The Twisted Holy slate pit: Creation process - Visual Diary -7 major steps

Mr Leon Taylor

The Twisted Holy slate pit:

Concept art/ Game art/ Album artwork : I wanted to challenge myself doing more underworld painting. All are based on a number of thumbnails I drew one morning that I had to get out of my head. The most exciting part is texturing them. Thumbnails are quick and help get the light source sorted. I tried to stick to a more simple colour palette compared to ' Eternal rotting root of Doom '. But making it feel more Alien, but just as organic

1) Thumbnail - and made in layers to know what layer I am texturing BG, FG MG.


2) I then start cutting out the pieces I need from my thumbnail sketch and throw some coulor and texture with photoshop brushes. Then rough out the root that will climb the slate.

3) Worked on the lightsource more, fine details, added some textures.

4) Add the area I have imagined the lightsource has come from above. like a sharp beam of light. 

5) I work to make the light source to feel animated and then add a few layers to make the light source closer to the shot. I add natural pillars, that were roughed out with the textures.

6) Add more roof and general room bounce light. adding a few mist layers playing with contrasts and opacity.

7) The finished result. 

MENDEL - OBLIVION - MAY 2015 ALBUM ARTWORK - DESIGN PROCESS

Mr Leon Taylor
MENDEL - OBLIVION - ALBUM ARTWORK - DESIGN PROCESS

The pencil design work before I coloured, The suit has been designed from scratch to be 100% functional and realistic. I was stoked with how the pencil linework scanned as was ready to make a real world. I had come up with the idea after listening to the title track for MENDELS - Oblivion. A brutal 63 minutes of instrumental metal. It is just excellent. 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Mendelian

You can buy the album from here: https://mendelian.bandcamp.com/

I throw down some textures using some of my favourite textured brushes. There is hundreds for free all over the internet. 

This helped be get down a quick overall feel of the place and texture layout.

I work on the direction of the light and how it will effect the scene.

I then start working on clouds and lightsource. constantly refining.

I then add the boiling hot liquid to the picture. In space blue is the hottest colour. 

I then start working on the deep space in the background and planets

I then start looking at the lightsource and other elements like mist, glows, shades and intense lightsource details. I also add the space person that I coloured in a separate document. I add small lightsouce to him and fit him it to the layered mist. Unfortunately I did not keep a jpeg record of this process. But will do in future projects.

THIS IS THE FINAL PNG below for MENDEL - OBLIVION debut full length Album

Thank you for checking out my visual diary of how I do things.

Mr Leon Taylor

10 Major steps (visual diary) - THE ROTTING ROOT OF DOOM - 2014 - Background concept art:

Mr Leon Taylor

Here is a visual diary of how I completed this concept art, This is something I am very passionate about and really enjoy doing. Intense background art that can feel alive. This is a series of exercises with backgrounds I have set myself. The first challenge is to complete a series of underground places that have presence.

THE ROTTING ROOT OF DOOM - 201 : Concept art/ Album artwork : Based in a place that has never seen the sun, until just at this moment. It is completely organic and has evolved for millions of years. This is a place not known to the human eye and we could not stand the atmosphere, even with protective suits.


Thumbnail

I then start cutting out the pieces I need from my thumbnail sketch 

Shape the spike and added some textures.

 Worked on the lightsource more, fine details

Add the area I have imagined the lightsource has come from and add the mist green in the far background.

I work to make the light source to feel animated and then add a few layers to make the light source closer to the shot.

The spike has been encased for million of years and has an ooze and light source too. I add those basic directions.

Start working on textures around the edges with details. I do this with textured brushes. I have a select dozen I use and have ready to go. I highly recommend this to save time picking them all the time.

Now to add some animated feeling with rocks falling from the roof, where something is entering. This part I love making the bubble bounce around and feel super action packed

I zoom out a little the blackness can make the area feel larger and more intense

Final image and PNG, I learned so much through the process of doing this. It is a subject I really enjoy doing.

Thanks for checking out my visual diary of creation.

Mr Leon Taylor