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Final Illustration Progress - Mazon Labs
Initial Idea
For my final illustration for my Mazon Labs character, I had the initial idea to create a scene showcasing both of my characters together, focusing on the character from the Mazon Lab faction. I wanted both of my pieces to be potentially of the same scene, showcasing the same scene from the two characters different POV's.
I wanted the scene to take place inside the Labs, as that links into the idea I had for my game. I had the idea to have my Mazon Labs character hidden away, with the monster hunting her down. Originally, I wanted her to be scared and hiding but i decided against it as I felt it wouldn't be fitting for her personality, and I wanted to showcase this characters bravery and strength in her illustration.
In my meeting with Mantic Games, i discussed a few of my ideas with them. As I hadn't created my final illustrations yet, I explained my ideas to them and asked if they had any feedback or things I could take inspiration from, as they had more knowledge on the topic of their games. They showed me a few examples of some of the artworks from their game 'Star Saga', as it followed a similar idea as what I was going for.
Process
Below, is my process on working on this illustration, from the sketch till the finalised piece.
I started by creating a sketch. I laid out the scene and detailed the pose I wanted for my character. i decided to show her hiding behind a box, but with her arm up ready to fight as the monster lurks behind her in the darkness.
Next, I blocked out in greyscale of what I wanted the scene to look like. This helped me get an understanding of the values of the colours for the scene and make sure features were distinguishable from one another. i ended up changing a few things when I began colouring, such as the value of the box she is leaning against, as i felt it clashed too much with her skin and arm/leg.
I then added the flat colours under my sketch. This helps me to lay out the scene and so I can begin rendering. I wanted the scene to be in mostly cool hues and prominently in blue. This would work well with both my characters designs as they both contain blues (the main body of the monster, and the chemical canister of my Mazon Lab character.) Rebecca (my Mazon Labs character), has a more warmer colour palette which would contrast well against the cooler scenery too.
I began by rendering her bodysuit. For this, I mainly used a cooler palette to fit with the surroundings, such as tones of blue and cool purples. I began to do the same for her skin too, which can be seen on her legs in this image.
I then finished rendering her arm and started on her face and hair. I tried to keep to a cooler toned palette than what I would usually use, staying with blues and purples. I did the same for her hair, Using shades of dark purple, green and grey. I use these colours on a lower opacity and smudge them together with my base colours to create smooth rendering and make sure the colours don't look harsh together. I also made sure to not use white for her eyes. Instead, i used green and yellow, so they fit well with the rest of the palette.
Next, I began shading her bionic limbs. I once again used shades of blue and purple. Despite this, they look very grey when contrasted against the background. I also finished rendering her hair, stars on her arm and chest and began rendering the chemical canister. I wanted this to be the only object in the entire piece that did not follow the cool and muted palette I was using. Instead, I wanted it to be bright and contrast everything else to draw viewers attention towards it, as it is a big and important asset for my characters, as story I created for them both.
To finalise rendering Rebecca, i added lighting effects applied from the canister. This further draws attention towards it, as well as bringing the whole piece together. I also added highlights in a few other areas, such as her face, hair and goggles.
After rendering Rebecca, I began to work on the background. I started by changing the colour of a few areas and outlining others. I began rendering the floor.
I began rendering the walls and background. I added a glow reflection affect across the floor, which leads the viewers eyes towards the door behind her. I also rendered the box she is hiding behind, adding glowing effects to the edges of the box as the light from the door is shining against it. Additionally, I finished rendering the shadow on the floor from where she is sat.
I then finished adding lighting to areas around the doorframe, the floor, and the box Rebecca is hidden behind. I also added a subtle glow using the 'add' overlay. This is the overlay I use for the majority of my lighting effects, as i think it gives the most vibrant result.
After I was happy with the background, I began to add the monster - my Space Bug character. I started by going over my once sketch and adding flat colours for its different body parts.
I then began to add details, such as adding gradients to its different body parts, highlights and patterns. I also added things like the tentacles, and adjusted the opacity of the hood.
When I had blocked everything out in flat colours, it was time for me to begin rendering. Since this character was in the background, I didn't have to be too detailed and precise with my rendering. I outlined certain areas such as the body and arms and hood when I finished rendered to give a finalised smooth look.
Finally, I added a few filters and overlays to the full piece. This helped with the ambient and overall feel of the piece, creating a dark and unsettling vibe.
Final Piece
Below, is my final completed piece. I also added a few additional things to this piece such as a few more lighting effects and small overlays to really pull the entire piece together. I added small highlights onto things like her body, arm and legs and goggles as I added an attentional light source overlay i the top left corner. I additionally blurred the background where the monster is to create a sense of depth and draw the viewers attention towards the girl instead.
Overall, I am happy with how this piece turned out. I like the colour palette I used, as i feel that it creates a dull and moody feel to the piece. The usage of blue tones creates a cool feeling, which relates to the sterilised and professional environment of the Mazon lab facilities. I also am happy with the composition of this illustration, as I feel that it is easy to determine the focus points of this piece. The viewers attention is instantly drawn towards the girl in the frontal focus on the image, as the surroundings are blurred and her colour palette stands out against the environment. As well as this, the cannister on her back and vibrant lighting shining on her further help to make her stand out. By following along her eyes, the viewers attention is drawn to the corridor with the creature hidden in the shadows. I made sure to use darker colours when it came to rendering the monster, as well as casting it in the shadows to create depth and make the piece easy to read and follow along for viewers eyes.
If i were to change or improve anything about this illustration, I would want to improve upon the background/scenery. I feel that the scene is slightly lacking, and I could've added much more to make the environment much more interesting to look at while also making sure it wasn't too cluttered. I think if I was better at managing the time I had to complete this piece, I would've been able to make the background more interesting and complex. I also would change the rendering on the bionic body parts. In my opinion, it is hard to read them as metallic, as the way I rendered them falls pretty flat and uninteresting. I think i would like to change them, and make them appear shinier and more eye catching if i were to redo this.
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