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Maxime Desmettre creates 'The Dump' for EXPOSÉ 6

CGSociety :: Tutorial
19 August 2008

Maxime Desmettre is a celebrated Illustrator and concept artist for ‘Prince of Persia’ and is Concept Art Master in EXPOSÉ 6. See his work on page 90 of Ballistic Publishing’s digital art Annual.

To discover how he created the image, read on.

"The Dump" is a personal study. The initial idea was to work on a futuristic interior, rather heavy in impression, and abandoned. I didn't want something too straight, so I've used curved shapes from the initial sketch.

Large brushes were used to define the first global idea in terms of shape and basic composition. I don't really mind about the perspective at this stage, I only feel I need to keep in mind a rough horizon line. I like to use matter brushes at an early stage as this gives some interesting 'accidents' and 'defects' which can give good texture effect, and is nice to break the perfection of the digital medium.

Rough drawing

Perspective Guidelines.

To start the refinement, I use basic shape brushes to soften areas that are too contrasting and noisy, as this will help to give the image more readability on the whole. It's also time to define more precisely things, while trying to not break the initial composition.

The text on the hull is written with the text tool of Photoshop, and has been curved using the text warp function, then erased and dirtied in some areas for a better match.

The Text Warping

I've decided to keep only the right area of the sketch (using the Crop tool). As it looked too squeezed for my needs, it has been resized vertically (using the image resize function of Photoshop).

The global idea won't change a lot, so I apply a basic color to the whole thing by adding a color balance layer. The result won't be elaborated here, but will validate a new direction for the color mood.

I then add the loitering characters intention, trying different shapes directly on the screen, but on a separated layer to allow easier removal later.

To avoid losing the perspective’s main direction, I draw on a separate layer concentric lines from a rough vanishing point. This will help me anytime I have doubts about the perspective.

While refining elements, I want to give more richness to the color palette. To do this, I use additional color balance layers that I can then erase partially (using the layer's mask) to colorize only some areas of the picture. For example, I give a colder tint in shadow areas).

Layer masks are also used to add depth to the picture, by erasing/revealing atmosphere or using the gradient tool to erase smoothly a wide part of the layer.

As the picture is still too monochromatic, the background will be painted in blue/violet-blue to counter-balance the overall orange hue. The blue tint is nice also to make feel the outdoor just behind the hull.

The canvas format is not perfect yet, so I extend the picture vertically to get a more conventional ratio. As the characters then look too small in the global composition, I scale them up.

To give more readability to the characters, it's good to clean areas behind them, and play with contrast to emphasize them. Darken the background if the character is lit, or lighten it if the character is in shade, following the dark v. light idea.

It's also time to define shadows for the riding characters and elements off screen, tending toward blue to follow the outdoor color and supposedly a blue sky above the scene.Then to give more light to the scene, I use a linear dodge layer with a warm tint to give more brightness to the ground, the hull and characters, using a mask to precisely reveal or remove light where required.

Character Readability

The image is almost finished, but it doesn't look enough like a daylight scene yet. It probably needs a more obvious light direction. To reinforce the lighting, I select the area I'd like to enlighten (thanks Lasso tool) and use the Brightness/Contrast adjustment tool to give the area the brightness it needs (of course, as some area could just be too bright, it's good to erase where needed).
Shadows area also needed to be slightly brighten and given a bluish touch to add more atmosphere to the scene and suggest holes or openings in the 'roof'.

A bluish back light on some objects will also help to reinforce the idea of openings, and give a better readability to elements in dark areas.

Some particles are added here and there and, if needed glow effect using a linear dodge or screen layer.

The Dump with a blueish backlight.

About the Artist:
Maxime Desmettre is a concept artist from France, living at the moment in Montreal, Canada.

While doing concept art work for several companies, he feels most at home with environment works, giving particular care to color treatment and atmosphere. Maxime has most recently been working as a concept artist on the new Prince of Persia for Ubisoft.

When it's about personal work, I like to illustrate fiction scenes taking place in imaginary worlds, usually dominated by nature. I am fond of artworks that give an impression of journey or allow an adventurous feeling. As my work is often contemplative, I strive to give particular care to lighting and atmosphere.