131

Issue 131 | November 2016

Vibrant
new worlds plus
Eduardo Pena discusses his • Bold and striking illustration
passion for art and showcases • The beautiful violence of nature
his personal universe projects • Expressive character sketches
• Speed paint a street cleaner mech
• Reinvent Hercules in a cyberpunk scene
• and much more!
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 131

Editor’s Letter KEEP UP TO DATE

WITH 3DTOTAL!
Welcome to 2dartist issue 131!
In this issue you will find plenty of inspiration in our
interviews with Eduardo Pena, Joel Kilpatrick, and
traditional artist Lauren Marx. We also take a look at facebook.com/3dtotal
facebook.com/2dartist
the characterful sketches of Yewon Park, a concept
twitter.com/3dtotal
artist at Blizzard Entertainment.
youtube.com/
Learn how to speed paint a street cleaning mech 3dtotalpublishing
with Galan Pang, and create a costume design for vimeo.com/3dtotal
ANNIE MOSS a sci-fi butler with Albert Urmanov. See how Klaus vimeo.com/layerpaint
Junior Editor
Pillion reinvents a Herculean tale into a cyberpunk pinterest.com/3dtotal
scene, and follow as Zac Retz reveals how to
2dartist is now on approach daytime and night-time plein air studies instagram.com/3dtotal
Instagram! of an industrial environment. Also discover how
instagram.com/2dartistmag

Alexandre Chaudret painted his vampire countess google.com/+3dtotalcg

character, and learn how Florian de Gesincourt

created a light filled fantasy environment! 3dtotal.tumblr.com

Contributors
EDUARDO PENA KLAUS PILLON
Eduardo Pena is a story-teller, culture lover and traveler Freelance concept artist and illustrator Klaus Pillion
originally from Colombia. He currently works with graduated in 3D production before focusing on his
institutions like Weta, and Lucasfilm, and collaborates on primary love: 2D artwork. Largely self-taught, he has
urban development and design sustainability projects. worked professionally since 2013 for games and movies.

JOEL KILPATRICK ZAC RETZ

Joel Kilpatrick is a freelance illustrator based in Zac Retz graduated with a BFA in illustration in 2012.
Manchester, UK. He started drawing at the age of seven Since then he has illustrated the children’s book Too
after watching the first of the Lord of the Rings films and Much Glue, worked at Workinman Interactive, Reel FX,
hasn’t stopped. and currently works for Sony Pictures Animation.

LAUREN MARX ALBERT URMANOV

Lauren Marx graduated from Webster University, Missouri, Albert Urmanov is a concept artist and illustrator based in
USA, in 2014 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts with an Germany. He freelanced to get experience while working
emphasis on drawing, focusing on animal-based pen and as a graphic designer and now works as a concept artist
ink illustration. She currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri. at InnoGames.

YEWON PARK ALEXANDRE CHAUDRET

Yewon Park specializes in concept and visual Alexandre Chaudret is a French concept artist and
development and has diverse experience in the game illustrator. He was previously lead artist at Gameloft,
and animation industries. She currently works at Blizzard and he now works as a full time freelance artist in the
Entertainment as a concept artist. videogame industry.

GALAN PANG FLORIAN DE GESINCOURT

Galan Pang is currently the concept art director Florian de Gesincourt is a freelance concept artist from
of a Shanghai based videogame studio. He Rennes, France. His primary focus is concept design for
has previously worked on various AAA console, films, videogames, collectible card games and other
mobile, and VR projects. entertainment media.

2 | 2DARTISTMAG.COM
 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 131

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 131

Contents Issue 131

006_ Vibrant new worlds
Eduardo Pena discusses his passion for art and
showcases his personal universe projects

020_ Bold and striking illustrations

Joel Kilpatrick showcases some of his
vibrant paintings

036_ The beautiful violence of nature

Delve in to the dark world of traditional artist
Lauren Marx

052_ Expressive character sketches

Discover the lively character designs of Blizzard
artist Yewon Park

064_ Gallery
Ten inspiring new artworks by artists including
Masahiro Sawada and Mario Manzanares

080_ Speed paint a street cleaner mech

Discover how to paint a futuristic mech with
Galan Pang

090_ Reinvent Hercules in a

cyberpunk scene
The tale of Hercules in the golden apples trial
gets a cyberpunk update

100_ Plein air paint a factory

Zac Retz shows how to respond to changing
light in two industrial studies

118_ Design a sci-fi butler’s costume

Learn how to create a coherent and
interesting design

130_ Paint a vampire countess

Learn how minimal layers can contribute to an
inventive character design

138_ Digital Art Master: Florian de

Gesincourt
See how Florian’s perseverance lead to an
impressive finished scene...

SAVE 30%!
Subscribe today
Go to page 108 for details
 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 131

36 80

5
The Artist

Eduardo Pena
artstation.com/artist/
eduardo-pena

Interviewed by:
Annie Moss

Eduardo Pena is a story-

teller, culture lover and
traveler originally from
Colombia. He currently
works with institutions
like The One Academy,
Weta, and Lucasfilm, and
collaborates on urban
development and design
sustainability projects.

Vibrant new worlds

Explore the bright, experimental artworks of Eduardo Pena’s personal universes
and learn about his extensive passion for art and culture
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 131

All images © Eduardo Pena7

 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Vibrant new worlds

Eduardo Pena is an artist with a true, all- Eduardo Pena: I consider myself a student 2da: Storytelling is really important in
embracing passion for his work. He describes of life; I am amazed by the simplicity and your work, how do you ensure there is a
himself as a creative, a builder, and a story-teller, randomness of events. Throughout my career clear sense of narrative in your work?
and this enthusiasm for invention can be seen I have learned ways of understanding my
particularly clearly in the artwork he creates own passions and priorities: how to grow as a EP: I consider that a must. I am a fan of
for his personal universes. As a natural explorer professional, as an artist, and as human being. etymology, semiotics and narrative. To apply
and a culture lover Eduardo enjoys exploring those elements to the foundations of every piece
both the world around him and creating fresh, Time and technology has brought us a constant I need time; time to do research, time to explore,
vibrant scenes based on his experiences. set of tools that allow us to perform certain and time to understand what I am doing.
Always looking for personal growth he also tasks efficiently, but essential processes are
treats failures as experiments which give him left behind. So in some ways the nature of my Of course, in my profession, that is a luxury,
opportunities to learn and develop as an artist. personal work is not entirely attached to trends because in production work there is not much
Here Eduardo tells us about his love of art and or specific products. I leave that behavior at work transcendental art. Therefore, I leave that luxury
culture, how his students at The One Academy where it is needed for the industrial process. mostly for my personal work, where I can think
inspire him, and working on his impulses... and make interesting choices and experiments.
In my personal work I try to explore similar This allows me to develop a story, or at least
2dartist: Hi Eduardo, thank you for talking to subjects, but explain different values with those build some narrative across the piece, and also
2dartist! Can you kick things off by telling us universes, exploring ways of using the toolset to gives me room to fail as a learning experience.
a little bit about yourself and your work? develop and build interesting, surreal worlds. Failing is then replaced by expansion.

Is there a banana around here? From CHIMBO a personal universe Eduardo is creating of a gorilla lost in the galaxy

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A tribute to Eduardo’s experience in Osaka, Japan

9
 Entering the golden fields, part of The Wizard Anthologies

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Vibrant new worlds

2da: What made you want to pursue a

career in the digital art industry?

EP: The fact that I can still think like a ten year old
but have the skills of a trained artist, so that was,
and still is, very tempting and inspiring to me. In our
times we are able to experiment with more diverse
and exiting universes or creative possibilities. In
some way we can shape people’s imaginations.

2da: What are your preferred tools

to work with and why?

EP: I like to work with my impulses as some of

them help me to make interesting decisions. So
my main tool is my imagination. I try to ignore the
noise of social media, trends, and the fear of failure,
and simply allow myself to explore. I have fun, and
honor my gift. I find reading books and traveling
helps to improve and nurture my knowledge of
culture and of myself. It helps to diversify and expand
the way I experience things, and that is where
knowledge becomes wisdom. Physical tools, such
as a camera, help to improve my understanding
of light, composition, narrative and of course
educate the eye to aesthetic values. I also watch
all sorts of movies and games to understand how
design and art is applied on the final product.

2da: Are there any tools, techniques or software

you would like to explore in the future, and why?

EP: Any tools that help me to expand my knowledge

are more than welcome. Technology assists
us during the creative process, allowing us to
experiment and be open to the constant change.

For example we see virtual and augmented

reality as possible new ways for developing
interesting paths of interaction and all sorts of
entertainment. They will constantly change the
way we experiment with interactive spaces in
museums, cinemas, videogames and so on.

2da: Which artist, or group of artists,

particularly inspire your work?

EP: My students, who are always willing to listen,

learn and share with me all sorts of ideas. And people
who are always in constant change and challenging
the conventions; to build a better self. I am inspired
by working with them on exciting projects.

2da: If you could meet any artist (past or

present) what would you ask them and why?

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EP: I would ask him or her to come with me to EP: When I am talking and sharing. I feel
the present, and then we could work together a nirvana of creative possibilities.
to find ways of making art. We could create
the art that helps to sculpt a healthy society, 2da: Artist block is a problem for many creative
the art that provokes an emotional response, people. Can you share a couple of tips you
and interesting thoughts, and why not, the art use when the inspiration stops flowing?
that can function to industry standards.
EP: Let it flow. It is a natural thing that we are not
2da: Where (and when) do you feel in a position to control. I guess for me personally
you are at your most creative? I shut down a lot of external distractions and pay

PRO TIP
Personal work
Honor your personal work, and do not mix many industry standards into your personal work.
Enjoy the luxury of developing something interesting and valuable to your creativity, with more
time. Do lots of experiments and training, but give a proper treatment to the ones that deserve
your time and true self.

A scene from The Wizard Anthologies of the forgotten rider

The forest scout from Eduardo’s fantasy realms called The W

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Wizard Anthologies

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A scene from the story of CHIMBO and the beginnings of his galactic journey

attention to the simple things that are “happening” time you are given almost no time, so you have to
in my here and now. So I see and perceive a lot of value your experience to organize how much time
incredible things in the most unusual, simple things. you spend analyzing, researching and making a
I focus my attention in the magic that surrounds us. qualified, good-looking and functional product.

2da: What has been the project you 2da: How do you keep yourself motivated
have most enjoyed working on? when working on a difficult project?

EP: The most exiting one for me was when I worked EP: I remind myself of what is truly important.
very hard learning other languages (English and I will not compromise my health or my natural
French) in order to find opportunities outside of my needs for work, so it must be a fun job. When work
country. I put my all into finding a chance to work becomes very stressful I change my habits and
in the industry, when the possibilities in my country come back enjoying the craft with fresh eyes. I go
where zero. Those times when I challenged myself out to do some exercise, socialize with people, play
to the limit. In other places some opportunities guitar or anything that is completely different.
and circumstances are taken for granted. I had
to work hard for those, so I really enjoyed that. I like this job; it just needs me to be properly
organized during the day. Nobody forced
2da: What initial steps do you take when you are me to work on this; I do this because I love
first given a brief for a new project? Do you dive it. It is just a matter of remembering that
straight in or do you have a more analytical process? you can have fun even on a rainy day.

EP: It is very relative to what the brief is about, and 2da: When you are not working hard on your
the tools and timing I have been given. Most of the art, what do you like to do with your time?

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A scene from the CHIMBO adventures, when he is leaving Ede

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15

en
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A tribute to the beautiful country of Vietnam and its amazing food

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EP: Travel, interact, read, share, enjoy the moment,

drink or eat something in the middle of nowhere
and see things happen. Enjoy things that I can
only own for myself by investing in experiences.

2da: Finally, where will we be able to see your work

next? Are there any projects we should look out for?

EP: I would love to sow the seed of inspiration

in younger generations, to help build something
that gives them space and time to create
and heal social failures through their work.
Hopefully I will work on fewer products (games
or movies) which promote war, fear, violence and
destruction. I want to produce more elements for
entertainment that promotes positive values.

2da: If you could write a letter to your

younger self, just starting out as an artist,
what advice would you give?

EP: I would make an amazing piece of

illustration to inspire me. The image would
do an amazing job with my emotions.

2da: What do you think has been most

influential to your career success?

EP: Passion!

2da: Is there anything you think budding

An image for a personal space opera adventure Eduardo is working on called BOLO & KATO
artists should try to avoid?

EP: Fear and fear of failure. The feeling that

they are in a race or in a Darwinian experiment.
Things are changing all the time, so just
enjoy the ride and believe more in your inner
thoughts. Do not let the external noise shape
the path of your real passions. Honor your
gifts by using them for yourself and others.

