PROCESS VIDEO // white hart - part I

Here’s the process for my White Hart, my 3DTotal commission! I loved creating this one, and it’s a great example of how I approach commission work and use efficient tools. I hope you enjoy it! 

Here’s some information about this process video: 

• It has been sped up by 200%, so 2 times the original speed. 

• I split this video into 2 parts. This is part 1 of 2!

• This painting session took me about 5 hours, split up into two drawing sessions.

• I mostly used the hard round brush from my own brush set to paint this. I also used a lot of brush & smudge combinations to paint and then soften edges. 

• This is painted in Adobe Photoshop. You can replicate a similar workflow in Procreate, with the exception of the gradient tool and the number of layers used! 

Here are some helpful resources that can help understand this process in more detail: 

• Creating a strong composition: In this video, I explain how I create basic elements of my composition and move them around to create readability and visual impact. That’s something I do a lot during this process, where readability is a priority!

• Lighting as a design tool: This video shows you how you can apply lighting in a way that serves your design needs, rather than needing to be accurate. That’s something I do a lot for this commission!  

THE BRIEF

All of my commissions start with a brief: a short description of what the commissioner wants, and perhaps some reference material to accompany it. In this case, 3Dtotal wanted some custom artwork that they could print onto a pub sign to hang outside of the door of their new headquarters. The building used to be a pub called the White Hart, which means white stag or male deer. They wanted something with the 3DTotal logo implemented into it, and for the rest they were open to any ideas I had! They also included some pictures of pub signs so I had a general idea of what those look like. 

MY IDEAS 

I definitely wanted to implement a character into the concept somehow, and I wanted the image to give a sense of magic and wonder. I generated a few different ideas mixing the idea of a character with a white deer - some more symbolic, and some more literal. Here were my initial thumbnails, including a 'pub sign' version so you can see what it looks like from a distance: 

In general, I think it’s a good idea to generate multiple ideas when doing commissions. It gives the commissioner a chance to pick their favorite (which could be totally different from yours), and it also gives you the chance to warm up and get your ideas going. You can test out different things and see how well they work. Sometimes the result is surprising! I thought I was going to go with my first idea (a girl with antlers), but the third and final idea ended up being the best of the three. For this video, I am only showing the process of the image that 3DTotal picked as their favorite - and you can see the thumbnailing process up until 1:03 minutes in. After that, 3DTotal gives me the green light and I start finalizing the painting! 

BUILDING CONTRAST THROUGH SHAPES 

A big priority for this commission was readability. It’s going to be printed on a small sign and people will be looking at it from the street, so it needs to be readable from a distance. The main way that I try to achieve that is with contrast: making sure that the most important shapes really stand out, and that you can easily tell what they are. That’s why I chose a dark background with a glowing white deer and clearly defined symmetrical antlers. The girl and the vines are secondary to this striking silhouette, so I have to make sure that they don’t overpower it or make it confusing. I also want the eye to be drawn to the 3DTotal logo, so I darken the hands and arms so that they stand out against the glowing character. I think that’s the best way to create readability: use simple, clearly readable shapes and play around with the colors and contrast so that they stand out against the rest. And most importantly, try not to overcomplicate things!

I hope you enjoy this one - part 2 is coming right up!