These are the steps I went through to produce the image of Nautilus Prime and Naija
on the front page! I always like looking at artists' steps, so I thought this might be interesting for some of you.
Step 1. Once I have an idea, I always start off with a rough sketch, trying to get the basic look right. Sometimes I do the sketch in pencil first, if I feel it will be easier for me, but this time I went straight into Photoshop!
Step 2. Refining the sketch.
Step 3. Continuing to refine. I'm no master at human anatomy, but I know enough to know that the limbs are a bit wonky. I want to make it look like she's flattened against the rock and peering out, which is not easy!
Step 4. I added some fishies to give a better sense of scale (Nautilus Prime is big!), and also to provide some more interest in the scene. I also like the idea that the fish are swimming out of the way, thinking "Okay, Naija, this is
your problem! We jettin'!"
Step 5. At this point I'm just going in and putting in the last touches: the missing armor and highlights, some odds and ends, and bits and blots! I also moved her ear up to where it would go on a normal human being. Not that Naija is human, but she's also not a mutant!
A little ambient glow from the right side onto Nautilus Prime will separate that plane even better from the one that Naija's on.
From there, a little hue/contrast tweaking is all that's needed to obtain
the final image. Thanks for listening!