Thank you Eduardo for talking to 2dartist!

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An key scene from Eduardo’s space opera adventure BOLO & KATO

19
The Artist

Joel Kilpatrick
joel-kilpatrick.com

Interviewed by:
Annie Moss

Joel Kilpatrick is a
freelance illustrator
based in Manchester,
UK. He started drawing
at the age of seven after
watching the first of the
Lord of the Rings films
and hasn’t stopped.

Bold and striking

illustrations
We speak to British illustrator, Joel Kilpatrick, about his inspirations
and keeping motivated
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All images © Joel Kilpatrick

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Bold and striking illustrations

Joel Kilpatrick is a freelance illustrator based in “Black and white values When I am struggling with the lighting in a painting,
Manchester, UK. In 2011, he read an interview are a very important part of I find it useful to copy and merge all of my layers
with Weta’s Gus Hunter, where he talked about conveying good lighting in into a new layer and convert it to black and white.
using a graphics tablet to create digital. This your image” I then zoom out so the details are out of focus and
simple interview led Joel down the path to start painting roughly on top by blocking in the
digital painting and he hasn’t looked back! 2da: Your works have a really distinctive style, lights and shadows, and defining the silhouettes;
often with bright colors and striking light I try to think about rim lights, bounce lights and
2dartist: Hi Joel, thanks for talking to 2dartist! Could effects. Do you have any tips for readers who so on. If I compare this paintover with the original
you start by introducing yourself a bit to the readers? want to recreate this in their own work? black and white image, I can see a massive
difference in the readability of the piece. I can use
Joel Kilpatrick: Hi! Thank you very much for JK: Black and white values are a very important this as a rough guide to make improvements.
having me. I’m a freelance illustrator from Greater part of conveying good lighting in your image. I use Photoshop for digital painting, but this
Manchester in the UK. I’ve done some work in It’s easy to lose track of your initial lighting idea can be applied to other programs as well.
various books and I am very fond of dogs! when you get carried away with painting.
If you look at your painting in black and white while
zoomed out, and you can’t tell what the focal point
Self portrait from a mirror, covering a lamp with a broken tail light
is, then that’s your starting point on improving
the piece. You want the viewer’s attention to be
instantly drawn to the focal points of your painting,
and should make them stand out by giving them
the most contrasting areas. This doesn’t always
apply, but it is helpful to think about if you’re stuck.

2da: Where do you find inspiration for your work?

Which other artists do you particularly admire?

JK: Films are a huge source of inspiration for me.

No Country for Old Men, Blade Runner, District 9,
and Drive are some of my absolute favorites. I feel
the same about books; I thoroughly enjoy Arthur C.
Clarke and Douglas Adams – The Hitchhiker’s Guide
series is probably one of the most enjoyable reading
experiences I’ve had. I’m also a lifelong fan of Tolkien;
I was raised in a very Lord of the Rings loving home.

As for artists I admire, I look up to Dan LuVisi,

he’s a trailblazer, and I find his work ethic and
attitude towards art really motivating. Two
other incredible artists I also admire are Faraz
Shanyar and Simon Stålenhag. I wouldn’t be
able to do their work justice describing it, so I
definitely recommend checking them out.

2da: If you could meet any artist (past or

present) what would you ask them and why?

JK: John Martin was an English painter born in

the 1700s and he is someone I would very much
like to have a conversation with. The mighty
apocalyptic scale in his paintings is absolutely
incredible, I’ve never seen an artist who is able to
convey such absolute cataclysmic destruction the
way he did. I would love to see all the sketches,
studies, and preparatory work he did for each
of his paintings. I’d ask him about his particular

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 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Bold and striking illustrations

influences and motivations, to get an insight since. I’ve tried other programs but Photoshop you’re drawing complicated things such as guns
into such an extensive imagination. I’ve been just seems to work the best for me, and it covers and cars, as you can get a reference for the exact
lucky enough to see one of his works in real life everything that I could need. I have a rudimentary angle you need rather than having to guess. Daz
and I hope I get to see more in the future. knowledge of SketchUp which is quite useful, as Studio is also good for the same reason, to see how
I find it great for looking at objects from varying figures look in different poses at varying angles.
2da: What are your preferred tools to angles, which leads to a better understanding of
work with? Are there any tools you find what I am drawing. If you don’t have the free time 2da: Which tools and software would
yourself using again and again? to spend learning a new program, you can always like to learn in the future?
use the 3D Warehouse website to search for the
JK: I started out with an old copy of Photoshop reference item you need and use the basic 3D JK: I would love to learn to use advanced 3D
Elements 4, and have stayed with Photoshop ever viewer to move it about. This is incredibly useful if software as that seems to be involved in a lot of

Viola

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work. It looks quite daunting and intimidating, JK: The planning stage is what I usually enjoy a great one. The music I find often influences
but so was Photoshop in the beginning. most. When you’re completely uncommitted how the painting progresses, as I’m trying to
I’d really like to see how it could improve my to any single idea and you can just explore; express the feeling that the music portrays.
efficiency when creating finished paintings you can do endless sketching and note taking,
at a faster pace. Seeing the speed that artists thinking of all the possible things you could do. “When you’re completely
can generate multiple ideas and compositions uncommitted to any single
with 3D is a huge motivating factor. ZBrush and Something that I enjoy almost as much as actually idea and you can just explore;
3D-Coat also look like a lot of fun to work with. painting, is trying to find a song or piece of music you can do endless sketching
that fits the mood of the piece. This comes from and note taking, thinking of
2da: What do you most enjoy about my love of film soundtracks; they add so much to all the possible things you
working on a new project? the atmosphere of the film and you never forget could do”

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Bold and striking illustrations

2da: Are there any other areas in the art world Lost World when I was around nine years old; it had
that you’d like to branch into and why? this fantastic painting of a dinosaur on the cover.
I spent a lot of time drawing the characters
JK: I would like to pursue game illustration, and scenes, trying to capture that feeling
as well as getting in to book cover design. I got from the cover. This is the reason I’d
You are always told not to judge a book by like to work on book covers, I want my
its cover but that is literally what they are for, work to impact and influence others.
they make you want to buy that book.
2da: What initial steps do you take when you take
I still remember the first time a book cover made on a new project? Do you dive straight into sketching
an impact on me. I read Arthur Conan Doyle’s The or do you have a more analytical process?

Joel’s significant artwork

I did this drawing in early 2002 when I was seven; it was a little while after first watching Fellowship
of the Ring. That film changed my little brain forever; I was completely obsessed and was drawing
the characters constantly. It was like an explosion of inspiration for me, I had never seen anything
like it. I had forgotten all about the drawings until recently when my Dad told me he had kept
them all. Seeing them again reminded me how much of an impact the Lord of the Rings films
had on my creativity. I picked this drawing as it represented the part of me that was just excited
to draw for the love and fun of it and it is a part of me I never want to lose. I’d like to be a good
example to the seven year old me, and be an artist that he would look up to.

Still Life

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Stream
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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Bold and striking illustrations

Take Me On

Troll Guard

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Dwarves

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JK: Before I do any sketching I usually write out a

lot of key words and fill a page with all my thoughts
PRO TIP
and ideas based around the idea. I highlight the The truth hurts
words that definitely wouldn’t make it to the final Painfully honest critiques, from people you trust, are some of the most valuable things you can
painting. This might seem counter-intuitive but you receive as an artist. Ask someone for their completely unbiased, honest opinion, and prepare
may discover things that you wouldn’t have thought yourself for some hard truths. However, also know that they have your best interests at heart and
of if you’d only been looking in the one direction. don’t take it personally.
Start as chaotic as possible, and refine as you go.
The most personally brutal critique on my work I’ve ever had was mercilessly given by a loved
From this stage I move on to sketching out the rough
one. I suppose it could have been said in a nicer way to spare my feelings, but I don’t think it
designs and thumbnails. It’s all about exploration
would have had the same effect and while it wasn’t very enjoyable at the time, it’s probably
and ideation, getting down as many different ideas
the most honest and straight to the point critique I’ve ever received. The painting benefited
down as I can think of, before settling on one. massively from it, and I still think about it now.

2da: Do you have any tricks or tips to keep I also find it beneficial to show someone a picture I’m working on, without any context, and ask
yourself motivated on a difficult project? them to tell me what they think is happening. If they have no idea what’s going on in the image,
then I know I have some big changes to make to the readability of the story in the painting.
JK: Something I find fun and motivating when Sometimes the most helpful advice comes from people that aren’t necessarily artists, as they’re
working on a character based painting is to looking at it from an outsider perspective.
imagine it as a scene from a film. What are the
characters saying to each other? What are their
names? What are their relations to each other?
What lead them to getting into this situation? Rabbits

I think about the moment just before the snapshot

of the scene and the moment just after, as well as
some possible dialogue. This helps me especially
when I’m feeling unmotivated about the lack of
story in my work, or if I’m struggling to think of
ideas. This will really help put a lot more story
into your piece, as you’ll be actively thinking
about your characters in depth, and you might
think of something new to add to the scene.

Motivation seems to be about pacing. Don’t burn

yourself out right at the beginning, as you’ll have
a pretty unpleasant experience and you won’t
be too interested in carrying on the work. If all
else fails, you can listen to the most motivational
song ever created, Bring it all back by S Club 7!

2da: Artist block is a problem for many creative

people. Can you share a couple of tips you
use when the inspiration stops flowing?

JK: Artist block can be awful. If you’re on a tight

deadline you may not have the luxury of time,
but sometimes it’s best to just stop for a little bit.
You’ll lose progress, but you’ll more than make
up for this when you come back to the work with
a fresh perspective. Give your brain a break.

Something that has been particularly helpful to me

when I have artist block is doing studies; I set up a
still life arrangement on my desk and paint it, or set
up a mirror next to my monitor and do a self portrait.

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31
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Bold and striking illustrations

This is a very productive thing to do when you have 2da: When you’re not working hard on your Games can be quite a big distraction for me,
artist block, as you don’t have to be thinking up art, what do you like to do with your time? but they are also a big source of inspiration.
compositions or character designs, you’re simply When playing, I spend hours admiring all the
going back to the basics and learning. Plus you’ll JK: Usually things that let me be as far from a interesting designs and environments that a
still be making progress with your painting skill too, computer as possible. I really like going to the team of very dedicated and passionate people
rather than just waiting around for inspiration. cinema and countryside walks! I also love playing have spent a very long time creating.
games; I particularly enjoy historical ones, such
“Games can be quite a big as those based in World War 2. I really like being 2da: And finally, what should we look
distraction for me, but immersed in the setting and themes of the time out for from you in the future?
they are also a big source period. I admire and appreciate the massive
of inspiration” amount of historical research, detail, and care that JK: As a freelancer, the future is both unknown
the studio teams put into their games. I’m also and exciting, and that makes it all the more fun to
a huge fan of the Hitman and Fallout games. find out. I am currently open for new work, and I’m

Time to Leave

2DARTISTMAG.COM
 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 131

eager to explore different styles and methods to interview with Gus Hunter, where he mentioned
continually push myself out of my comfort zone. that he used a graphics tablet for his art. I had

2da: What made you want to pursue a

no idea what it was, but I was desperate to learn
more. This led me to finding Dan LuVisi’s work on
The Artist
career in the digital art industry? Deviant Art and when I had reached the point of no
return, I absolutely had to learn digital painting.
JK: Watching The Lord of the Rings films, seeing
Alan Lee and John Howe’s drawings, and all the Thank you Joel for talking to 2dartist!
behind the scenes footage made it absolutely clear
to me that I wanted to do something art related Joel Kilpatrick
joel-kilpatrick.com
with my life. I have always loved drawing and
painting, but until 2011 I was completely oblivious to
digital art. One day I was reading a Weta Workshop

33
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experience in step-by-step tutorials and quick tip guides placed
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 The Artist

Lauren Marx
laurenmarx.com

Lauren Marx graduated

from Webster University,
Missouri, USA, in 2014
with a Bachelors of Fine
Arts, with an emphasis
on drawing, focusing
on animal-based pen
and ink illustration. She
currently resides in St.
Louis, Missouri.

