Cheryl Young

Freelance Background Artist
[email protected]

About

Cheryl Young is a Hong Kong freelance artist with a focus on visual storytelling through environments.For business inquiries, contact [email protected]

FAQ

How can I contact you/Are you available for commission work?
Contact me at [email protected] for professional inquiries. My notifications and DMs are filtered on Twitter, so the best way to reach me is via email.
I have zero interest in doing any NFT/AI/crypto related projects so don't contact me for them.May I use your work to create a 3D model/recreate with pixel art/any other project?
No recreation/3D models/pixel art/fanart/remakes are allowed of my work. If I haven't responded about allowing the creation of a piece, then assume it's a "No".
Nothing I make may be used in any blockchain-related technology i.e. NFTs, cryptocurrency, or future inventions in the space. I do not allow for AI art related use of my work either.Inspiration off my work + other image references and coming up with your own piece that is far enough from your reference material = OK
Directly copying large elements of my pieces (composition/colour/structural elements) and passing it as your own/inspiration = Not OK
I don't care if you credit me, I never consented to having my work be redone in any format so cease.I strongly recommend you look at your various influences and inspirations in life beyond just a handful of sources and think more broadly/specifically to how to develop your individual voice and approach towards making art. I think it's more interesting to see a unique reinterpretation than a recreation of someone else's efforts.What if I already made something based on your work? Can I post it?
No.Are you ever going to release a colouring book with your lineart/Can I colour in your linework?
No.Where else can I find your work?
Portfolio: https://cysketch.com
Twitter side account: @sliceofcy
Bluesky: @cysketch
Tumblr: @cysketch
Twitch: cysketchWhat do you use to draw with?
Tech:
iPad Pro, Clip Studio Pro
Brushes/Pens:
(Traditional) Muji pens are the best.
(Digital) custom tweaked brushes from the clip asset store
Example clip of main brush
Second inking brush (used primarily for character art)Do you stream?
I stream on Twitch here!
I don't have any regular schedule, but you can follow my Twitch to be notified of when I go live. Stream clips will not be saved.Where do you get your inspiration from?
A lot of reference images in both my phone gallery and gathered on pinterest/the general internet.
For artists I'm inspired by Imperial Boy, Sachin Teng, Rakoshirako, bluekomadori, & onemegawatt.For games, I love the environment design of the original Professor Layton games and the bg art of Eastward. The Splatoon series though I don't play it, also has very cool environment + weapon design and I really admire the overall art direction.Do you have an artbook/zine?
I've been working on a few in my free time. When they're completed however, they'll remain con exclusive until further notice. Same goes for any merch I produce.Do you have a store?
I’ll announce on my twitter (@cysketch) if I ever open one. Otherwise my prints are available here.How can I improve my backgrounds/get started?Disclaimer: I'm not a trained educator nor am I qualified to be in the position of one, so feel free to take this advice with a grain of salt.Reference, research, and feedback.
- Reference helps with visualisation from what already exists in the world to aid the construction of composition. You will eventually build up a visual library of scenes and locations through reference photos, google maps locations, mapcrunch, etc. You can never really have too much reference.
- Research how other artists compose their scenes, how photographers frame their shots. Look up industry professionals, YouTube channels, movie screencap sites - the more specific your search is geared to what you want your work to become, the better.
- Ask for help/advice as you go, but often times it’s better to have work to show for it and be specific on what you’re stuck on/what area of learning you wish to improve.
- To be honest it doesn't actually take that much to get going on bgs, it's just a matter of being persistent in maintaining that practice and if you can find a way to enjoy it, then that'll be more beneficial to your development as you gear your learning alongside that enjoyment.What is your process for art? Do you have advice for drawing backgrounds?
My process lately has been to get an idea of a silhouette/rough layout in simplified form as a vision I'm looking for, and then keep looking for image references to add onto my pureref board as a trial and error process of elimination method to narrow down the final look I want. The refs could be useful in the moment but are also great as a self reminder later if I don't use them of what not to do.
General advice for art not limited to bgs is to always get references and do photo/image/IRL studies and remember that it's just practice to get better. The core fundamentals of art are usually rooted in visual readability, value control, some colour theory, and compositional flow (which includes rule of thirds). I'm not gonna explain that all here but in doing studies related to what I just mentioned (plus figure drawing if you're into anatomy) it will ultimately make your work foundationally stronger and elevate it in a way that's more effective than using a random tutorial you don't fully understand.

Tutorials

I've made a few tutorials & process posts on Twitter, so I've listed them here! I mainly use Clip Studio Paint, so more technical tutorials will be catered to that.Tutorials
- Deconstructing Photo Reference 1
- Deconstructing Photo Reference 2
- How to add bgs to character drawings if you drew the character first
- Draw a box, put something in it
- How to use Minecraft to learn perspective
- Using outline stroke in CSP to draw plants 1
- Using outline stroke in CSP to draw plants 2
- Using outline stroke in CSP to draw fabric
- How to convert scanned traditional inks into digital lineart on CSPProcess
- Wip thread for Fish Shop piece
- Layer breakdown video - How I build up colour
- Layer breakdown - How I organise my layers and use gradient map
- How I use reference (worldbuilding) 1
- How I use reference 2
- Note on characters in backgrounds
- Ghibli Howl's Moving Castle, Howl's Bedroom WIP Thread
- Howl's Bedroom - Separating the planes of FG and BGMiscellaneous
- My notes on Social Media + Growing a Following
- Reasons to Raise Your Prices
- How to get Commission Work (Hobbyist Edition)
- Using hourly rates to estimate commission pricesIf you find this information useful, feel free to drop me a tip on ko-fi!

Commissions

I have Ko-fi commissions for character based artwork that you can find here.
You may also email me for paypal invoicing/discussion of details if you don't wish to use the platform. It's recommended to refer to the ko-fi listing for what I provide however.
Contact: [email protected]

Examples