This a generic guide on how I highlight and contour faces.
• When highlighting and contouring, pay attention to the models natural highlights and contours, and the direction of light and how the model is facing the camera.
• Instead of highlighting the cheekbones, you can highlight the apples of the cheeks instead.
• Pay attention to the face shape of your model.
• • •
Tutorial
1. Open up your image in IbisPaint x.
2. In a new layer, we will begin with the contours. Use the eyedropper tool to pick a contouring colour from the models face in an area that's already medium-dark.
3. I used Dip Pen (soft) to draw the contour lines. Reduce the opacity of the brush depending on how soft you want the contour to be.
4. Using either the blur tool or Gaussian Blur under filters, start blurring the contour lines until you are satisfied. I used Felt Tip Pen (soft) as my brush.
5. In a new layer, above the contours layer, we're going to start highlighting. Do the same thing you did for the contours in step two, but this time pick a colour from a light/ bright part of the models face. I once again used Dip Pen (soft) as my brush.
Draw the highlights.
Like previously, adjust the opacity to your liking and blur it when you're finished.
Note: I made this tutorial before discovering how much better the airbrushes were. You can replace the brushes used in this tutorial with one of the airbrushes, you can skip the blurring process too.
6. Open up the layers tab. Use multiply or darken for the contour layer and use add for the highlight layer. Adjust the percentage of the opacity to your liking. The lower the opacity, the more natural it will look.
Lastly save it.
Result
I decided to stick to a very natural look