Get the shape quickly ...

[Caesar]

Looking at Andrea's tutorial advice, the first step would be to roughly paint and then refine by eraser, a starting silhouette (mostly using a dark enough grey tone), to then work on new layers to insert shadings and higlights, texture and colors. This procedure is effective and efficient in his hands to produce marvellous spedd painting.
I think it may be used independently from drawing skills and ability, since anyone is able to sort out mentally shapes from a rough figure by erasing and adding to trim it with what he/ she sees in his/ her brain.
I think also the following steps may be easier by relying on a mental vision based on what we then see to drive us furtherly.

So, I made an initial step to try this theory based on Andrea's tutorials, with two main variants though.
First I didn't designed some sort of spaceship or flying machine.:D
Second, I rather put the base color to make it more interesting to show (a grey layer with an appropriate blending mode overlay may be whenever I wish or I may turn it B&W that way).:rolleyes:
It really took little time, few minutes to shape both the skin color parts and the darker pencil lines for enclosing the rest of the body where skin is not visible.
I then just area-color-filled the various parts (except where there was already the skin color).

Now, since I'm starting in two days the first part of my summer holidays ... You should keep waiting for a while to see how the story will end, I'm sorry ...

[pat1940]

Very nice Caesar, I also like to shape with the eraser, I seem to have better luck with that method, will check in to see the completion and hope you have a wonderful holiday but don't be gone to long ok:):):);););)

[Alexandra]

Excellent dear Cesare! I need to take a peek at Andrea's great tutorial.
I hope you enjoy your holidays-we will certainly miss you.

[Caesar]

Dear Pat and Sandra .... well, thank You gals.
Don't worry, I'll be back for a while in little more than a couple of weeks (I'm not a sailor :D).
Anyway Andrea's tutorials are fantastic in my view and are pleasant to read too. As also Pat pointed out, I really didn't invent anything new, just considered that, since anyone can see whether an image is good or wrong, anyone is endowed to become a good artist if he wishes and uses his/ her gifts in the most spontaneous and natural way .... I don't think cavemen attended painting lessons to represent and shape so wonderfully their animals through their amazingly good graffitis ...;):)

[AT-TA]

Interesting tutorial indeed. And have a wonderful holiday,Caesar, full of pleasant experiencies and colorfull scenes for new paintings to inspire...

[Caesar]

Thank You, dear Anna!

Anyone wishing to use this silhouette to go furtherly beyond by next steps, pls, help Yourself ....

[justjean]

Looking good, I also reshape things with the eraser not that they look all that much better after I'm finished:D

[Caesar]

Thank You, dear Jean!
Probably You should start with a looser idea and/or make more a initial paint mess on one or a couple of layers (in case testing blending modes) and then sort out what You suddenly seem to see, according to pareidolia process (i.e., as Oriane teached us all, the phenomenon when, looking at casual spots and stripes, like a ceramic tiled floor, You magically spot figures and faces ...).

[barnburner]

Nice start on this Caesar. I echo the words of others - the eraser is a valuable tool. It's much easier for me, to shape down, using the eraser, than it is to shape up using paint.
I've found using the eraser to be a very handy tool for making clouds look more realistic.

[Caesar]

Thank you too, dear Barnburner! At low pressure and with some grainy paper and/or more than one layer only, the eraser can be pretty interesting too....