April Pin-up - Hellboy

Heya!!

It's time for our pin-up everyone! Imagine trying to draw cross eyed - that's kind of what happened but you know I don't back up from a challenge. Also excuse me for any typos this time okie - letters are so tiny!!!

 I had to use the tools available and for this step-by-step we will go into 3D! If you are interested in how I did it, let's start!

 • The base idea was that Hellboy would be enjoying some time alone with his pancakes, unaware Trevor just got into the scene! 

 I've not had too much contact with hellboy, but I do remember that sweet funny comic. It's the kind of stuff that's up my alley!

 I kinda had a mental set up of the scene before I went into 3D.

 • Giving more structure! I wanted fat, far, fluffy pancaks! 

 • Now we are still setting up structures but I had several changes that I think would be interesting to talk about.

 The major change here was the arms! While looking up visual reference, I noticed that even though hellboy has a very cool shaped bulky torso, his arms aren't very muscular and big. 

I decided to go more into that direction because it would be an entirely new set of proportions I've never experimented! I honestly think it's a common trap to just give a conventionally muscular body to every character, but I think the difference between bodies to be much, much, much more interesting. Do you agree? 

(I mean... in the end he was still beefy but you get what I mean LOL)

 • Then I went to sketchup!! I have very little knowledge of 3D. I know how to use the public models over the warehouse and the basic shape tools - but that's it.

 I picked a kitchen I found interesting and aligned with what I had in mind... and then I picked up a door! Just franksteining pieces and bashing them altogether is usually how I go around doing things like this with 3D and picture.

 Notice how the door is taller than the kitchen model, I don't even know how to resize things!!!! I  proceeded to pull the kitchen edges to fit the door.

 • Hm...... looking cute! This opened anew world of possibilities I think. If i only knew how to model or build from scratch using other models would be amazing buuuuut.... working with I have right now, right!

 In the future I plan using mixed settings - some more detailed 3D objects mixed with basic shapes that I'll draw upon. GULP wish me luck!!!

 • Refined the sketch a bit more! Focusing on overall anatomy here. 

 • And this was the angle I picked for this piece! notice how big the door is LOL of course, I corrected it manually later. Even the untrained mind is able to catch uncanniness like this!

 •The sketch from before placed over the 3D scenario... notice I changed the character from the background to better feel like he's actually there and not just around without context.

 • He finally got some finish!

 I think I didn't stress much over Hellboy's face like I usually do because I'm so used to drawing a similar structure with Webisu. 

 • Line line! choppa choppa! In retrospect it could be better if I left the background character without thicker outlines but YE I can let that pass this time

 • Lines with the 3D background SET! It's looking cute!

 Notice how the door isn't that tall - I know the adjustment isn't perfect, but I am working to improve everyday and I guess eventually that will get better <:

 • And now, to give it a real feeling and context... I did work on it! Added some texture to the walks, shaded some parts with a soft airbrush. 

 • Flatssss! The pancakes and background character were finished first because... because I was in the flow!

Mignola does a very cool trick which is putting hellboy's iINTENSE red against muted blue background. I'm a COWARD and made the red  and blue more gentle, but dang do I want to become brave and smart like that!!! Colors are cool.

 I finished 

 • Base shadows. I put them darker than usual here so you can see they can be pretty effective by themselves when the subject is giving volume.

 • Secondary shadows! I know sometimes base shadows are enough but I'm a big baby....  I need secondary to make a real POP! The artists you like are able to do cool volumetry with primary shadows or primary and secondary shadows? That's an interesting thing to be mindful about!

 And that concludes our monthly pin-up post. I'll be opening the voting for the next character on the 1st!

 THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE SUPPORT THIS MONTH - It's been a very rough time for me and I'm so grateful to have your help. Thank you!