A R T I S T S P O T L I G H T

The beautiful
violence of nature
We speak to Lauren Marx about her beautifully savage imagery that
explores the interconnectivity of life

All images © Lauren Marx

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | The beautiful violence of nature

Delve in to the dark world of Lauren Marx… LM: I was mostly encouraged by my mother. She 2da: Your work often simultaneously
always encouraged me to pursue what I wanted captures both life and death; beauty and
2dartist: Hello Lauren! Thanks for talking to in life and never doubted me for a minute. She savagery. How do you find balance in your
2dartist. First off, could you introduce yourself is so incredibly supportive of me and my art. works between such disparate themes?
with a bit about your background and projects?
2da: You have said that your work LM: I think that those themes will always have
Lauren Marx: Thank you so much for explores the interconnectivity of life, can that balance no matter what. You cannot
interviewing me! I currently live (and grew up) you tell us more about these ideas? recognize one without the other in any piece
in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. I received my BFA in of art that uses those themes. I feel like I must
2014 at a local university, Webster University. LM: I have always been obsessed with my acknowledge both every time I create a piece,
I began my current “style” in 2012 during my mortality and how I fit into the world; I have and focusing on the violence of nature addresses
second year of undergraduate studies. I now a strong fear of death, which is a bit silly. I everything at once. I am not sure if any works
work on my art full-time in an attempt to push try to explore the place of living things in the are truly balanced, since that is not my goal, but
myself and my work. Currently I am working on world through my work, as a way of dealing I am glad that they have that feeling to them.
my upcoming solo show at the Corey Helford with this fear, I think. Many of the inspirations
Gallery, Los Angeles, in November. My work for my pieces come from the “circle of life”, 2da: Where do you turn to for inspiration?
revolves around the beautiful violence of the star dust theory, life, and death. Are there any artists you like to reference?
nature and uses interacting plants, animals, I see life as a transference of energy and
fungi, and insects. All of my pieces are created emotion, which I illustrate by having my flora LM: For me inspiration is everywhere. I
mainly using pen and ink on paper. and fauna interact in a very immortal way am inspired by forests, parks, all sorts of
such as the “recycling” of my creatures into museums, scientific illustrations, non-
2da: What, or who, encouraged you new creatures. They are almost like their own objective painting, zoos, and so on. I love to
to take up a career as an artist? ecosystems existing in their own universe. reference John James Audubon the most.

Kingfisher, 2015, ballpoint pen, ink pencil, liquid ink,

colored pencil, marker, graphite, and gel pen,
18 × 14 inches

2DARTISTMAG.COM
Martes americana, 2015, ballpoint pen, ink pencils, acrylic ink, marker, colored pencil,
graphite, and gel pen on hot-pressed watercolor paper, 18 ¼ × 24 inches
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 131
 Untitled, 2014, ballpoint pen, ink, and colored pencil, 24 x 24

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | The beautiful violence of nature

2da: What advice can you give to our learning how to use them. I am planning on
readers who want to develop their drawing switching to watercolors soon to get greater
techniques in a similar manner? color hues, blendability, and larger washes.

LM: I know it is obvious, but honestly, practice 2da: Do you have a particular place you like
is the key to developing your techniques. The to go to draw? Do you create your works
materials I use are not the standard ones taught in a studio, at home or out in nature?
in school, so you must learn how to use them
usually on your own. I had no formal training LM: My favorite place to create is in my
with pens or inks, so I do not really have any apartment. I have a large amount of work
technique advice. Reading guide books really space available and I have a large drafting table
helped me a lot when I was a kid. Playing that doubles as my dining room table inside.
around with the materials and experimenting I hope to someday have a studio space, but
with them is crucial. Have fun with them. In for now my apartment works beautifully.
time, your skills and techniques will grow.
2da: What has been your favorite
2da: What are your preferred tools project to work on so far?
to work with and why?
LM: My favorite project so far has been my
LM: As of right now, my preferred tools are current solo show Flesh Blood Bone that I am
Pentel Hybrid Technica pens and Derwent finishing up. I specifically loved working on
Inktense pencils. The pens have been my detailing the largest piece for the show, When
go-to pens for over four years, I love the the First Became Divine. I love detailing, it’s very
fine line quality, they are also archival. The meditative, and I can get lost in it for hours.
Inktense are easy to use because they are in
pencil form. I do not really know how to use 2da: How do you deal with a challenging
watercolors or bottled inks just yet, but I am project? Do you have any tips for our readers?

LAUREN’S SIGNIFICANT ARTWORK

This small piece was created in my second year of university, in 2012, and is the very first
drawing that I created in the style I currently work in. It was my first animal-based piece that
I felt comfortable making in college. I was nervous about using such “low brow” materials
and subject matters. It changed my life. I finally created something that felt true to me as
an artist. I still own this piece and plan on keeping it forever as a reminder of just how far I
have come in four years.

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41
 Untitled, 2014, ballpoint pen, ink, and colored pencil, 24 × 24 inches

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | The beautiful violence of nature

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LM: I tend to get overwhelmed very easily,

so I always make to-do lists specifically for
my pieces. Each day I try to get my list of
things done. I find thinking about it in small
chunks, instead of the whole piece, helps to
make it less of a challenge. I would definitely
suggest listing out progress day by day.

2da: Are there any other skills and techniques

you would like to learn in the future? Are there
any materials you would like to experiment with?

LM: Absolutely! I really want to start using

watercolor and gouache in the near future. I
have yet to start experimenting with them, but I
am hunting down some recommended brands.
It can be very intimidating for me to switch
materials, so I have been easing myself into it.

2da: What has your experience as a freelance

artist been like? What lessons have you learned?

“Being a freelance artist

is very demanding and
stressful at times, especially
dealing with the crazy
number of deadlines”

LM: It has been hard financially, but I love

working on art all day and having the satisfaction
of working with my hands to create something
entirely new. Being a freelance artist is very
demanding and stressful at times, especially
dealing with the crazy number of deadlines.
Learning to make sure I set aside time each
day to work on art, like a job, was tough. I
also realized that I really had no idea what I
was doing with photographing or framing my
work, or with how incredibly expensive it can
be. I am always learning something new.

2da: What does a working day in

the life of Lauren look like?

LM: I normally wake up around 7am and deal

with chores before beginning work at 9am.
Around that time, I usually put on a podcast, radio
station, or TV. Then I set up my drawing table, my
computer and set out the materials I will be using
that day. I will sit and work until around 2pm,
have lunch, and then continue working, either
until dinner or until around 9pm. Most of my days
are spent just drawing with a schedule like this.

43

Sugar Gliders, 2012, ballpoint pen and ink, 10 × 24 inches

Phalacrocorax auritus, 2015, ballpoint pen, ink pencils, acrylic ink, marker, colored pencil, graphite, and gel pen on hot-pressed watercolor paper, 18 ¼ × 24 inches

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | The beautiful violence of nature

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To Kill the Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs, ballpoint pen, ink pencil, liquid ink, colored pencil, graphite, and gel pen on hot-pressed watercolor paper,
18 ¼ × 24 inches, (21 ½ × 27 ½ inches framed)

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | The beautiful violence of nature

Peruke, 2016, ballpoint pen, ink pencils, acrylic ink, colored pencil, graphite, and gel pen on hot-pressed watercolor paper, 15 × 17 ¼ inches

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The Red Berries, 2012, ballpoint pen and ink, 18 × 24 inches

47
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | The beautiful violence of nature

2da: How do you like to spend your time

when you aren’t creating beautiful art?

LM: When I am not working on art or running

errands, I like to hangout at local coffee shops
and parks. Since I am inside during the days
that I work on art, I prefer to spend my off days
outside. Once it gets to be too chilly, I just
lounge around all day. I’m a bit of a hermit.

2da: And finally, what can we look

forward to from you next?

LM: Larger, more complex works. I wanted to

get bigger in scale and begin experimenting
with landscapes. I’m very excited to see where
larger scale will take my work. I will also have a
solo show at Corey Helford Gallery in November
called Flesh Blood Bone. I cannot wait to show
the world the work I have created for that show.

Thank you Lauren for taking the time to speak

to 2dartist!

From Our Flesh, (diptych), ballpoint pen, liquid ink, ink pencil, colored pencil, graphite, gel pen,
17 ¾ × 10 inches

Churning up the Stars, 2013, ballpoint pen on multi-media paper, 11 ¼ × 23 ¾ inches

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Churning up the Stars, 2013, ballpoint pen on multi-media paper, 11 ¼ × 23 ¾ inches

From Our Flesh, (diptych), ballpoint pen, liquid ink, ink pencil, colored pencil, graphite, gel pen,
17 ¾ × 10 inches

49
 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | The beautiful violence of nature

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Collared Doves, 2015, ballpoint pen, ink pencils, liquid ink, colored pencils, graphite and gel pen on multi-media paper, 15 ¾ × 22 ¾ inches (approx)
 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 131

51

Fortuna, 2016, ballpoint pen, ink pencils, ink wash, colored pencils, graphite, and gel pen on multi-media paper, 15 × 29 inches (approx), (19 ½ × 22 ½ inches framed)
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Sketchbook of Koveck

The Artist

Yewon Park
yewon-park.info

Yewon Park specializes

in concept and visual
development, and has
diverse experience in
the game and animation
industries. She currently
works at Blizzard
Entertainment as a
concept artist.

Sketchbook of Yewon Park:

Expressive character sketche
Visual development artist Yewon Park unveils her concept design sketches for her personal projects...
All images © Yewon Park

52 2DARTIST MAGAZINE
 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 130

hes
53
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Sketchbook of Yewon Park

See how different silhouettes I would love to broaden my perspective to

and ideations create a design more creative work sooner rather
detailed design... than later. There are many great artists I
take inspiration from, and I want people
Comic books and animation have always to feel good when they look at my work.
fascinated me. As a child I always liked
to draw and read Manga. Then later on, I “Creating my own project
wanted to learn how to draw and sketch helps me to come up with
cool stuff based on my imagination. I some great ideas”
pull a lot of inspiration from my past
because that is what I love to work on. Inspiration and ideas:
I grew up reading Manga comic books and
The great thing about being a concept artist is watching Disney and Pixar movies, so all of these
that there are so many things out there that have influenced me a lot. In terms of artists who
will always keep me wanting to draw. I am inspire me, I have always admired the work of:
so passionate about creating and designing Shiyoon Kim, Mingjue Helen Chen, Daisuke “Dice”
a lot of things based on my own taste, and Tsutsumi, Robert Kondo, Ryan Lang, Mathias
Verhasselt, Woonyoung Jung and Jeff Turley.

54 2DARTIST MAGAZINE
 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 131

Designs for an Asian dragon with diverse shapes and personality

55
 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Sketchbook of Yewon Park

PRO TIP
Foundation skills
There are many people who want to create very finished, cool works without building up
their foundation skills first. Even if learning basic drawing skills is less interesting to you,
to achieve a successful artwork you still need to complete your understanding of drawing
56 2DARTIST
foundation skillsMAGAZINE
before you reach the next step.
 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 131

A lavatory design in pencil

57
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Sketchbook of Yewon Park

Designs for Apina who is one of the characters in Poika

58 2DARTIST MAGAZINE
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YEWON’S SIGNIFICANT ARTWORK

doodle for bird
This sketch is part of one of my personal works. Before I drew this, I would only focus on
foundation skills but when working on this project I started to consider storytelling and ways
to add personality to my sketches. In this sketch I tried to push the character’s expression
and storytelling. I used the content and posing in harmony to fully achieve the emotion I
wanted the audience to feel.

59
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Sketchbook of Yewon Park

Various giant designs created for fun

60 2DARTIST MAGAZINE
 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 131

Sketches of Athena in the Odyssey project

61
 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Sketchbook of Yewon Park

My life at the moment follows the typical busy

routine of an artist working for a studio. But
recently, I have spent some time working on
some personal projects for a gallery show at
Nucleus gallery. I am having so much fun with
it and it gives me an opportunity to refresh my
brain. Usually, creating my own project helps me
to come up with some great ideas in any aspect.

Sometimes, you may find yourself facing a

creative slump. I recommend looking back at
your work and trying to figure out what it was
that made you excited about art in the first
place. Experiencing new things, like traveling,
will also have a great influence on your artwork.
It is important, however, to recognize that
creating art can be a difficult practice even
for the most accomplished artist out there.

Materials:
I used to use traditional materials such as
pen and coloring pencils a lot. Currently,
I mostly utilize Photoshop for sketches
because this enables me to speed up my
work process. Using Photoshop also makes it
easier for me to adjust a sketch if I need to.

Sketching techniques:
My main sketching technique is to
break down objects or parts of objects
into their most simplistic forms. When I
design characters, I always consider the
proportion of characters creating a flow
between small, big and medium forms.

Would you like to see

your sketches featured in
2dartist magazine?
We’re always on the lookout for talented
artists and their artwork to adorn the
pages of our magazine. If you think you
have what it takes, get in touch!

To submit, simply email Annie at

annie@3dtotal.com with a selection of
your images or a link to your portfolio
online, plus a little information about you.

We look forward to hearing from you!

62 2DARTIST MAGAZINE
 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 131

Various poses and final design for Skeri in the Poika project

63
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | The Gallery

Each issue the 2dartist team selects 10 of the best digital images from around the world. Enjoy!

