How to Draw Eye Catching Creatures

Getting Started

Most of the time I am searching and looking for eye catching artwork, ideas, photos, stories, music, anything what will ignite my spark of creation. I always start with simple idea. I have a sketchbook with the description of creatures with little thumbnails.  Sometimes I am mixing different fantasy archetypes as for example: goblin/demon/shaman. Short stories help me a lot, helping me to clearly visualize and develop the idea I have. Initiation of the inspiration process has many ways to spark. How I chose it often depends on my mood at the time.

Create monsters from forgotten worlds, travel to the edge of imagination, and show  the world the unseen; these have always been my wild passion. I have been intrigued with Blizzard Entertainment, and Magic The Gathering.

Collect References and Inspiration

Now it’s time to observe.  I always pick photos that inspire me toward my taste, as I am originating and creating something original which has got a little piece of my soul in it.   This is also the time of thinking -  can I pick this shape, or this color, or this element I love and recreate it or connect it to my developing image? Often this is like a mind game and flexing with imagination.

Sketch Time

Generating ideas is magical.  I have two beautiful pieces of advice which I want to share with you.  Always ask yourself : How can I make this thing more cool, and how to make things bigger and bolder?

Cleanline

Before I do anything with colors or values I need to be sure I have clean line art. This also is the final stage of the formulation process.

Value Mapping or Flat Colors

Before I start adding colors I need to know if my artwork is working in values of dimensions. So I start to add contrast gray-scale tones to different parts of the creature/character. Then I test out interesting color schemes.

Light

I always draw in what I call 3D mode no matter which stage, I am always thinking in 3D dimension.  I visualize how light is dropping to the surface, what kind of surface it is and of course I do a study of materials.  If I am drawing something new I will collect reference of light and material. In terms of light I always want to have the most interesting or cool part of creature as the brightest. I also always follow  Izzy's Medrano 3 simple rules about light.

• Object most perpendicular to the light get the most light.
• Lights power gets weaker on more distance object
• If something solid is between your object and your light source,object gets no light

I would love to say thank you to Rookies team, my mentors: Brandon Reimchen from CG Spectrum, Mateusz Majewski and Alexander Trufanov for amazing courses and smart advice.

I feel absolute freedom when I can draw. It’s my paper, my stage, and I am the architect. I want to show the most creative expression as I can conjur.  Building up the creature in an act of the wildest imagination and inspiration.  I thrive on embedding a little of my essence into each creature.  I want mystery, magic, and a general badass result.