When I met a lot of comic book artists and illustrators at dinners, conventions or just hanging out, the topic of film would come up in discussions about filmmakers, directors, styles and techniques. It opened up to me to watch/study films and focus on composition, lighting, framing and design. I started trying to really dig deep into film and see if I could apply those aesthetics into illustration and concept art. Here is an example of one of my illustration jobs, where I tried to do that. In order to capture the mood and expression of the piece, I was looking at certain photos of films, specifically the 1920s and 1930s horror films plus the films of German Expressionism of that same era. If you get a chance, check out the films of F.W. Murnau, Josef Von Sternberg, Tod Browning and James Whale. Tone, mood, atmosphere, lighting. Just didn’t want to phone it in with a regular black and white rendering of a plague doctor, but try to capture a mood, a feeling. By framing/composing the shot, I started to pick up on those film/cinematic ideas and see if I could apply it to illustration. Even when working with film directors as a storyboard artist, I get a script and I start to think: what angle shot would be good for this scene? A close up, a medium shot? I am very grateful to hang out with the pros in the comic book industry. From them, I learned to understand the importance of filmmaking and how to apply it in illustration, sequential art or storyboards. Always watch films from the great filmmakers and directors. You learn a lot about visual storytelling. Have a great weekend!
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This is fantastic work, Rich Terdoslavich
You can really feel the influence of German Expressionism in the mood and lighting it’s not just a plague doctor illustration, it feels cinematic. The framing especially gives it that old-world psychological weight.
I completely agree that studying filmmakers sharpens visual storytelling. Composition, shadow, negative space those choices shape emotion long before dialogue ever does.
F.W. Murnau and James Whale are such great references for atmosphere and tone. That era understood how to make light and shadow tell the story.
Really inspiring to see someone consciously bridging film language into illustration. That’s where strong concept art lives not just in design, but in storytelling.
Appreciate you sharing this process.
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That's a great idea, Rich Terdoslavich! I really dig deep into film even when I'm watching them for fun. I think about the screenwriting, directing, acting, and more. I need to check out the films of F.W. Murnau, Josef Von Sternberg, Tod Browning, and James Whale.
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Cool work! Has verisimilitude & captures the vintage era. A third dimensional feel, triggers curiosity & foreboding. If this sinister sepia was a poster, I’d watch the film.
Thank you, everyone.
Thank you, Abhijeet. Thank you for your positive comments. That era of filmmaking was tops in quality and mood. I would also include Fritz Lang in that group. Highly recommend Metropolis and M. M is a masterpiece. Will also recommend his film noir work such as Scarlet Street and The Big Heat.
I was trying to go for something, for lack of a better term, cinematic, plus to make an artistic decision in terms of the tools I used- pencils, acrylics, Sepia ink and blends- to try to capture that visual aesthetic and give that old world feeling as if it was a photo form the 19th century. I do the best I can to study filmmakers and study their shots and how they transition from frame to frame. Also, I look at the work of great sequential artists such as Alex Toth and Joe Kubert to see how they compose scenes in a visual arrangement on pages in multiple panels, combined with dialogue balloons and captions in a grid like structure with two/three tiers of panels of visuals and text.
Nosferatu by Murnau is a masterpiece. All three versions are great and highly recommend second and third versions after Murnau’s first. Whale’s Frankenstein is another great horror film with a great performance by Karloff. New version is great too, by Del Toro. If anyone reading this wants to understand about light and shadow, I highly recommend watching films such as Double Indemnity by Billy Wilder and The Killing by Stanley Kubrick. German Expressionism and Film Noir.
Just sent you a connection request, Abhijeet. Wish you all the best and much success on your work and your film career. Talk to you soon!
Thank you, Maurice! Sounds great. I try to do the same thing plus read comic books, look at illustrations, paintings, photos, adverts/graphics and tv/video shows. When you get a chance, check out the works of those filmmakers I mentioned plus Fritz Lang. M is a great film plus Metropolis. Metropolis is unbelievable. Made in 1927, the special effects and set designs are incredible to check out, even though they were made a hundred years ago. You can see one of his first silent films, Destiny, on YouTube.
Thank you, Debbie! Thank you for those positive and inspiring comments. That makes me want to get better at my work and do the best I can in my illustration work. I wanted to go for that look/tone. No sharp outlines, no black outlines, blend the tones, make it atmospheric. Also, kept the figure in the center if the frame to give it balance, create a dominating quality to it, even though a low angle shot could have done the trick , but to me, that would have worked better on a medium or a close up shot. I think the art director wanted more of a medium shot with the head slightly turned as opposed to a close up. Nevertheless, it was a great job.