Repairs
Rasmus Poulsen
Year created: 2016
Web: technouveau.net
© Technouveau
 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 131

Submit your images! Simply email annie@3dtotal.com

London
Slawek Fedorczuk
Year created: 2016
Web: artstation.com/artist/slawekfedorczuk
© Slawek Fedorczuk
67
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | The Gallery

Snow shrine
Masahiro Sawada
Year created: 2016
Web: artstation.com/artist/masahiro_sawada
© Masahiro Sawada
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 131

69
Double Nature
Mario Manzanares
Year created: 2016
Web: artstation.com/artist/mariomanzanares
© Mario Manzanares
Dwarf Mage
Filipe Pagliuso
Year created: 2016
Web: artstation.com/artist/filipe-pagliuso
© Filipe Pagliuso
Shiva's Fleet
Sergey Musin
Year created: 2016
Web: samfx.com
© Sergey Musin
73
CTHULHU
Juan Pablo Corredor Martinez
Year created: 2016
Web: juanpablocorredor.com
© Hector Juan Pablo Corredor Martínez | All Rights Reserved
 Robot Sketch
Juan Pablo Roldan
Year created: 2016
Web: artstation.com/artist/roldan
© Juan Pablo Roldan
Abandoned Theme Park
Lukas Esch
Year created: 2016
Web: lukasesch.com
© Lukas Esch, 2016
77
Stranger from the North
Matthew Sellers
Year created: 2016
Web: matthewsellers.com
© Matthew Sellers
 An innovative and fun way for people
of all ages to find the inspiration to
pick up a pencil – and draw!

The Sketch Workshop incorporates a luxury

leather-style folder that can securely hold a
workbook and up to 20 quality drawing tools.
We’ve created a number of workbooks that
cover popular topics including:

Designed to be easy to carry and use on the

move, this beautiful art resource offers a
complete sketching solution for beginners,
hobbyists, and artists looking to brush up on
drawing skills, with tuition by pro artists.

For more information on the folder,

workbooks, and drawing tools,
please visit: shop.3dtotal.com

shop.3dtotal.com
 The Artist

Galan Pang
galan.artstation.com

Software Used:
Photoshop

Galan Pang is currently

the concept art director
of a Shanghai based
videogame studio. He
has previously worked
on various AAA console,
mobile, and VR projects.

Speed paint a
street cleaning mech
Concept art director Galan Pang teaches you how to construct a futuristic street
cleaning mech and his human operator
Learn how to create an
atmospheric sci-fi scene…

During the videogame production process, the

team will produce lots of concept paintings
that will include many in-game elements
such as design, lighting, and narrative
elements. These concepts help the team to
understand and visualize the game. When
creating a concept it is important to get a
good balance of detail and effort. Putting in
too much information will take more time to
finish but too little information may not be
enough for artists to continue their work.

In this tutorial I will show you a work efficient Brainstorming is a good way to
work out your ideas
step-by-step workflow for creating a concept
painting. We will create a speed painting of a
street cleaning mech. I will share some of the paint a cleaner mech and his human operator, treatment plants, mechs, garbage trucks, and
tips and tricks I use in my everyday workflow. who are having a rest during their lunch break street cleaners. You might find it useful to
in the garbage treatment plant. The concept will keep all of the images open in separate tabs

01 Brainstorming and research: As

this is a speed painting you do not
need to have an in-depth knowledge of the
be set at noon, so the scene will need to be lit
by strong sunlight, with some light bouncing off
the ground. The operator will not only act as part
on your browser or save the images and make
a collage in Photoshop. You do not need to
have detailed images; you just want to get
subject matter but you need to know what you of the narrative but also give the viewer a sense a feel for the subject and mood you want to
are going to paint. In a real work scenario the of scale and a touch of life to the otherwise cold convey. You might find it useful to find some
editor or art director will provide you with some painting. I recommend you spend a few minutes concept art by other artists for reference.
background information for the project; such brainstorming your ideas – you can write down
as the narrative, setting, and character design.

For this painting we will not only design a mech

keywords or sketch a couple of thumbnails.

I find it useful to do a quick research session

02 Design: The main focus of this painting
is the mech; your priority when
designing the mech should be its functionality.
but also add enough story telling elements to give on Google to get some references. For this It should look as realistic as possible as well as
the audience room to fill in the narrative. We will painting you can search for images of garbage looking cool and unique. Spend a bit of time

Thumbnail sketches for Cleaner Mech; you should explore

every shape possibility
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Speed Painting a street cleaning mech

sketching out some thumbnails of different mech

silhouettes but remember to try keeping in mind
its functionality, what parts would the mech need
to perform its job. You could add a vacuum tube,
a collection box for garbage or an arm for picking
up garbage etc. There will be some elements
that your mech will need to have such as a seat
for the operator, an engine, and legs or wheels.

03 Thumbnails: With the research and

initial concept worked out it is time
to do some thumbnails, to help define the
Black and white thumbnails to define the composition
depth of the painting use three or four different
values. Keep the thumbnails small as you only
need to get a rough overview of the scene and
work out the composition. The highest contrast
area should be the focus of the composition.
You might also want to also consider different
lighting situation, that will affect tone transition.
You can put a spot light to create a small area
with the highest contrast (brightest highlight
and darkest shadow). However, keep in mind
this is only a rough idea of the painting, so
you might end up using a different treatment
when you start the actual painting. Moreover,
try to stick to general composition rules when
Build up the composition from simple silhouettes
creating thumbnails, such as the rule of thirds.

“Remember to occasionally You don’t need to add a lot of detail to the sketch
flip your work to give you a
fresh perspective and spot any
errors”

04 Gray scale sketch: Start the main

painting by using the reference
thumbnail to paint in the large silhouettes and
slowly add more details. You will find it easier
to make adjustments if you put each element
on separate layers. Arrange the layers into:
foreground, background, mech, operator, and
props. You will be able to see the contrast and
depth easier if you paint in gray scale – this will
also stop you being distracted and thinking
too much about color. You want to concentrate
on making the design and composition work.
Remember to occasionally flip your work to give
you a fresh perspective and spot any errors.

05 Adding color: When you are happy

with the gray scale sketch you can start
adding color using a Hue/Saturation adjustment
layer (Ctrl+U), then click Colorize in the properties
box and use a Layer Mask to mark where you
want to add color. I find it useful to define the
color zones according to its material, such as

2DARTISTMAG.COM
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painted metal, bare metal, and concrete. The Follow a few simple steps to add color to your gray scale sketch
Layers are grouped by clicking Create Clipping
Mask; this will only change the color of the
element layer. This method also gives you an
easier way to change colors in this step or even
after the painting is finished because you can
easily select each material by its layer mask.

06 Overlay: Create a new layer and use

the clipping mask option (Ctrl+Alt+G)
to affect each specific element. The number of
overlay layers will depend on the complexity of
the element, for example, the mech will need
three overlay layers; one to add transition color
and dark areas, one to add highlights and bright
areas, and finally one layer to add dirt and rust.
To add extra color variation or dirt you could
use a Multiply layer. As well as adding color
on the layers you can use different brushes
to erase parts to add detail and texture.

“It is useful to consider

contrast when adding
materials, for example; have a
matte surface next to a highly
reflective surface”

Use a soft brush to brighten and darken areas of the image

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Speed Painting a street cleaning mech

Use a high value color on an overlay layer to create a reflective surface Using different brushstrokes with texture will produce a more
painterly effect

07 Material definition: When

defining the different materials
on the mech you should consider their
metal and lubricated to reduce friction. Follow
these principles to add materials to all the
different surfaces. It is useful to consider contrast
(I) to select colors for adding details and defining
some of the loose edges. Use a small diameter
brush to add panel lines and a paint job on the
function and physical properties. when adding materials; for example, have a mech. You can also add smaller elements such
matte surface next to a highly reflective surface. as signs, hazard lines, and garbage; these help
The mech’s outer shell should be painted for to enrich the painting and add believability. On
decoration and to prevent rust, the joints will
have a strong highlight because they are bare 08 Detailing: Now it is time to add more
detail to the image. Use the Color Picker
a separate layer you can add a painterly feel and
loosen the brush work with a textured brush.

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09 Shadows: Use another Hue/Saturation

adjustment layer to add color shadows
(which should be decided by the environment
Use the environment lights to inform the color of the shadows

lights) coming from the objects. You can create

a hard shadow by using a hard brush and a soft
shadow with an airbrush. To darken the contact
shadow use an airbrush with a soft dark color on
a Multiply layer. Adjust the opacity of this layer
to avoid darkening the shadow area too much;
you don’t want to lose the detail in those areas.

10 Photo textures: With the main

parts almost finished you will want
to enhance the realism of the painting. You
can do this by applying a few layers of texture
cropped from a photograph (you can use your
own or find copyright free images online). You

PRO TIPS
Speedy shortcut
for black and white
painting
There are a few shortcuts for quickly
painting a black and white image.
Firstly you can press D to change
the current picked color to the
default setting (which is Black for
the foreground and white for the
background). You can use X to swap
the foreground and background
colors, and finally hold Alt and click
on the canvas to pick the color in the
canvas. By using these few keys you
can work very quickly and focus on
the values in the painting.

Use the environment lights to inform the color of the shadows

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Speed Painting a street cleaning mech

Using photo textures is a great time saving trick Adding soft diffuse halos to the light adds realism to your work

don’t have to carefully align the photographs a halo effect adds some realism to the painting at this final stage because it looks a bit flat and I
because they are not the main focus of the but it also decreases the painterly look. want to add more character to the mech. Finally,
painting. These photographs will add lots of you can apply a Sharpen filter to the whole
color variation and detail that you would not be
able to achieve in a short time with a brush. 12 Adjustment layers: Use a few
adjustment layers to unify the color and
tone of the image. Firstly, decrease the overall
image to bring those hard edges into focus. And
with that your street cleaner mech is finished.

Apply the Soft Light blend mode (choose

from the Mode pop-up menu in the options
saturation by using a Vibrance adjustment layer
(Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Vibrance), then
PRO TIPS
bar) to the texture layer. Use a textured brush use a Color Balance adjustment layer to add a Using realistic
with a layer mask to erase some areas of the bluish tone to the shadows, as well as making
camera lens angle
Knowing how to pick a camera
photo textures; this will help to blend the the highlight warmer. To brighten the darkest
lens angle is very important even
photorealistic elements with the painting. values use Curves (Layer > New Adjustment
if you are designing or painting
Layer > Curves), this will help to bring back
from scratch. There are some basic
“Using a halo effect adds some of the details that may have been lost rules for using different lenses
some realism to the painting when you applied the Color Balance layer. in photography, for example, a
but it also decreases the wide angle (21mm - 35mm) lens is
painterly look”
13 Final touches: For the final touches
you can treat everything as a single layer
usually used for architecture and
landscapes, and a standard lens

11 Bloom effect: Since this painting is painting. Use different textured brushes to paint or telephoto lens (50mm - 85mm)
set in a garbage processing plant and on top of the image, you will want to clean up the is best for portraits. This is just a
general rule, but knowing this will
will most probably be dusty and dirty, giving edges of the hard surfaces, or blur some edges
help to make your paintings look
a soft, diffuse look to the lighting, you will to lead the viewer’s eye around the painting. To
more realistic. I don’t usually paint in
want to paint a soft halo around the lights and enhance the atmosphere and sense of depth
a super wide angle because a wide
bright areas. Use an overlay layer to add a halo you can freely paint some smoke and dirt in this
angle creates camera distortion.
effect around the glowing areas. These areas step, treating everything like a one layer painting.
could be physical lights in the environment or I use many kinds of textured brushes to paint
highlights from a highly reflective surface. Using on top of the image. I repaint the mech’s head

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Use adjustment layers to make subtle changes to the overall tone of the image

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Speed Painting a street cleaning mech
© Galan Pang

The Artist

Galan Pang
galan.artstation.com

2DARTISTMAG.COM
 GRAPHITE is a quarterly publication featuring inspirational artwork, interviews, and tutorials on
drawing, sketching, and illustration. Each issue features content by an eclectic mix of industry
professionals and talented newcomers, including illustrators, urban sketchers, concept designers,
and comic artists. GRAPHITE’s focus on traditional media, elegant presentation, and in-depth
resources makes it a timelessly valuable addition to any art lover’s shelf.

graphitemag.com

shop.3dtotal.com
 The Artist

Klaus Pillon
klauspillonportfolio.carbon-
made.com

Software Used:
Photoshop

Freelance concept artist

and illustrator Klaus Pillion
graduated in 3D production
before focusing on his
primary love: 2D artwork.
Largely self-taught, he has
worked professionally since
2013 for games and movies.

