How to paint a zombie pin-up in Photoshop

How-to
By published

Serge Birault puts a grisly spin on the traditional crowd-pleasing element of American football.

05. Face the facts

zombie face

06. Poster girl

zombie influences

My painting is inspired by the zombie visual references that most people are aware of. For the sky and background figures I draw heavily on the design of the well-known poster for the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. I think of my image as a kind of tribute or parody.

07. Apply sun block

zombie lights

A sun that's either rising or setting complicates matters. A strong backlight means your characters appear darker than usual. You have to work carefully with the silhouettes. In addition, all your tones will turn to orange or yellow. Using different layers for your adjustments is the best approach to take.

Words: Serge Birault

Serge Birault is a freelance illustrator and has worked for the mobile phone industry and several web design agencies. He's well versed in Actionscript development, 3D modelling and animation software.

This article originally appeared in ImagineFX magazine issue 62.

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