Sunday, December 30, 2012

At the Mercy of the Mob... black and white final

(click to enlarge)

And here's the final version of my latest illustration for Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine (pencils here).

My goal with this illustration was to create a dynamic black and white composition full of contrasting angles (the placement of the long lights above, the top of the desk, the captive guy's legs, the angle of his torso and arms, and just for good measure the beams of light streaming down from above). I wanted the areas of black to emphasize and play off of these angles even more. I often work my blacks into my illustrations in a free, more abstract way... they don't always reflect the properties of light. In this drawing, the aim is to have the blacks work in their own way, with their own inner logic, to compliment the composition so that when you squint your eyes you get a dynamic, interesting abstract image in its own right. It's also important that everyone's faces are hidden, or partially obscured, to add to the feeling of anxiety and claustrophobia. At the same time, the woman's face is partially revealed because of the role she plays in the story.

Can't say any more than that! Look for the illustration and the accompanying story in the upcoming issue of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Mag...

As always, Corel Painter 11 + Wacom Cintiq 21UX.

4 comments:

Threadpainter said...

Excellent ! I feel the action and the suspense !

Tom said...

Thanks Sharron! I'm looking forward to seeing what it looks like in print. The issue will be available in magazine stores and on newsstands in about a month..

Unknown said...

Hi, Tom--

I'm the author of "All That Glisters," the story that accompanies your drawing. Your comments about the drawing are fascinating. As the HITCHCOCK editors may have already told you, I'm absolutely delighted with the drawing. I think it captures the mood of the story perfectly and really draws the reader in. I've published about thirty stories in HITCHCOCK and have liked most of the illustrations, but this one may just be the best. Thank you!

Tom said...

Hi B.K. Stevens, thank you for your kind words! It was an absolute pleasure reading your story and illustrating for it! Let's keep in touch :)