Reinvent Hercules
in a cyberpunk scene
Klaus Pillon shows how to give the classic tale of Hercules in the golden apples
trial an exciting cyberpunk update
Use perspective grids use photo textures to speed up my process were a gift from Zeus to Hera and were held
and textures to easily as well as ways you can use the process to hidden in a secret garden. Hercules, although
perfect a scene... make interesting choices and create happy instructed to steal the apples, did not actually
accidents. You will also be able to see how I get them himself but for this scene I choose
In this tutorial I will show you how to think about the light, rendering and amount to make him the main character anyway.
go about creating an illustration based of detail in the picture, and learn how these Another interesting detail I learn is that the
on the myth of Hercules and the golden aspects can serve the narrative of the picture. garden is guarded by a multi-headed dragon.
apples trial. I will transpose the scene
into a dark, sci-fi, cyberpunk setting, Since this whole tutorial is done in As cyberpunk is a setting that I find very
stretching the story and enriching it with Photoshop, having some prior knowledge interesting I decide to place the story in this
new details to create a fresh artwork. of the software would be helpful. I am also genre. At this point make a small story without
going to give you some tips and tricks that getting too caught up in the details. More details
This tutorial will cover the use of sketches and you might find useful for your projects. will come while you are doing the painting itself.
demonstrate through composition building
how this is one of the most crucial steps of
the process. I am also going to talk about the
search for references; how you can approach it
01 Initial research: Let’s get familiar with
the myth of Hercules and the golden
apples trials because knowing a small amount
“Try to do at least two or three
sketches so that you are not
and how this is essential in creating believable of detail can facilitate your creativity and help stuck with the first picture
designs and characters. You will see how I you find interesting ideas. The golden apples that comes to mind”

A couple of depictions of Hercules provide inspiration and reading the story is definitely helpful too!
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Reinvent Hercules in a cyberpunk scene

02 Sketches!: With the story in mind you

can start working on some sketches.
At this point, focus on the composition and
placement of elements in the picture in order to
reflect the feeling you are looking for. I know that
I want Hercules in front of mechanical dragon
heads, about to fight them for the apples.

When sketching, work with lines first to make

elements like the character, and then put
some values in to give the composition and
depth some direction. You need to think about
the readability of the focal elements (in this
case Hercules and the dragon heads), which
is why I decide to stay in black and white at
this stage. Think in terms of silhouettes with
black forms on white, and white on black.

This is the step where you can go crazy and for

me it is the most fun part of the painting because
you can find more ideas as you go. Try to do at
least two or three sketches so that you are not
stuck with the first picture that comes to mind
and you are forced to think outside of the box.

03 Refine the sketch: I decide to go

with the third sketch as I find the
idea of having the golden apples on top of
Give the first indications of design but do not get caught up in details
or inside the dragon heads so that Hercules
cannot get to them without defeating the
“security system” has interesting potential.

However, I think that Hercules’ pose is not

dynamic enough; this is the critical moment
before the fight so the pose of the character
should be strong. Look at references for the
angle and pose of the character in order to get it
right. Once this is done, you will need to adjust
the other elements so they all work together.

It is also a good idea to give room for the viewer’s

eye to rest, and pull it to the focal point. I extend
the canvas a bit and group some values together.
It is very important to make changes like this
early on while everything is still quite rough.
You will get the strongest composition possible
and avoid the pain of changing it later on.

04 References: Once you have your

composition, it is time to get some
more references to base the design on. These will
greatly help you get a level of believability but
also might help you find new interesting ideas. I
know that the dragon heads are mechanical so Make the character’s pose dynamic and give some indication of the lighting, using shadows to make
the silhouette more interesting
I am looking for some hard surface references

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Photo references from various objects help to create interesting ideas

of machinery, thinking about how it might

work based on already existing designs. On
websites like textures.com or photobash.org you
can gather a lot of high resolution references
which you might also use in your painting.

Because this is a cyberpunk setting we

need to update Hercules a little bit too, so
I am researching cybernetic technology. I
also research what kind of clothes he could
wear. I want to give him a leather jacket,
so I gather some references about it to
understand how the fabric deals with light.

05 Colors: Time for some color! I like to

use some photo textures that I will
destroy to accommodate my needs. In this step
you can play a lot with Photoshop features
such as blending modes because there are so
many ways to get colors into your picture.

For this one, change the line and value layers

to Multiply blending mode and put the photo
texture under it. I know I want a dark mood so
this will help me keep the value range quite
dark. I start painting on top of the photo texture
to get rid of all its unnecessary details, keeping
the overall color to a cold gray blue. This color
will help pull the viewer’s eye towards warmer
hues in the focal points such as the red eye
of the machines and the energy balls around
the apples. Since this image is still in the early
stages I do not pay too much attention to
details and focus on getting the overall color
Cool color for the lit areas contrast with warmer hues for the shadow parts
composition balanced and interesting.

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Reinvent Hercules in a cyberpunk scene

06 Cut the elements: A nice thing

to do that can help enhance the
dynamism of the picture is to tilt the angle a
PRO TIPS
Create a design language
When looking to create a design language, think first about what kind of feeling you want
little. Before that however, it is also very useful
your design to evoke: should it be threatening, scary, joyful, or peaceful maybe? Look at
to build a perspective grid for the background
nature to study which shapes are best to use. The human brain has been conditioned over
which you can check when needed.
thousands of years to react in certain ways when placed in front of certain conditions or
animals, for example. You can then use and adapt the same shapes, colors and so on in
When you feel that the composition is working your own design to emulate the feeling you want to convey.
and everything is ready to be detailed, cut
each element of the picture onto a new layer
with the Lasso tool. Having each element on
its own layer can be very time saving during
the detailing process. I cut the character, the
foreground part of the machines, mid-ground
dragon heads and background machines onto
their own layers. This way you can refine the
silhouettes independently by painting on each
layer and remove parts by using a layer mask. It
also allows you to work inside of an element by
locking the pixels of each layer, or by creating
a clipping mask (hold Alt+click between the
layers) and then painting. I find this very effective
because I can focus on one element at a time.

07 Design the dragon: The design of the

dragon will support the whole picture
because it is the main focus and also the biggest
design element, so it feels natural to focus on it.
Once you are happy with the design it will help
you paint the rest of the picture with confidence.

I start by adding some photo textures that I

previously gathered to create a design language.
I am not too focused on the rendering at this
point but on the shapes of the design instead.
Play with the textures with the Transform tool
(Ctrl+T) to adjust them to the silhouette and
movement of the machine. Focus first on the
eye and head of the machine because we want
it to be the focal point. Once you are happy with
the placement of the texture, check the values
and colors, and adjust them to the rest of the
picture. Then start painting on top to make it
more interesting and adapted for the design.

“As gold is a tricky material

to render, keep in mind that
it is quite dark with jumps
in values on areas that are
lit directly”

08 Design the apples: The other design

element which is on par with the
dragon is the apples and the energy globes Having a perspective grid can help with the overall depth and scale
that keep them in place, so it is quite important

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Do not forget that silhouettes are what create the first impression for Exploring different Photoshop features can help you come up with
the viewer interesting results

and ideal to tackle in the first phase of the

rendering. In order to do it, first erase the sketch
part that is not needed, and then start working
on the silhouette at the opening of the head.

It is time for the apple, and as gold is a tricky

material to render, keep in mind that it is quite
dark with jumps in values on areas that are
lit directly. Then use the Elliptical selection
tool (Ctrl+M) to make a selection that will give
you sharp edges for the energy globe. Using
a couple of different brushes, try to make
interesting shapes that seem to support the
golden apples, like a magnetic field. Do not
use a color that is too light because we will use
a layer effect to make it more interesting.

By double clicking on the layer you can access

the Layer Style window, it is nice to play and try
different things here as you can get interesting
results depending on what you are looking for.
Here I am using an Inner Glow set on Color Dodge.

09 Refine the dragon: Once you have the

main design elements of the dragon
done, start rendering the rest of the body,
keeping in mind the light sources, and also When rendering make a decision about where you want to place the details
trying not to go too far on the detailing. We still

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Reinvent Hercules in a cyberpunk scene

want its head to attract the viewer’s eye, and leather jacket, and also to have a robotic body the values and hues of the photograph fit the
knowing where to put the detail is essential. part. These are pretty conventional codes to rest of the picture. You can then use a clipping
use, but by finding good references you can mask set on Darken mode to darken the areas
This is also the point where you can go to push the design to make it more interesting. that are too bright, and use another clipping
the background layer, and start working on mask on Normal mode to paint the highlights
it to see where the tangents might be so they Start with the leather jacket, pulling a photo so that the lighting fits the rest of the scene.
can be removed. Still keep it loose and rough into the picture, and adjusting it with the
because you do not want it to be unnecessarily Transform tool to fit the pose of the character. You can then go back to it to adjust the design
detailed before the other elements are done. Do not forget that you can also use the Warp and make it a bit more interesting and futuristic.
function which can be very useful in this case. You can use this technique for almost everything,

10 Hercules!: It is now time to work on

the character, Hercules. In order to give
him a cyberpunk feeling I want him to wear a
Use some adjustment layers, such as Levels
and Color Balance, as clipping masks to make
bashing together a few photos and adapting
them can help you save time and effort so
that you can concentrate on the design.

Good anatomical references and understanding are essential when Always put more contrast in your focal point, whether it be with values
painting characters or colors

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“Hair can be tricky to feels a bit weird and the focus on the dragons because they help with the movement of the
render, but I find that is not strong enough, so in order to enhance picture. The bottom part of the dragon should
grouping the values gives that you can add more contrast. Darken the be reflecting the light from above, so take a
some nice results” background with a layer set on Multiply to make texture from another part of the dragon and
the light reflection on the dragon stand out transform it to fit the movement of the monster.

11 Polish the character: The last

steps for the character are his hair
and weapon. For the hair, try a few different
more from the background, and redirect the
viewer’s eye around the center of the picture.
With the same technique used in step 11, adjust
the texture to the values and colors. Use a
layer mask to paint where you want it to show
hair colors but it should be quite light to
help the contrast between the character and
background. This is the type of decision that
12 Finish the dragon: Now that all the
principal elements of the picture are
almost finished we can focus on the rest of the
through, such as the lit areas and a little at
the bottom where the light is reflected on the
ground. Then paint on top of it again to fit the
you should make not only for the design of the scene. Before going further with the background design and make it more three dimensional.
character, but for the whole composition too. it is better to finish the remaining dragon parts Using a smoke brush, blend the bottom of
So white hair it is going to be! Hair can be tricky
to render, but I find that grouping the values
gives some nice results. You can also paint
PRO TIPS
some highlights on his arm to make it look a Have a clean file
It is very useful to have the different elements organized on separate layers as this might
bit sweaty or moist, using a couple of textured
help you gain a lot of time when applying feedbacks and changes. This is especially true
brushes and some references on the side.
when doing production work. It can be a pain if your Photoshop file is messy, but naming
your layers and grouping them together can save you a lot of time. It will help you avoid
After this, go back to the dragon head and finish
some harsh mistakes during the process, and while doing professional work it also helps
the second head based on the design of the the people down the line who will be working with your file.
one already done. At this point the composition

Be careful not to clutter the image and always leave some breathing space

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Reinvent Hercules in a cyberpunk scene

the texture with the ground, focusing on the

edge where the part is lit. I choose to remove
one of the background elements to simplify
the composition and make a triangular space
between the two dragon heads and the character.

13 Texture the background: Using

a couple of photos, and the same
technique as before, you can go on to texture
the background. Be careful with the scale of
your texture as it might easily make the whole
scene seem wrong, this is however a very nice
way to create small details which help to sell the
overall scale of the place. Using the perspective
grid you created before can also help a lot.

Paint with colors that are slightly different in

value and saturation to give a sense of different
materials. I use the Polygonal Lasso tool a lot
at this stage as it gives nice crisp edges. I also
move the opening on the background wall to
the left slightly to avoid any tangent feeling with
the dragon. Having a foreground element can
help attract the viewer into the scene, so I also
quickly create a new part of the dragon moving
in front of the camera. This helps to reinforce
the feeling that Hercules is in for a tough time.
You can also give the dragon heads a couple
of antennae to make the silhouette a bit more
threatening, using hard, pointy shapes.

