This isn't exactly feedback but I don't know where to put this >_<

Hi! I'm a fairly good digital artist that hasn't really challenged myself in ages. But ever since I started playing LoL and observing the art that has been posted in this specific style I've started to question my own art.
See, until now, I've drawn with lineart. Dark very clean lines that I later draw and shade inside.
A little example of the style I used to draw; http://th08.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/...ez-d55o0b2.jpg

Pretty simple, nothing super advanced really. But I want it more advanced, I don't want those clean lines and those weak shades. So I watched some art spotlights to see what some artist did that I didn't do. I've attached 3 pictures to explain what it is I don't understand,

Picture no1. What I see is a form of lineart except it's not so clean and thicker. It's not so dark either, it looks like it's draw with lower opacity or something.

Picture no2. Here the "lineart" is filled with dark colors on top of it. I can't really see why this is.

Picture no3. This is where I'm as most confused. I can see the lineart but barely since it looks like it's cleaned up and it looks like it has "multiply" color effect to it. It's not gray anymore.

See when I tried to mimic this style somewhat I did this;
Just colors; http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...73505941_n.jpg
And then shading; http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...pscfe0f59b.jpg

I thought that instead of using lineart I'd use strong shades where I'd normally put my lineart. Not something I'm used to since I use kind of light shades (obviously, haha).
No lineart which is obviously wrong I see now. And it doesn't look nowhere the same. Maybe this is very hard for people to answer but no matter how I look I can't seem to get what it is this artist does that makes the whole picture looks so good with this specific technique.

Please help, I'd appriceate it!

Oh btw, anyone know who made the Lulu art? Maybe I could ask that person if I get a hold of him/her.

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No simple answer. The artist is skilled on the foundations. He had a strong light coming from behind which creates a strong silhouette.
no 1. line drawing, the shadows are the darkest darks.
no 2. multiple reasons, i would say he divided them to create divisions for clipping mask. its painting management, he can easily move it later on if he needs to. http://www.worth1000.com/tutorials/163599/clipping-masks
no 3. he spent hours to get the form of the shapes respective of the lighting.

What would be awesome is checkout that artist who made this art, his name is Kienan Lafferty he has free art tutorials on his http://www.youtube.com/user/KienanLafferty

hope it helps!

That is a very helpful answer, thank you! I've watched several of his video and there's still some question marks but I contacted him on his dA and hopefully he'll answer if he finds the time to do so ^^ Thanks agian!

Best place to talk to him is on his facebook page, which you can find by searching for the KNKL Show on facebook, or there should be a link on his youtube channel, his artwork is awesome, love the Riven and Ahri artworks in particular, shame he no longer works at Riot though =[