There was one phrase in Dark that enchanted me right away: “The question is not where. But when.” I had a dream project with Netflix, and Dark was one of the series I illustrated for a mural at their headquarters. As a huge sci-fi fan, I dove into exploring the layers of symbolism woven into the plot.
I moved to Berlin several years ago and was curious about German cultural heritage. Dark is the first German Netflix original series, full of clues and hidden meanings, including drawing inspiration and aesthetics from Albrecht Dürer and Lucas Cranach the Elder.
I used symmetrical composition, surrounded by meaningful elements and profound symbols. This type of split screen supports the narrative of travelling between the worlds of Adam and Eva. The kaleidoscope visual creates a surreal world that seems similar, but never the same.
In this workshop, I’ll use various watercolour and gouache techniques to add atmosphere and interest. I’ll begin with finding inspiration and planning ahead. This invisible step is crucial and adds considerably to the unique quality of the finished piece.
In my sketchbook, I’ll gather figural elements, such as stunned animals affected by noises from the time-travel phenomenon. The top of the frame is crowned with the Trinity knot, or triquetra, symbolising the cave’s time loops every 33 years.
After making a value study to show light, dark and middle tones, I’ll secure the areas with masking fluid to save the light contrast areas. Using the dry brush technique helps add variety and rich texture to the stones, tree trunks, and grass, even with a monochrome colour palette.
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Esta historia es de la edición June 2023 de ImagineFX.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Jan Wessbecher
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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