Soulsteel is a living suit of armour forged through sacrifice during a war that tore through three intertwined realms. Inspired by Dark Souls and epic dark fantasy, this concept piece balances brutality with tragedy.
I started with in-depth research and exploratory sketches to capture the essence and composition, then used 3D tools such as Blender and ZBrush to establish strong perspectives and forms. (Read up on the best 3D modelling software for more details.)
1. Explore composition and mood
I began with sketches focused on silhouette, gesture and story. The goal wasn’t precision but energy. I aligned the character’s personality to the background, making sure their pose and atmosphere set a dramatic tone. Planning the emotion helps to ground the piece.
2 Build value and structure
Once the sketch was in place, I moved to black and white painting to establish a strong value structure. I used Blender and ZBrush selectively, mainly the helmet and sword, to ensure correct form and perspective. Building solid light and shadow before adding colour guides the eye and strengthens the composition.
3. Add colour and make a final pass
With values locked in, I moved to colour using Photoshop, adjusting lighting and adding mood with magical purple effects. Zooming out helped maintain clarity. In the final rendering stage, I refined textures, added glow and power effects, and pushed visual polish while constantly checking my values.
This content originally appeared in ImagineFX magazine, the world's leading digital art and fantasy art magazine. ImagineFX is on sale in the UK, Europe, United States, Canada, Australia and more. Limited numbers of ImagineFX print editions are available for delivery from our online store (the shipping costs are included in all prices).
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
