CONNECT:
dan@df-pixelpusher.com
Category: Uncategorized

Blast from the past

It’s crazy what you find when you have a good tidy up. You can find things from the past that bring back mad memories and inspire you all over again.

One such ‘tidy up’ recently uncovered an illustration I had started when I was 17. At the time, I was heavily into dance music (some of the UK’s youth were gripped by Rave music – I was one of those). I had flyers, plastered all over my bedroom walls and would create new artwork and drawings based on them.

I had just started college and had been researching for an illustration project. I had found a German illustrator that created surreal worlds with plastic-looking creatures. I thought the style was amazing. I have looked since, but unfortunately, I can’t remember the name.

This led to an illustration of my own, heavily influenced by that style. It was kinda trippy and surreal. It lay unfinished and without colour for quite a while. Then I was asked to work up a party/rave flyer for a local record shop. I used the illustration and added colour.

 

Back to present day, I decided to recreate that illustration, but this time in 3D. I modelled and set the creatures and their environment using Adobe Illustrator and Dimensions. I treated it like a stage set, layering the background for depth and then framed it all. I have embellished the new illustration with a few new elements and removed some that weren’t really working. The biggest takeaway from this – the satisfaction and joy with the process of making this. It was great fun!

Inspired composition

The 1988 classic anime cyberpunk film Akira was incredibly inspiring and mind-blowing at the time! It opened up a whole new genre and has continued to inspire me.


The film’s aesthetics and the dystopian vision of ‘a‘ future have had an incredible influence in popular culture. The movie’s poster is just one example – the composition tells a story, it’s simplicity is iconic. 

This iconic composition was the inspiration for my own take on some other well-known IPs. Creating film posters, for some of my all-time favourites.

It all started when I found an amazing model of the Spinner vehicle from Blade Runner 2049 on Sketchfab. From there I found some other amazing models and started to experiment with them in Adobe Dimensions. 

Since the initial Blade Runner comp, I have worked up The Dark Knight Trilogy and couldn’t resist creating a Batman Beyond poster. The Batman Tumbler is also from Sketchfab. The other models were free and I have adapted them slightly.

Experimenting with the lighting, and bringing the scene to life within the render, the moody, subtle light effect helped create a visual theme. The renders were then colour-balanced in Photoshop.

(Free models are credited below)

Sketchfab model credit

“K’s Blade Runner Spinner” (https://skfb.ly/6xAO6) by Lor.Hang.Chuan is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution.
“Bat_Mobile” (https://skfb.ly/6R6nE) by ivinjob is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Privacy Settings
We use cookies to enhance your experience while using our website. If you are using our Services via a browser you can restrict, block or remove cookies through your web browser settings. We also use content and scripts from third parties that may use tracking technologies. You can selectively provide your consent below to allow such third party embeds. For complete information about the cookies we use, data we collect and how we process them, please check our Privacy Policy
Youtube
Consent to display content from - Youtube
Vimeo
Consent to display content from - Vimeo
Google Maps
Consent to display content from - Google
error: Content is protected !!