How to create a Pan's Labyrinth-style monster

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My obsession with film has had a strong influence on the work I do nowadays. I learned most of what I know about visual language, atmosphere and composition from film.

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Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro, with his world of eerily beautiful monsters, haunting atmosphere and poetry in both image and narration, showed me what it can look like when you weave your own web of personal mythology and symbolism. So you can imagine my excitement when I was asked to create an homage to his work.

I decided to create a collage of four of del Toro's films: Cronos, The Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth and Crimson Peak. I'll be working with a mix of acrylic paint, coloured pencils and charcoal, to create an almost monochromatic picture.

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01. Start with research

Kick things off with a DVD binge and plenty of notes

I watch the films, and take notes on recurrent and defining imagery and ideas. This leads to a messy array of words, phrases and scribbles – the foundation of my concepts. I also take screenshots of scenes that I might need for reference later on.

02. Create thumbnail sketches

Sketch out some digital thumbnails

I condense my notes into compositions, aiming to include elements from several films and to keep the dark atmosphere. Working digitally at this stage makes it easy for me to get a good idea of the overall shapes and tonal values I need to create a strong image.

03. Lay out your drawing

Rough your ideas out and put them together in Photoshop

Before I start working on the final artwork I want to make sure I won't run into any unexpected problems. By sketching both portraits separately and combining them in Photoshop, I get a good idea of how the artwork will look. Additionally, I can adjust proportions and add a few details to the concept.

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04. Transfer the drawing

Print the layout and transfer it to watercolour paper

I print the final layout and roughly transfer it to watercolour paper using an old lightbox. For this I'm using a charcoal pencil that will blend in nicely with the later painting. I also make sure not to apply too much pressure to the paper, so this initial drawing can be reworked easily.

05. Complete the underdrawing

Establish the painting's foundation with a black pastel pencil

At this stage I establish the foundation for my painting by creating a detailed drawing with a black pastel pencil. To avoid mistakes that would be difficult to correct afterwards, I use screenshots of the film, photos of hands and faces in the required poses and lighting, and the print of my layout drawing for reference.  

06. Start painting

Use diluted black acrylic paint to build up depth and volume

I roughly block in the tonal values and continue to build up depth and volume using black acrylic paint that's been diluted with water. During this stage accidental splashes or smudges can and should happen. My goal is to create an organic, loose texture – precision will come later in the process.

07. Push contrasts

Be careful with your use of black

Getting the contrasts right is a key part of making my illustration work. Because pitch black can quickly seem dead and boring, it's important to be sure about where it's needed.

08. Focus on the details

Switch to a smaller brush to paint in details

Now is the time for precise brush work. For this I switch to a smaller-sized brush (0) and use it to introduce details to faces and hair, and texture the wings of the moth. I also define edges where necessary and work over pastel and charcoal markings to make them blend in more evenly with my painting.

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09. Bring in charcoal shadows

Wait for the paint to dry before reaching for the charcoal

Before I switch to dry media I make sure the paint has dried completely to avoid nasty surprises. I like using charcoal to deepen dark areas even further without adding new marks or distorting the existing textures. I also use it to smooth the edges, in this case around the faces. For smudging I use my fingers.

10. Get splashy

Add texture with splashes of acrylic paint

I add splashes of acrylic paint to areas I want to gain more texture, whipping my brush around like a wand. If too many droplets accumulate in one spot, I use my fingers to wipe them off before they can dry. Areas I want to remain untouched by the paint can be covered with scrap paper.

11. Add some white

Use gesso rather than acrylic for bringing in some white

I use gesso to paint thin layers over faces, hands and hair to soften the underlying textures and lighten these areas. I work on details such as the eyes using opaque paint. I prefer using gesso over white acrylic paint because its chalky nature leads to a surface that takes dry media very well.

12. Introduce white noise

White charcoal is perfect for adding texture

I use white charcoal sticks to create broad textures that add some noise to darker parts of the artwork. I want the hair of the blonde figure (Edith) to fade to white towards the background, forming a contrast to the blackness behind the second figure (Ofelia). To achieve this I use the charcoal to lighten this area.

13. Draw in highlights

Stick with the white charcoal for highlights and details

I draw in highlights, the final details and dynamic lines with a white charcoal pencil. For extreme highlights I use a white coloured pencil by Derwent, which is very soft and creates brighter lines than the charcoal, but can't be revised or drawn over as easily because of its oily composition.

14. Keep the eyes engaged

A handful of subtle colours will help keep things interesting

To make the otherwise monochromatic image more engaging I use pencils to add a few colours, while keeping it subtle so I don't mess up my tonal values and contrasts. This makes the picture seem much more alive and interesting. Mostly, I use clay tones, but also add blue to light areas and green to contrast the reddish lines.

15. Check it on screen

Finish things off in Photoshop

After scanning the artwork into Photoshop CC I use Levels and Selective Colour to achieve the right contrasts. I also play around with the saturation of the image, to amplify the subtle colours of not only the pencil lines, but the different hues of the black and white paints. 

This article originally appeared in ImagineFX issue 142; buy it here!

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