14 Final touches: At this stage the picture

feels almost ready but I notice that
the opening on the top is not working very well
with the rest of the elements. The rhythm feels
a bit off and the image is too cluttered; it needs
some rest areas between the focal points. So
I remove this part by painting on top of it and
adding instead some text with the Text tool.
Transform the text according to the perspective
grid, being careful not to make it stand out
too much, and then paint texture inside it.
Lowering the contrast of your photo texture helps you stay within a certain value range while still
keeping details
I also flip the picture because the text works
betters this way and make a few adjustments
to the colors and contrast using a Levels and
a Color Balance adjustment layer. You can
PRO TIPS
also play with the other adjustment layers to Thumbnails and sketching
see what works best. I complete the picture When possible, do more than just a couple of sketches or thumbnails, as the first ones
by scaling it down to make details a bit might just help you get rid of the preconceived ideas that pop up in your mind by putting
them onto a canvas. You are then forced to think outside of the box, and this is the time
crisper and create a low opacity, new gray
you can get very creative, find interesting ideas, and show your problem solving skills. A
layer with a Grain filter on Overlay mode to
good thing is also to work quite small at this stage so you do not to fall into the trap of
give a uniform texture to the whole image.
detailing too much early on.

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The Artist

Klaus Pillon
klauspillonportfolio.carbon-
made.com
© Klaus Pillon
99
 The Artist

Zac Retz
zacretz.com

Software Used:
Photoshop

Zac Retz graduated with a

BFA in illustration in 2012.
Since then he has illustrated
the children’s book Too
Much Glue, worked at
Workinman Interactive, Reel
FX, and currently works for
Sony Pictures Animation.

Plein air paint a

factory: Daytime
Zac Retz shows how to tackle a digital plein air study of an
industrial factory in daylight
All images © Zac Retz
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Plein air paint a factory: Daytime

Learn to quickly capture

the essence of an industrial,
hard-surface environment...

In this tutorial I will take you through my

steps as I paint outside and try to capture the
subject in front of me. I will use an iPad mini,
the Procreate app, and the Intuos Creative
Stylus 2. If you do not have an iPad or this
specific stylus, do not worry. This tutorial
can be applied to any digital or traditional
medium you prefer. Do not worry if you
don’t have a fancy stylus as the cheap ones
work well, or you can just use your finger!
Walk around your subject, looking for interesting value structures and shapes

I am excited for this tutorial because plein air

painting is a great passion of mine. I believe
it is necessary for any artist who wants to
grow their knowledge in natural color, shape,
and lighting to study outside. I attribute
much of my ability in this industry to the
many hours I have spent outside painting.

I generally paint outside using acrylic paint or

my iPad. Most of the time I will use traditional
paints because I do not have to deal with the
digital screen and the glare. It is always good
to take a break from technology too. The iPad
on the other hand is super portable and so
easy to take out and do a sketch quickly. It
Squint your eyes and quickly block-in the painting in as few brushstrokes as possible
is especially great when painting at night!

For this painting I am lucky enough to have

an overcast day, so I do not need to find
shelter from the sun beating down. Through
the next few pages I will break down this
fairly complicated industrial landscape into
simple and manageable steps. My hope
is to show you how to simplify complex
subjects and create appealing paintings.

01 The block-in: This initial step is

very important; this is where you
try different compositions, and set up the
painting to be a success. Walk around the
subject to find the most interesting angle to Think about color relationships and how the exterior walls of the factory are affected by the cool
temperature of the sky
paint from. Pay attention to the silhouettes,
groups of dark and light values, and interesting
color relationships of your subject. Once you have found your spot, block-in “Keep your brush size
the big shapes. I primarily use the Nikko really big and the canvas
It is very important to find a shaded area as Rull brush under the Painting brush section zoomed out so it is small
you do not want direct sunlight hitting your in Procreate. I find it best to use as few on your screen”
screen. I also recommend wearing a black brushes as possible when painting. If you are
shirt because whatever color top you are
wearing will be reflected on the screen.
constantly changing brushes then you are
constantly breaking focus and wasting time. 02 Capturing the subject: At this
point you know general where the

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big shapes in your painting will be placed, so

squint your eyes and paint the whole scene in
as few brushstrokes as possible. By squinting, it
becomes hard to see small details that do not
matter at this point of the painting. Keep your
brush size really big and the canvas zoomed
out so it is small on your screen. Capturing the
essence of the painting really quickly like this,
gives you a feel for the painting early in the
process before you have invested too much time.

Try to get fairly accurate values and color at this

point. Leave out the darkest dark and lightest
light for now. We want to build up to those
more intense values and place them in the
correct spots as the painting moves forward.

03 Shadow temperatures: Continue to

block-in your painting, only shrinking the
brush a little to allow for some slight details, and
Keep reworking your shapes to get a composition and value structure you are pleased with
refine the silhouette of the factory. My painting
is mostly mid or light tones, so it is important to
add in the dark tones now. Most of the darks are
shadow areas inside and under the factory. These
PRO TIPS
shadows will be warm in temperature because Lost edges
As you paint think about the edges of your brushstrokes. You do not want to define every
they will be affected by little or no atmosphere.
object in your painting or your painting will become over complicated with no focal point.
A way to control this is by losing some of the subject’s edges in your painting. Usually you
These dark shadows are unlike cast shadows
will want to do this on objects outside your focal point. In this example my brushwork
which will be cool in temperature because
becomes more abstract with less defined edges, so it does not demand too much
they are affected by the sky color. The local attention from the viewer.
color of the factory is a warm tan color so I
choose a darker version of this for the interior
shadows. Think about how these warm
shadows will play nicely with the primarily
cooler exterior walls of the factory.

04 Reworking the composition:

Remember earlier when I mentioned
blocking-in your painting with a big brush and
not spending too much time on it? Well this
is a perfect example. I am not happy with the
composition and colors so I quickly paint over
everything. I adjust the composition; group
the values more and warm up the colors in the
factory. I decide to run the shape of the factory
off the top of the canvas to fill the composition
better and suggest that the factory is very large. I
feel this will create more impact in the painting.

“You are the artist and you

can add, change or get rid of
elements in the painting to
create a more pleasing piece
of art”

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Plein air paint a factory: Daytime

05 Take a step back: At this point I am

happy with my block-in. Take a moment
to step back from your painting and compare
07 Controlled detail: It is now time to
start adding some of those finer lines
and smaller shapes such as signs, electrical
how there are nice areas of detail and other
areas with less detail that allow your eye to
rest. For example, in the dark areas under the
your work to the subject. Check to see if you have boxes, and structural beams. As you add in some cylinder shapes there are a lot of intricate
captured the general feeling of the environment. of these details, try to trick your brain into not supporting beams and mechanical parts.
Look at the accuracy of your shapes, and values. thinking about the specific objects. For example
as I am painting, I do not think about painting These are balanced by the simpler cylinder forms
Something to keep in mind is that you are the railway sign, I just think about that area of the above it. Try to maintain a nice balance like this as
not trying to make a perfect replica of this painting and the values, colors and shapes that you are painting. Keep most of the detail grouped
scene. You are the artist and you can add, represent forms. Think about your painting as an
change or get rid of elements in the painting abstract scene made up of light, color and value. “Do a few small color sketches
to create a more pleasing piece of art. to learn as much as you

As you observe your work so far, think about

where the most detail should be and what parts
08 Areas of rest: I was drawn to
this factory for many reasons but
something that really stood out to me was
can about different lighting
situations and colors”

of the environment you should leave out.

06 Medium sized shapes: We now need

to start breaking down the big shapes
in the composition into slightly smaller shapes.
Start to make the silhouette of the factory more
accurate and add in more structure. As you are
refining your work think about the colors you use.

Mix a bit of the sky color into the exterior walls

of the factory as some of these sky colors will
affect the local colors of the factory. At this
point you can also block in the foreground.

Make sure you do not spend too much time in any

one area of the painting. Jumping around your
Take a few steps back and observe or even look at something different for a minute
painting will help you to develop the painting as a
to rest your eyes
whole and not get caught up on any specific area.

Work on large shapes first, then medium, and finally small shapes

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Capture the way the light affects the object instead of trying to render out all the specific elements

Look for areas of detail and balance them with simpler areas to create resting points for the viewer’s eye

within the central dark area of the painting, When you go out painting do a few small color Usually I will spend about thirty to forty minutes
creating a nice focal point with strong contrast. sketches to learn as much as you can about on a plein air painting. I spend more time on this
different lighting situations and colors. one because I want to push it a bit further for this

09 Finishing touches: I am a strong

believer in keeping your plain air
paintings quick, allowing you to just capture
If you spend hours on a painting, the chances
are that the lighting when you finish will be
tutorial and the overcast weather allows me to do
so. I push the details in the focal points and add
a red light in the foreground which creates a nice
the lighting and create a believable scene. completely different form when you started. pop of color. That brings this painting to an end!

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Plein air paint a factory: Daytime

The Artist

Zac Retz
zacretz.com

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© Zac Retz

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 The Artist

Zac Retz
zacretz.com

Software Used:
Photoshop

Zac Retz graduated with a

BFA in illustration in 2012.
Since then he has illustrated
the children’s book Too
Much Glue, worked at
Workinman Interactive, Reel
FX, and currently works for
Sony Pictures Animation.

Plein air paint a

factory: Night-time
Having tackled a daytime scene, Zac Retz shares his advice for plein air
painting an industrial environment at night
All images © Zac Retz
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Plein air paint a factory: Night-time

Learn how night-time

conditions affect light
and local color...
01 Painting at night: Handle step one in a
similar way as step one of the day scene
by blocking-out the big shapes with a large brush.
In Los Angeles I have observed that the night
sky is a warm purple color most nights.

The main difference between painting in daylight Sometimes the sky will shift to more orange or red
Following on from the previous tutorial we and at night is that at night the lights eliminate colors depending on how dense the atmosphere
will study how to paint the same environment only parts of objects, whereas in daylight there is. If there are more clouds or smog closer to
in night-time conditions. Painting at night is much more of the environment lit up. Pick out the ground then you will see more orange in the
can be very challenging but I will explain a the strongest light sources and group the masses sky. This is because the orange and yellow lights
few ways to think about the colors and light of light together. This will form the focal point of from the city affect the clouds more directly. If
to make night painting more manageable your painting. Do not try to paint each little light. the clouds were higher up in the sky then the
and fun! I have worked on a couple movies light from the city would have to pass through
that have required me to design sets that “If you are in a city with a lot more atmosphere before it hits cloud. As the light
take place primarily at night. These night of light pollution then you can moves through the atmosphere it gets diluted
paintings have helped me to understand how almost always count on the into the cool night sky, therefore the purple colors
light and color work under these conditions, sky being a warm color” increase. This will differ from place to place, but
plus it is a lot of fun exploring and painting these are my observations from the area I live in.
at night! As in the previous tutorial I will be
working on an iPad mini using the Procreate
app and the Intuos Creative Stylus 2, but
02 Sky color: When using dark colors
it can often be very hard to see what
the local color actually is. If you are in a city 03 Local colors and lights: As you
block in your forms think about how
again these techniques can be applied with a lot of light pollution then you can almost the sky color (a deep purple in this case) is
to any digital or traditional medium. always count on the sky being a warm color. affecting the factory. My forms become more

Paint big shapes, picking out and grouping the strongest lights to form a focal point

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Remember that the darkest darks in your painting will in most cases be a warm color

The yellow and green lights drastically affect the local colors of the factory. The factory looks quite green at night instead of the tan color during the day

red and purple as they move back into space sign. The train crossing sign constantly changes shapes of the scene, you can start to refine them.
and take on more of the warm sky color. from red to green which is an added challenge. The focal point of my painting is a conveyor
I choose to paint the red light to create a red belt and long diagonal rectangle shape. This
At night lights will affect the colors of the scene and green complement in my painting. is a nice point of contrast and area of detail.
very drastically. There are yellow and green At this point we need to pay closer attention
lights that light portions of the factory and a
red light in the foreground from a train crossing 04 Refine the focal point: Now that you
have figured out the colors and basic
to the light and shadows. The portion of the
factory that is lit up becomes a greenish hue

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Plein air paint a factory: Night-time

and the green intensifies on surfaces closer

to the light source. The lights in this scene
are casting strong shadows that really give
05 Areas of rest: As you get close to
finishing the painting, pay close
attention to where you are adding details. You
areas with a lack of detail) which will help to
move the viewer’s eyes around the image.
Of course the most detail should be in the
form to the different sections of the factory. do not want to detail every part of the image focal point, along with highest contrast.
as this will make for an overcomplicated and
“Pick areas around the
image to refine and as you
do this, think about how
unappealing painting. Pick areas around
the image to refine and as you do this, think
about how the viewer’s eye will travel around
06 Photoshop tweaks: I do not usually
do this with my plein air sketches,
but for the sake of this tutorial I want to fix
the viewer’s eye will travel the painting. Your goal is to create a balance a few things in Photoshop. This is the great
around the painting” between areas of detail and areas of rest (or thing about using the Procreate app; you can

PRO TIPS
Painting lights at night
When you are painting lights at night, and their nearby objects, think first about the local color of the object without the light. Then mix the light
into those local colors. This allows you to focus on the shapes first and then apply the correct lighting.

