CREATE A CALM CYBERPUNK ILLUSTRATION
ImagineFX|April 2022
A walkthrough of aurahack’s art process, sketching, blocking out and polishing this beautiful illustration of a cyberpunk future Clip Studio Paint & Photoshop
CREATE A CALM CYBERPUNK ILLUSTRATION

Hi! I’m aurahack, and I mostly draw girls, cityscapes, and abstract art of both. My process is largely self-taught and freeform, and I’m colour-blind with a background in strict illustration, so this guide will let you see how I sketch out my scene, how I approach colour, how I design cityscapes and characters, illustrate them, and make the scene work together to emphasise the ‘sense of place’ that I think is important to the art I make.

My style of illustration and process isn’t especially technical – I don’t use a lot of magic tricks or quick shortcuts – so this tutorial will be more about my thought process from start to finish than strict technical tricks. Most of what I paint, I accomplish with the same two basic brushes (included with this tutorial) and it’s more about letting inspiration and improvisational painting carry me to a concise and finished piece. I also often feature characters as the focal point of my art, sort of as a cipher for the viewer, to enable them to imagine themselves in that space. It’s a different approach to rendering what is generally very flashy subject matter, but my hope is that insight on this perspective will enable you see a new approach to making digital art/cityscapes, and will inspire you to explore new ideas.

1 Sketch it out

My sketching process is haphazard and can take anywhere between an hour to a day or two. Sometimes it just takes a while to feel out what you’re going for. Focusing on your goals is key. I want a focus on the character, the view to feel like I’m ‘in’ the scene, and for the scene to breathe.

Bu hikaye ImagineFX dergisinin April 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye ImagineFX dergisinin April 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

IMAGINEFX DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
PAINT EPIC BATTLES IN TRADITIONAL INK
ImagineFX

PAINT EPIC BATTLES IN TRADITIONAL INK

Warhammer illustrator THOMAS ELLIOTT shows you how to create an epic science fiction fight scene with this step-by-step guide

time-read
5 dak  |
January 2025
CONJURE MAGIC ILLUSTRATIONS
ImagineFX

CONJURE MAGIC ILLUSTRATIONS

Daria Anako demonstrates her process for creating a whimsical piece of art with some spellbinding touches

time-read
5 dak  |
January 2025
First Impressions
ImagineFX

First Impressions

We discover the early influences that inspired the artist

time-read
6 dak  |
January 2025
ZBrush for iPad
ImagineFX

ZBrush for iPad

GAME CHANGER The desktop version of popular 3D sculpting software ZBrush has been redesigned for iPad - and it's brilliant

time-read
1 min  |
January 2025
BenQ GW2786TC
ImagineFX

BenQ GW2786TC

GET AN EYEFUL Don't scrimp out on your health with a monitor that's kind on the eyes and good for creative tasks

time-read
1 min  |
January 2025
Huion Kamvas Pro 19
ImagineFX

Huion Kamvas Pro 19

TABLET WARS An attractive pen display does an excellent job of balancing price and performance as it sets out to challenge its rivals in the mobile marketplace

time-read
3 dak  |
January 2025
DRAGON OFORCEC
ImagineFX

DRAGON OFORCEC

Legendary D&D artist Larry Elmore explains the keys to crafting timeless fantasy art.

time-read
4 dak  |
January 2025
DUNGEON MASTERS
ImagineFX

DUNGEON MASTERS

ImagineFX marks the milestone 50th anniversary of the launch of Dungeons & Dragons with a look at its rich tradition of illustration

time-read
7 dak  |
January 2025
Erik Ly
ImagineFX

Erik Ly

Gamer's haven Why the artist enjoys a maximalist aesthetic more than the minimalist approach.

time-read
2 dak  |
January 2025
2D meets 3D: How the workflows are merging
ImagineFX

2D meets 3D: How the workflows are merging

Interdimensional As VFX and animation evolve and tools become more accessible, Tanya Combrinck asks whether the separation between the mediums is reducing

time-read
5 dak  |
January 2025