RAMBO Illustration by MaulFan

[MaulFan]

Ok, I've been posting the development of this in my illustration thread, but I wanted to share it here.

Without getting to detailed and drawn out, I'll sum it up that this piece has been very near and dear to me, I started it a year ago and have been chipping away at it since. It was my way of dealing with some heavy emotional stuff I've gone through and between that any my fondness for Rambo, I have poured a great deal of myself into making this piece, and now that I'm finally done, and quite frankly shocked the ^^^^ out of myself with how it's turned out, I want to share my excitement and passion with you guys because a number of you are good friends.

So, first batch of development images, phase 1. Started in March of 2008 and worked on from time to time until the end of 2008. Because this piece takes so much of me and a certain emotional committment, I kinda walked away from it for a long while.

 

[MaulFan]

Then I did a Two-Face from The Dark Knight, and my success on that piece couple with some emotional stuff kicking up again brewed the perfect conditions to revisit Rambo and complete it.

Coming back to it after time away was the best thing in the end. I found a lot of things wrong with where I had been going with it and revised the flesh work entirely from scratch.

It was a long process to figure out the lighting and shadowing of his facial anatomy beneath all the dirt and ash and all, but I persevered and figured it out and it makes all the difference getting that right first before “weathering” him.

 

[MaulFan]

And finally, almost 1 year to the day, he is at last, complete.

 

[Jmlsuperman]

Looks like "A Scanner Darkly." Cool.

 

[Voorhees27]

Simply stunning to say the very least, bravo Sean!!!!!

 

[CelticPredator]

WOW......I'm so watching Rambo again this weekend because of this kickass drawing.

 

[Toast]

Great job Maulfan!

 

[Eli26]

Did you use Illustrator for that?

 

[Kratos]

^^^^ing Spot on

 

[MaulFan]

Did you use Illustrator for that?

Nope, Photoshop.

 

[Eli26]

Nope, Photoshop.

I know a lot of those effects can be used in Illustrator. I could probably do this... Just have to practise more with a certain tool. I should try and do it. Love how well it turned out bud, you should be dang proud. Only few can take that kind of job on and be successful at it like you have. I only say I can do this because I always illustrate nuts on AI...

The 3D like texture with the skin looks like the mesh tool in Illustrator... in fact, I know the mesh tool can replicate that look.

P.S. It would take me forever to do as well. I should show you my last illustration I did for a website. I will admit, prior to September of 2008 I knew very little, but being a multi-media student and working on assignments for 60 hours a week (class time + home work) you tend to pick up a lot on stuff.

 

[MaulFan]

Well, the only effects I used on this piece was the texturizer for the skin and shirt, and in the skin I used a layer mask to selectively show the texture because that really only shows under light areas, shadow spots are usually muted.

For the stubble and all the weathering, I made a black and white noise layer to have a grainny look, then I made a channel from that later to be able to select just the white spots, then I filled a new layer with black and browns and greens for the dirt and all and used a mixe of brushes to show and hide that to get the dirt effect.

I've seen photo-realistic illustrations done in AI, but I've never really picked up how or gotten comfortable with it. I got Photoshop when I got my first MAC, it was my first real art program and so I just started to do it in there and been doing it for the past 7 years, it's just what I'm comfortable with. I use AI for more cartoony illustrations.

 

[occulum]

nice work man ...

def prefer this type of illustration to be done in Photoshop.
Working with a file that has very much info in Illustrator I usually want the throw my comp out the window.
Illustrator almost has more bells & whistles than its capable of handling. It turns into Pinwheel fest

 

[Eli26]

Well, the only effects I used on this piece was the texturizer for the skin and shirt, and in the skin I used a layer mask to selectively show the texture because that really only shows under light areas, shadow spots are usually muted.

For the stubble and all the weathering, I made a black and white noise layer to have a grainny look, then I made a channel from that later to be able to select just the white spots, then I filled a new layer with black and browns and greens for the dirt and all and used a mixe of brushes to show and hide that to get the dirt effect.

I've seen photo-realistic illustrations done in AI, but I've never really picked up how or gotten comfortable with it. I got Photoshop when I got my first MAC, it was my first real art program and so I just started to do it in there and been doing it for the past 7 years, it's just what I'm comfortable with. I use AI for more cartoony illustrations.

lol My last illustration on AI is very cartoony but I enjoyed doing it. I should post it....hey Maulfan.... do you have MSN... I want you to add me.. so we can share eachother's work and give ideas how we accomplished certain things. For one class, I made a Nazi SS monkey with a gangsta thugged out Snuffleupugus with bling robbing a liquor store in North Korea.

Hey we were supposed to illustrate a crazy children's book illustration that you wouldn't necessarily see in a children's book. If that makes sense. lol

 

[p!tu]

Damn! this looks like a vector!!! Great Work man!!!! it shows you the Photoshop is the ^^^^!!!

 

[Eli26]

Damn! this looks like a vector!!! Great Work man!!!! it shows you the Photoshop is the ^^^^!!!

Yeah totally vector, that's why I thought he used Illustrator and used the mesh tool.

 

[Morbach]

amazing,man!! great work!!

 

[King Darkness]

Hot damn Sean!! That looks spectacular!!

 

[FQRizzo]

Absolutely amazing, Sean!

 

[Reinhardt]

just stunning Sean!!!!!!!