Everything starts with an idea. I start sketching my gut vision for the illustration. 

Another method for ideating is using thumbnails to storyboard a moment in a character's story and picking a moment that lends itself well to an illustration.

Next, I iterate on my initial vision. Oftentimes, the initial vision for a piece is full of inconsistencies that can coexist perfectly in the mind, but become obstacles on paper. 

I explore different angles and compositions in this stage. I may use simple values to block in each major component and develop shapes further.

Here, I take the initial values I had in mind for the piece and switch them around. What if the background was dark instead of light? Are the main elements of the scene getting lost? I explore different lighting scenarios to find the one I resonate most with.

I may adjust my composition based on my exploration here.

I use the value study I like most and apply general colours. I check for mood, effect, as well as what I think will serve the piece best.

I tend to pick warm colour palettes in my work.

I use everything I've done to make a final sketch of the piece and proceed to render. I use photo and 3D references throughout this step.

In personal pieces, I tend to work in very few layers and merge them as I become satisfied with the changes. In professional work, I tend to keep major elements separate in case of revisions.