home.

Procreate, Ipad Pro, Apple pencil

Rapid Digital Sketch I start by sketching quickly and loosely to lay out the basic composition of the scene. The main elements are me sitting on the sofa, my dog next to me, and the wood stove in the background. The focus is on establishing the positions and shapes of these key elements to create a balanced composition.

Once the basic sketch feels right, I go over it to define the lines more clearly. I clean up the shapes of the sofa, the characters, and the background to make everything more readable and expressive.

Add Colors and Details Next, I begin adding color to the illustration. I carefully choose warm tones to bring the cozy atmosphere to life. The sofa, the surrounding environment, and my character are all colored, along with the dog.

I focus the lighting around a single lamp, which creates a soft, warm glow that fills the room. I add gentle highlights and shadows to reflect this light and enhance the calm, intimate feeling of the scene.

I included a timelapse video showing the entire process in Procreate.

I also created a short animated version using Runway, where the steam moves softly and the dog has subtle, natural motion.