✧ The making of - 'Strategic Insight'

This is a first post in a new, updated format for our 'Silver Tier' Patrons!) Here you can find:

-an animation of the drawing process for our latest commission
-step by step screenshots in a gallery view
-a final .PSD file in the attachments
-a .zip file with all of the above
-our notes on the creation of this artwork:

This was a challenging but rewarding piece for us. GaiaWolfess approached with the request to draw her lovely Pixel, a MCSC Biotech Android, piloting a space battleship from her stasis chamber. We wanted to focus our attention on Pixel herself, and her in-depth interaction with the ship. Mid-shot crop was chosen as the most suitable option for the task.

We created a quick draft of Pixel's pose, making sure it will glue well with the background. Figuring out the composition early on always ensures a smoother drawing process. After that we decided that her stasis capsule needed a 3D model. Not only it would be helpful with this particular piece, but it can also be used by Gaia in the future for any other artwork she might have in mind.

We can model well enough ourselves, but in this particular case good futuristic design was a must. That is why we decided to recruit our good friend in the gaming industry to help us out. He shall remain unnamed, as per his request, but the work he has provided for us was on point! So much so all we needed to do is to render out the passes and start drawing on top of them.

After the base for the chamber was established, we returned to Pixel, rendering out her lines, filling in the colors and applying shadows. This processes is rather straight-forward, and I'm sure most of you are well familiar with the ins and outs of it.

After the shading was done, we needed to submerge Pixel into her surroundings. Our attention was focused on light sources, all the glowing pieces within the scene, the density of the liquid in the capsule, and proper placement of contrasts around Pixel. Basically - a lot of fx, gradients and post-processing. Final touches here and there, a strand of hair, a soft glow in her eye - and the work was complete. <3

Gaia received the final image in high resolution, as well as the 3D model for use in any future projects.~

What are your thoughts on little essays like this, guys? Did you find any of the info helpful? Is there anything we should focus our attention on next time? Please let us know!~