Dark and playful

The real secret to making this painting work is to think of it as two separate images while I'm painting but allow the composition to bring them both together. I want Batgirl to be playful, so I try to work very quickly and not obsess over the details. Her limited color palette is a big help on that front. I'm also going to keep the shadows on both characters the same color, purple to lavender, as a way of giving them the feeling of a unified environment.