Been working steadily at a friend's commission and I’ve been documenting the process since more than one person has asked me in the past how I color with ballpoints.

• After I transfer the lines from the sketch to the bristol with a lightbox, I use the old rough to “map out” shadows and highlights (I do this with most of my pieces actually, color or not).
• I don’t always use marker in my ballpoint pieces, usually the only time I ever apply marker is if it calls for subtle colors that can’t be achieved with ballpoint alone (like the greys on her face), or if I want to render things like pure energy (the flames) convincingly.
• When marker is used I always apply it first (seriously don’t try coloring over ballpoint with marker, the results are not pretty). So I color the flames, the highlights, the glowing pieces on her gear and do a flat pass for her skin tone.
• I tend to go cool-to-warm/shadow-to-light and left to right like when I use pencils because lots of ballpoint layers can smudge just like graphite and I don’t want my hand resting on ballpoint that might still be slightly wet.
• Crosshatch like crazy. Layer like hell.