Paint the actual light then mix that color into the local colors of the surrounding objects. As you do this keep in mind that there are some
particles in the air, like dust from the factory. The light will pick up on these particles creating a greenish glow around this area. This really helps
to sell the lighting in a night scene.

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Keep your brushwork loose but work on smaller forms, tightening up the edges around your focal point

Balance areas of detail with areas of simple form to lead the viewers eye around the image

The Artist

send your file as a PSD. In Photoshop, shrink To finish, double check your image by flipping
the image down to make room for a ground it horizontally and vertically to help you
plane. This makes for a better composition that catch any mistakes. And with that, we are
does not feel cropped at the bottom. I add a done! I hope you have learned something
bit more green light hitting parts of the factory that you can build on and apply in your own Zac Retz
zacretz.com
to create more contrast in the focal point. plein air paintings. Thanks for reading!

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© Zac Retz

117
Design a sci-fi
butler’s costume
Concept artist Albert Urmanov shows how to design a detailed
costume and accessories suitable for a sci-fi butler character
The Artist

Albert Urmanov
artstation.com/artist/albyu

Software Used:
Photoshop

Albert Urmanov is a concept

artist and illustrator based in
Germany. He freelanced to
get experience while working
as a graphic designer, and
now works as a concept
artist at InnoGames.
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Design a sci-fi butler’s costume

Get tips for creating butler should usually have qualities like
a flowing design and being discrete, unobtrusive, friendly but not
managing your files... familiar, graceful and precise. A butler usually
serves meals to his masters, manages the
This tutorial will show you the basic principles household and staff and keeps the house
of how you can design any concept for any clean, as well as welcoming guests. He is
project, but in this specific case we will design usually the oldest of the staff members
a costume for a sci-fi butler. When it comes to and does no dirty work. So now that I have
creating concepts, no matter what the task is, collected some thoughts on the concept
there are always rules and principles that you we will start working on the design.
can apply to create some amazing designs!

When I hear the word butler, I instantly have

an image in mind of a gentleman wearing
01 Sketch the pose: Before working on
the costume make a quick sketch of
the body, so that you can later put the costume
a black suit and moving with elegance; on top of it. This will help you to define how the
always there when his master needs his costume will fit, where the different fabric folds
assistance. It is mostly big, rich households will be and how the body is affecting them.
that have butlers, which means he is very
busy managing the household’s staff. This I pick a casual pose where the butler is ready to
is basically my inspiration for the concept. serve a drink, but at this point you could depict
a pose which the character will often hold later
If you have the time, try to incorporate in a game or movie. This can convey a better
meanings, metaphors and function into understanding of the character since body
shapes and designs. Of course you can scribble posture and language are very, very important!
around and come up with cool shapes that
depict the characteristics of objects, but I
prefer designs that are reasonable and make
sense for the character. So, before going into
02 Costume variations: With the pose
decided create several costume designs
with slight variations. What you are looking for is
sketching try to figure out what the functions an elegant silhouette with interesting elements.
of a butler are. How do they usually look? Since the brief is open and does not specify
Why do they usually look that way? What is where this concept will be used (in games the
their history? Do butlers differ from culture to silhouette of costumes and characters is very
culture? Also there is the sci-fi aspect. What important compared to in movies) keep this
is sci-fi? What elements can you add to make design grounded. Do not go crazy with the The pose is important for any character,
a regular butler look like a sci-fi butler? design elements, since a butler should not even when designing a costume and not
the character itself
After doing some research I learn that a be distracting. A simple outfit is welcome.

Experiment with an official looking costume and interesting elements based on symbols and functions

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“Figuring out the shapes and Transition from sketches to specific design solutions
designs is the hardest part of based on the previous research and sketches

any concept and also the one

that is the most fun”

03 Secure the design: Figuring out the

shapes and designs is the hardest
part of any concept and also the one that is
the most fun! I like some elements in sketches
four and five (circled in image 02) and I think
it would be cool to incorporate the butler’s
functions and meanings into his costume.

Since he is the head of a pyramid-like hierarchy

of staff, his jacket could form a triangular shape
towards the butler’s face like a pyramid or an
arrow. His collar has similar shapes to a star
suggesting he is shining like a star in the sky;
a guiding light. His vest too has stylized roses
symbolizing his staff members. They are under
his command (under his jacket) and he takes care
of them like a gardener takes care of his flowers.

Then, regarding the sci-fi elements, his arm

buttons are actual buttons that activate his helper
drones. The button lines are LED lights, with green
indicating that a drone is free and blue shows that
a drone is busy. Finally, on his hip he has a tablet
device that helps him manage his daily routine.

04 Render time: Even though thinking of

the design is fun, rendering and painting
stuff is fun too! So for rendering use the standard
Soft Round brush, the standard Round brush
and a custom brush with an interesting texture.
Recently, I also discovered the Mixer brush; it’s

Use your favorite brushes for the rendering of any illustration or concept. Even though there is a huge brush collection, select only five brushes

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Use the Lasso tool to make selections when coloring your concept

amazing! With this brush you can achieve some is very important in any design. It is always good Take a look at your painting in mirror form
to see if everything is correct or if there are
cool effects like those you could paint with oil or to use around three colors as more colors can
some parts that need attention
gouache. I recommend you experiment with the get messy very quickly. Black, white and gold is
options for the Mixer brush and find your own a very good color combination. Also when light
ways of using it. I use a brush effect that looks like is shining on black materials, they often have
real brushstrokes and has an interesting texture. a grayish dark green or blue tone to them.

Often young artists ask me what kind of brushes

I use, but it does not really matter that much.
An interesting brush is like a cherry on top of an
06 Check on your progress: We are
making awesome progress so far but
we have not flipped the canvas yet! By mirroring
ice cream; but if the ice cream tastes bad, no the canvas you can see mistakes and anything
cherry will make it better. So, learn your basic that is a little bit off in your painting. In this
painting skills and make tasty ice cream! case the butler’s posture and the leg are a bit
off. The posture seems to fall backwards and

05 Color and rhythm: Now we need to

color the concept. Place a line art layer
above the color layer and turn the lines on and
his leg makes him look like he is about to start
moving. To correct this, his hip can be moved
a bit forward and his foot moved slightly.
off again to see where lines and different colors Saving your progress is also very important!
will be located. Often when I need sharp edges,
I use the Lasso tool, and then block in colors
within the specific area. The color will not go
over the selection lines so it is a very useful tool!
07 Detail the jacket: At this stage we
will start working on small details.
The main folds on the costume are more or
less established. Fabric folds can be tricky
Regarding the colors, I decide to go with standard and if you have problems understanding
official black and white, and to give a touch of how to paint correct folds, you can look
royalty there are golden elements. Color rhythm at reference photos while painting.

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I decide to give this character’s jacket a geometric Detail the jacket with a geometric pattern,
pattern because it gives a slight futuristic touch adjusted to suit the shape of the material

to the costume. To do this, make a new layer

and with the Lasso tool create a triangular
shape. Fill the triangle with a darker tone than
the jacket. Now copy this layer many times
so that it creates a pattern and place it over
the jacket. Adjust the size of the triangles and
tones, so that the pattern appears to vanish
in some spots but is more prominent in
others. That gives the jackets a nice rhythm.

“If you want to make a strong

design, then it is good to
repeat certain elements all
over the object”

08 Further small details: With a new

layer create even more small details like
golden triangular dots in between the triangular
pattern on the jacket. I also add a geometric

Small details give a feel of craftsmanship to costumes suggesting it is fabricated with love and care

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Design a sci-fi butler’s costume

ornament to the collar elements. If you want to Hexagonal style decoration gives a futuristic touch to the costume
make a strong design, then it is good to repeat
certain elements all over the object. This gives a
nice harmonic feel to the design. Be sure to have
a rhythm between the design elements to avoid a
messy look (unless that is the goal of your design).
Render out a bit more the golden collar element –
it should look like some kind of silk material that
is fixed on a harder material to hold its shape.

09 Futuristic geometric patterns: For

more futuristic touches add some
geometric components to the lower part of
the arm. The hips should have the same kind
of approach because too many details on the
trousers will overload the costume. So there can
be some detail on the hips and not anywhere else.

This also creates a good transition from the

upper part of the costume to the lower part,
which is what we want for the butler’s costume
in this case. I have a hexagonal style in mind
here, which turned out quite interesting!

10 Costume props: The costume is

quite advanced now, so we can
add some props to the concept. For the

The Hue/Saturation adjustment tool is very interesting and useful when it comes to colorizing objects

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silver platter use free stock photos and paste Layer blending modes are used to achieve many effects,
them to the concept with small adjustments including making things glow

here and there. Now add a martini glass.

To make the prop look more sci-fi, I think it would

look cool to make the drink glow! You can do
this by using the Lasso tool to select the drink,
and then go to the Hue/Saturation menu under
Image > Adjustments. Select the Colorize field,
to colorize the selection. Because the drink has
lots of white tones, you won’t be able to colorize
them, so turn down the Lightness a bit. The
white tones will become darker as a result and
therefore you will be able to color them. Put the
Saturation slider on full power and there you go!

11 Make it glow!: One of my favorite

techniques to make things glow is very
simple. After you have colorized the drink, add
a new layer on top of the drink layer. Then go to
the layer blending modes and select Screen. This
mode changes a layer into a transparent layer,
so now you can select any color and paint on
top of objects and it will look like a light source.

In this case, you can paint on top of the blue

drink to make it glow. If you select a white color,
it will have a white glow. However, if you pick
a dark color it will not be very visible because
the darker you go the less visible the Screen
mode is going to be. To make a nice blue glow,
pick a bright blue color and start experimenting
and you will see the awesome effect!

12 Lens flares: You may have noticed that

if you see glowing things, they cause a
really cool lens flare effect, especially in movies.
There are many types of lenses, and depending

PRO TIPS
Level of render
You do not need to go crazy with
your rendering level. When you are
working on a concept, the only thing
that matters is to show the different
materials. Since a concept is not
a marketing illustration, your only
goal is to come up with something
interesting and show how it is
working and what it is made of,
so that later 3D artists will be able
to understand your concept and
model it.
Elements like the golden lion buckle adds uniqueness to your designs, showing that the character
is important and the costume is not manufactured for masses

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Using geometric shapes instead of classic stylization gives the roses a futuristic look

on the type, the flare will have a different look.

One of my favorite lens flares is a horizontal line
flare. Many games use lens flares to achieve
13 Work on the roses: Now we will define
the stylized roses on the vest. We
want a futuristic look which is why they should
lines can also improve costume designs. They
give the viewer a better understanding of
how the costume was made and that it was
a cool cinematic effect and also look very have geometric forms and shapes compared made using techniques that are familiar.
futuristic. Be careful not to overuse them however to the classical curved stylization you often
because they can make an image really noisy. see. There are three roses on the waistcoat and Between the roses are no complex ornaments,
they are almost interlocked into one another to because it would be hard to distinguish roses
Regarding the costume, I add a stylized lion symbolize the staff’s teamwork. Small stitching among other decorations, and the eye needs
to the belt. I thought it would be cool if the
household where our butler is working had some
PRO TIPS
kind of old coat of arms or a family symbol.
Layer effects and masks
When using different layer masks, be sure to manage the layers and work with them
“There are three roses on
properly. You have to be careful because if you use too many unnecessary layers and
the waistcoat and they are layer masks they will start to affect all the other layers. Then if you want to make a small
almost interlocked into one adjustment on one layer, you have to change the many other layers.
another to symbolize the
staff’s teamwork”

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Layer masks can help you make quick adjustments to Levels but they
can also complicate the working process if you have lots of layers

resting spots in every composition. If every corner a copy of the concept and then merge all the
of a composition is stuffed with ornaments costume layers. Simply make it brighter with
and design, it would be a visual overload. Levels or Curves. I try to avoid layer masks
because they can be difficult with many layers

14 Adjust the final concept: Checking

the costume again, I think that it is
and they can also overload the PSD file.

a bit too dark. Working with dark tones can

be dangerous because other monitors can be
darker or brighter than your monitor, so some
15 Finalize the concept: Now that
the costume is done, I want to add
a drone assistant for the butler to use. There
details on the black costume could be lost. is nothing really complex here, just paint a
cylinder with a golden element on top.
Also many printers often print darker than
the original image. I often have to adjust my Add the golden lion head to the top to make
images before printing because the final the costume and drone unified. Because of
print looks too dark. As we won’t change the lion head you also get the feeling that
much more in the concept, use a layer these drones were manufactured specifically
mask to brighten up the whole costume. for a rich family who can afford luxuries.

