1. Draw or load your scanned image into Painter. For web purpose, I usually work on 200% image.. say--if I want the final picture to be 500x500 pixel, I would work on 1000x1000 pixel file.

I use Watercolor Brushes for most of my Painter CGs.. the main burshes I use are

-Large Simple Water : gives you opaque watercolor, I use this to put base colors, and blendings ***
-Large Water : gives you softer watercolor than the Large Simple. **
-Simple Water : smaller version of Large Simple... the feel is kinda different. *

(* indicates level of usage)

2. Paint in the background.. in my case, I don't have anything in particular so I go with the bluey-cloudy look

3. Paint in the base skin color with Large Simple Water. You may get messy and color outside the skin only when it's not touching the background. You're gonna go in and paint over the skin color outside of skin area anyway

4. Give basic shadow and highlight area. Sometimes I like to build color from dark to light instead of indicating light and shadow at the same time.

 

5. Work more on your shadow and highlight, try to blend the color where it is necessary.. I use Large Simple Water and Large Water to blend.

6. Color in the hair. basic.. Be precise around the lines.. try to color right on the lines and not go over it.

<--this is messed up.. you should color in both base color and shadow color of the hair at the same time to prevent coloring shadow color over the base color all over again.

7. This step is personal preference.. I like adding extra highlights to the skin..

8. Do the same to the hair

9. Finish the picture with eyes and smaller strands of hair.. I use Simple Water for these things usually.

10. Sign and shrink the picture to the size you want it to be. As for me, 50%