Not only are Martin Grohs’ illustrations beautiful, they also encourage the viewer to think about the theme. “I always try to create something surreal and unique that represents my own opinions,” he explains.
This image is a self-portrait that he produced for the Cosmosys art collective (www.cosmosys.net). “Because I’m a Leo, I tried to show the shared characteristics of this zodiac sign, which are wild, alive and proud. I feel these are all evident through the lion in this portrait,” Grohs tells us. “The fur was a real challenge for me, as I tried to paint it as realistically as possible,” he adds. “It was this that took up most of my time. But ultimately I think I achieved a great result by using a lot of texture brushes, including stone, fur and cloud types. Everything was painted in the end.”
Composition and colour
I used gold and yellow colours to contrast with the blue, lifeless background. Because the portrait is the focus, I used a composition that draws viewers to the centre of the image.
Add detailsLight and shadow
Correct lights and shadows make an image more authentic. When done accurately, they give it a high-quality and professional look. This makes the difference between a good digital painting and an awesome one.