To do this select the whole costume with the The drone assistant can have some
Lasso tool, then create a new adjustment layer. kind of thin manipulator arms that are
On the pop-up menu, select Levels. You will hidden in its body. The drone is hovering
see that above your costume layers a new layer above the ground, making no noise.
mask is created. Move the Levels sliders back
and forth until you have the desired result. The last small adjustments and additional drone
design make the final concept a bit more complex
The adjustments won’t go over the layer mask and interesting. I hope this tutorial has helped
and won’t affect other objects that are not and you have learned some fun new techniques!
A drone assistant adds a final interesting
part of the mask. If you know that you need
design element to the concept
to continue working on the costume, make

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Design a sci-fi butler’s costume
© Albert Urmanov

The Artist

Albert Urmanov
artstation.com/artist/albyu

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 The Artist

Alexandre Chaudret
eyardt.artstation.com

Software Used:
Photoshop

Alexandre Chaudret is
a French concept artist
and illustrator. He was
previously Lead Artist at
Gameloft, and he now works
as a full-time freelance artist
in the videogame industry.

Paint a vampire countess

Alexandre Chaudret shows how he developed story elements in his character design
All images © Alexandre Chaudret
2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Paint a vampire countess

Learn to use a small element Blocking a line sketch for composition and global feeling of the character
of risk to your advantage...

I have always imagined character design to be

like a portal. When you succeed in creating the
design, based on the story of the character,
you have fulfilled its essence and reason to
be. So the character itself may pass through
the portal and live in the imagination of your
audience. Sometimes, that alchemy doesn’t
take place, and the portal stays shut down.
But sometimes, it works perfectly well, and
the character lives its own life of legends and
stories through thousands of eyes, even briefly.

I’m guessing you are wandering “what’s

that weirdo talking about?” but this is my
way of proceeding. I focus on the creation
and the story beneath the design before the
technique. We will see through this article
how I tried to open the imaginary portal for
The Countess, a delightful vampire admiring
her eternal youth through her madness.

01 A glimpse in the dark: “Oh my, oh

my, Beauty is eternal! Oh my, oh my,
So is Madness!” The countess, singing
in front of her mirror.

This was the short story for my design; a

few words that stuck in my head. I knew I
wanted a vampire, and I knew I wanted an
opposition between eternal beauty and mad
ugliness. I threw out some lines to search for
my composition; a first sparkle of life for this
undead lady. Everything was open to change Brushstrokes and first shapes to complete the composition
at this point, but the gesture, feeling and the
first design ideas were already popping out.

“I prefer to paint my designs

as a whole with only one layer
at the time”

02 From chaos to shapes: I am kind of

a “one layer guy” except in specific
job situations when it is necessary for the
client. I prefer to paint my designs as a whole
with only one layer at a time, collapsing
everything periodically. That way, I feel I can
have a great liberty in my gesture, similar to
traditional painting, with a little element of
risk with a “repaint and rebuild” effect.

At this stage, I used very messy brushes

which gave texture and chaotic shapes within

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my blocked structure. A white background

helped me to keep my outline silhouette
strong throughout, by simply painting in
white to erase any undesired strokes.

03 Choices engraved in stone: This

was the step for choices, and where
the design did not evolve too much. At this
stage, I knew which elements would be done,
even if I kept a space for spontaneous addition.
Never step back from a good idea, even if
it means rebuilding a lot of the image.

I still used some imprecise brushes, such as

some very furry brushes, in order to keep my
strokes and traditional painting feeling accurate.

04 Skull, beauty and madness:

This was a big step for refining and
detailing. I looked at references and repainted
the countess’s skull, detailing as much as
possible. I took a Marie Antoinette reference for
the hair cut. This level of detail was my guide
when accomplishing the rest of the painting.

My choice of using a skull in the design was to

improve the contradiction between eternal youth
and beauty. As you can see, I was always focusing
on the main idea at the lowest level of the design.

The winged scarf was an element of

design to bring back the common bat-like
imagery of vampires and add a touch of
vibrant color with the orange and red. Design decisions and confirmation

Detailing the skull and the winged scarf with references

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Refining the dress and harmonization of color tones Enjoying the long detailing phase through the whole painting

“My choice of using a skull on It was a subtle way to give some common the clothes, and sharpened the background
the design was to improve the flavor to all the elements of the design. and tombs. I often finish this process by using
contradiction between eternal the Lasso or Pen tool to get perfectly sharp
youth and beauty”
06 The long journey of refining: This
was probably the longest step, and
areas, with great precision. I always try to
have a polished piece as although a rough

05 A dress for the countess: I finished

the detailing of the dress, adding
some elements of design to recall the Victorian
curiously, also the easiest one: refining. At this
moment, I created one single layer above the
whole painting, took one single, simple brush (I
illustration is fine in the flow of a production,
if the illustration itself is the final product,
you have to push it as far as possible.
vampire imagery. I didn’t hesitate to go into very often use the default Photoshop round brush, or
deep detail as this gave depth to the design and a calligraphy rectangle brush) and simply traveled “I made some small lighting
underlined the sophistication of the character. around the whole design. I sharpened every spot changes, with a very smooth
Everything was done to bring the character to life. I saw and every piece that needed to be detailed. brush and layers in Overlay or
Color Dodge”
I harmonized the color tones of my elements I worked in a kind of automatic-control mindset,
with a simple curves adjustment, playing with
the RGB curves independently of each other.
moving through the canvas with no purpose,
again and again. That was when I rendered 07 The final countdown: This was
nearly the end. I made some small

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lighting changes, with a very smooth brush and

layers in Overlay or Color Dodge. I also added
a few strokes in Multiply with a low opacity,
for the shadows and occlusion. Those small
last steps just increased the depth of the piece
and gave the countess more overall volume.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever had

from an Art Director was: once you have
finished a character, look at your piece. Would
you buy a statue or figurine of it to put it on
your desk? If not, that means you are not
finished. Since I heard this advice, it has been
my final question for each of my designs.

08 Beyond the portal: I like to work

in series, meaning I use the same
codes and trends for several of my characters.
I like to imagine their interactions, animation,
habits, and backgrounds… to see them live
beyond the portal I mentioned earlier.

As a conclusion to this making-of, here are a

few words on my way of seeing art in general:
we often hear and read a lot on techniques and
ways to achieve a goal, a process, or how to
resolve an issue. But I like to think that my main
focus is the creation, and therefore answering
the questions “What do I want to tell? What
do I want others to see? And what do I want
them to feel?” There are no good recipes for
making art, just different branches of different
trees in a huge forest of ideas. Have fun while
painting and be honest with your characters. Final post-process and lighting, for final rendering!
Love them and they will love you in return.

An example of three characters Alexandre created in the same universe

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 2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Paint a vampire countess

The Artist

Alexandre Chaudret
eyardt.artstation.com

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 Creating
concept
game art
Fred Augis gives us a rundown of
his experiences as a concept artist
in the world of 2D digital art

Checkout
Issue 097
to see the full
interview plus
much more!

www.2dartistmag.com
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Discount code: damv920

DIGITAL ART MASTER:

Ruin City
by Florian de Gesincourt
Discover how a series of elaborate digital sketches were used to
refine ideas for this award winning environment
All images © Deges Art – Florian de Gesincourt

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The Artist

Florian de Gesincourt
degesart.com

Software Used:
Photoshop

Florian de Gesincourt is a
freelance concept artist from
Rennes, France. His primary
focus is concept design,
illustration and environment
design for films, videogames,
collectible card games and
other entertainment media.

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Digital Art Master: Florian de Gesincourt

This artwork was done originally for an

online challenge. I do challenges just for
fun and for the topic. This topic was Game
of Thrones. I love doing environments; this
is what I practice all the time. I spent a
while searching for many references that
would fit the theme. At first I considered
doing a red tree, the weirwood, in the
middle of some very old ruins. But after I
did some sketches, I couldn’t find the right
composition. I couldn’t depict exactly what
was in my mind. I did quite a few sketches
before finally getting an interesting idea.

I had a few days’ break before working on my

final picture. When I got back to my sketch, I
realized the sketch wasn’t okay – it wasn’t so
great. I could see I was making many mistakes!
So I decided to paint for the last time over my
sketch, delete the tree and make a huge ruined
city with an ancient cathedral in the middle.

Elaborate the sketch

Before starting any painting, I like to gather
together as many references as I can. This
helps me a lot, especially when I have no
idea what I’m going to paint. I mainly use
the internet, looking at various photography
websites to find some nice textures and
architecture. I save all the pictures that inspire
me and then make a mood board. When
I have enough references, I start painting
thumbnails with my references to the side.

I don’t have one specific technique to begin a

The first idea I wanted to develop
sketch. Sometimes I can start painting in full with
some random brushes, or I do some photo-
bashing plus a paint-over. Often I start painting,
and when I want to focus on a particular point,
then I may add some photos to my painting. One
thing I always do is be self-critical while painting,
or once the sketch is done. I analyze what is
good or what I have to work on (composition,
lighting, color, eye movement and so on).

Final image processing

This is my favorite part: starting the final
image processing. (It doesn’t happen to
me on every painting!) To start making a
final picture I have to like my sketches. I do
so many sketches all the time, and maybe
after twenty sketches I’ll finish one... I wish
I could directly have an idea and make it a
final image, but that very rarely happens.
The same sketch as before but with increased lighting, mood and level of details

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The final sketch I validated; it had better composition, soft lighting and was more interesting in general

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Digital Art Master: Florian de Gesincourt

The previous sketch was okay, so I needed to

go into detail. I started by adding some photos
to my main focus: the cathedral. I decided to
work mainly on this part, to add details with
some photos in Soft Light blending mode by
painting on them and finding nice shapes.
I took my time during this process, choosing
carefully which photos I wanted to use
and applied them quite roughly because
I knew I would paint over the details.
The photos also helped me with the
texturing and picking the right colors.

Repeating
Once the cathedral was done with the quality and
level of details I wanted to reach, I started making
the rest of the city. First, I needed to paint the right
and left side of the picture. I wanted to tell a story.

I wanted people to imagine this place and

understand how the city worked in ancient
times. When I start going into details, I imagine
what people were doing at this place, what
Working closely on details
was the purpose of this or that building. If I can
imagine it, then it is a lot easier to paint it.

For the technique of detailing, it was the

same as before: I painted a shape and added
photos to it using a blending mode, deleting
the part of the photo I didn’t want and
painting over it to complete the building. In
general, I only use two or three photos for a
whole painting, and this was no exception.

Completing the scene

I often work with only one layer in Photoshop.
Cathedral done, time to work on other parts of the picture
I merge everything together for my computer

What was this place before? Maybe an ancient abbey? Maybe a garden? A green sanctuary, perhaps? Try to imagine it

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to be faster. But when you have a picture

like this to do, you need some layers to paint
behind some objects. That was a problem
for me, so I decided to cut out all the middle
ground to a new layer to be able to work on
the background. To do that I used the Pen
tool. I could easily cut some nice details.

Once the middle ground was on a new layer,

I could add blur details to the background,
refine some building shapes and work more
on the lighting and highlights. To add the final Details are important, such as a higher contrast in the foreground, lighter in the background,
with overlapping architecture
details (which were in my mind all the time
while I was painting) I added some elements
to the painting to re-enforce the mood.

I also added clouds that I painted softly (for

some volume and depth) then I added some
birds to bring life to the dead city. This place was
abandoned but still peaceful. To finish up the
painting, I did a bit of careful color correction
with the levels and the color balance, then
signed it off – and the picture was done.

“Even if you feel you I cut out my middle ground in order to have it on a separate layer
won’t succeed, continue to
paint and you might just
surprise yourself” (and improving it). When I first completed image – including some awards! It was also
the image I wasn’t in a good mood, I was published on some big art websites, which
Push through in the mood “Oh I’m bad, I won’t succeed.” motivated me to continue painting.
I have to say, I am still very happy with this You know this mood, don’t you? All artists This artwork is pinned to my wall above
image. I was surprised by the quality I reached, have this moment – it’s quite depressing. my screen to constantly remind me that,
and the time that it took me. I never expected even if you don’t feel good, even if you
it, but I understand how I did it and now But when this painting was done it pushed feel you won’t succeed, continue to paint
I’m using the same technique all the time me a lot! I had so much feedback for this and you might just surprise yourself.

Adding some mood, clouds, birds and color correction

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Digital Art Master: Florian de Gesincourt

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The Artist

Florian de Gesincourt
degesart.com

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145
NEXT MONTH
Haunting sketches

In-depth artist interviews

Fantasy scene fundamentals

Exciting game environments

Top ten gallery images

Practice speed painting

Re-invent a heroic scene

AND MUCH MORE BESIDES!