This picture is from a personal project I’ve been working on. I always try to start my work with a thumbnail and an idea of a story. After my initial thumbnail exploration, I created the assets and focused on the Orc king in ZBrush (see our guide to the best 3D modelling software).
I tried to keep the 3D somewhat loose to keep things moving quickly and to stop myself from getting too bogged down with texture detail or topology concerns. I find it’s easy to get lost in the technical aspects in 3D.
01. Play with composition
I bllock out assets in 3D based on a rough thumbnail. Starting with a thumbnail helps plan out what you’re going to build. Try to be loose with the camera to find something interesting with the characters and shapes.
Keep a focal point in mind and a sense of story to help make composition decisions.
02. Block in lighting
Once you’ve established composition and a focal point, move on to materials and block in some rough lighting. Try to give the lighting something interesting to catch in order to grab attention or enhance a focal point.
Keeping the materials flat lets you paint details where you want the viewer to look. High-resolution textures can make matching that fidelity unnecessarily difficult.
03. Picture the scene in context
It’s time to layer in the atmosphere and separate the characters in Photoshop (see our guide to digital art software). Adjust contrast levels so that the focal point and the story are highlighted.
Try to imagine a frame before and a frame after to help you think of where this scene may be leading. If you don’t think of it, the viewer won’t see it either.
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