Photobashing is a technique used to create images from photographs, before rendering them into a single, cohesive piece. This process enables an artist to quickly assemble an illustration from different elements of photographs without having to draw them from scratch, and can be a useful method when you're seeking to develop a particular style.
To help you get a head start with photobashing, in this tutorial I'll analyse the creation of a piece of promo art that I made for the game Dragon Nest. The commission set out for me was to make a dynamic promotional design in a realistic style, and using as much detail as was workable. The style of Dragon Nest itself is quite interesting, using chibi and cartoon-styled locations, and scenes with dramatic lighting that depict epic battles.
The art was to be used for printing on large banners at Gamescom and other gaming conventions, as well as posters at various game events, on advertising assets, and so on. As a result, the composition had to be readable both with the dragon on its own, and with the addition of hero characters and text elements.
For images to be used in this way, both the quality and detail of the picture, and the composition, are important. It should be possible to place characters, logos and other necessary branding onto the image, or alternatively remove elements completely, while still being able to retain the quality. So, let's jump in and get photobashing!
1 Work out your composition with initial sketches
Any illustration or promotional art begins with sketches. At this stage I had to consider versions that would look good both with and without the addition of human figures in the composition. Ultimately, I chose the bottom-middle sketch above and proceeded to plan my next steps. I thought it would be a good idea to accentuate the dragon's mouth and make it the focal point with colour and light.
2 Begin photobashing
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2024 من ImagineFX.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2024 من ImagineFX.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Jan Wessbecher
Dominic Carter talks to the visual artist about creating his own comic and why sketchbooks are great for creative experiments
Kyounghwan Kim
The Korean character concept artist speaks to Dominic Carter about staying open to ideas and the value of drawing regularly
Slawek Fedorczuk
Dominic Carter talks to the concept artist about what keeps him motivated and the advantages of using physical sketchbooks.
Raquel M. Varela
Raquel is inspired by magic, fantasy and fairy tales. She loves designing female characters from distant worlds. \"My greatest reference is Loish's art, thanks to her I learned to draw the movement and fluidity I like to convey.\"
Estrela Lourenço
Estrela is a children's book author and illustrator. Her work is influenced by her background in character animation and storyboards for clients such as Cartoon Network, and she channels comic strips like Calvin and Hobbes.
Daria Widermanska
Daria, also known as Anako, has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Inspired by Disney and classic anime, she loves creating new characters and often finds that a single sketch can spark a unique story.
Allen Douglas
Allen has been painting professionally since 1994 for the publishing and gaming industries. Inspired by folklore, he distorts the size, relationships and environments of animals, and calls his paintings 'unusual wildlife'.
Thaddeus Robeck
Thaddeus has been drawing from the moment he could hold a pencil, but it was the 2020 lockdowns that gave him the time to focus on honing his skills.
DRAW FASCINATING SYMBOLIC ARTWORK
Learn how JULIÁN DE LA MOTA creates a composition from his imagination with a focus on crafting figures, volumetric modelling, and light and shadow
First Impressions
The artist talks about his journey into the mythological world