From Practice to Cinematic Illustration - 24h Free Post! (Process Video & File) (Patreon)

Among many references, there was one with a woman going up stairs. I thought it would be nice to paint her as an angel, as the jacket she was wearing resembled a pair of wings.

Moving forward, that little devil in me kept whispering in my ear, telling me to add more and more detail. This eventually led to a complex concept, one where the stairs would be replaced by an elevator, and two characters, a devil and an angel, would interact inside as "bellboys." Of course, that concept was abandoned because a more bizarre idea popped up.

How about a subway that goes up and down, where devils and angels go to work? I had some plans in the past for subways filled with people. I love to paint subways, so why not this time? In today's process video, you will see my approach painting a very complex reference with several characters and filters as well. I did want to get that cinematic look at the end.

Photographers like these are already doing a great job, so for me to paint on top or alter their work, I feel a responsibility to add something meaningful, something that transforms rather than takes away. It’s not just about recreating; it’s about reinterpreting and pushing the story further.

Often this meaningful thing is a detail. I want to slightly add that extra without altering the original reference. Anyways, enjoy the PSD and process!

Video: https://youtu.be/g91XyPYOUFM