First I analize the shading posibilities. Following my sketch, I think the best colors for this illustration would be dark, purplish tones for the shades and overall composition.

So, first I fill the background with a soft lilac color. Using variable tones of purple, brown and black, I define the background shapes and shades. It is rather simple, I know, but my main spotlight here is Brayden. Now that the background coloring is finished, I proceed with the coloring of the character.

In a new layer, I begin to add the skin colors for Brayden. A neutral, dark skin tone is my base color; the shading is done with a dark purple tone, and I softly blend them both until I get the textures I want. The face took me the most time though! The angle of the head is tricky, so I even had to use a few reference pictures so I could get them right.

Once the skin is finished (I do it first so I can get the character defined), I color the rest of the areas with base colors in another layer. I usually apply two colors in the same layer if they do not touch each other, in this case the blue suit and hair are not next to each other. This is to save RAM memory which makes the program better performance... especially when you are working with a 300dpi illustration.

After an hour or so, the shading gives more life to the character. I sometimes adjust the levels of each colored layer so the colors will look brighter. I continue with the coloring process, and now I am nearly done!