Step 6
Now that there is enough tone covering most of the page, I can start erasing to bring out highlights. Using the electric eraser (which you can sharpen to a point and thus get more control with), I trace the edges of the tree, and spot the textured bark.
Step 7
At this point, I stop using the lead holder and switch to the .5 and .3 pencils for finer control. I continue filling in the darkest areas, like under the dryad’s skirt, where her weight is resting, and in the more distant tree branches.
In this way, I’m pulling the highlights forward (with the eraser), and pushing the shadows back. Keeping the darker areas blurred helps with the sense of depth. The branch in the lower right basically gets the same treatment I’ve given to the main trunk so far.
Step 8
I fill in the darker shadowed branches around the dryad. As they bend and wind into the distance, I let the tone fade into the background grey. I darken the greys around the left side near the fairies as well because I want a nice contrasting grey from which to pick the white of their shimmering wings out of. Without the contrast, they will not seem to glow.
