The Destruction of the False Hero

The main concept for this illustration was, like the name suggests, “The Destruction of the False Hero.” I wanted to depict how the ancient status of a false hero —endorsed by old demons hiding in the corner, who watch in anger, and fear how their work is debunked— is destroyed by four unknown warriors.

None of these heroes and heroines show their faces, though they are not hiding them either; they represent new core heroic values that don’t need to rely on the image of a single idol. Let’s check out the phases I went through:

1. EXPLORATION SKETCH

Something I particularly love about this first phase of the Triad method is how easily we can create even the most complex composition. A thumbnail sketch can be done within a few minutes, yet the most impossible of drawings can be “resolved” at this stage. For this one, I did not make more than the one you see below. That is the composition I had in my mind, and it came out mainly as I imagined it.

WORKING SKETCH

The purpose of the working sketch is to take advantage of the resolved composition, and start correcting proportions, shapes, perspectives and add the first details to it. This is also a phase where I can find out if I want to keep going, or if I need to go back and explore a bit more.

FINAL SKETCH

Below is the final pencil sketch before inking. While the number of details is large, the previous phases make it feel achievable. At this point, I adjusted some details, like the guy on the far left. I made him stand now, so it’s clearer that he’s staring at the sky clearing on the horizon —which represents new times coming to replace the dark ones—. I also changed the cross hatching of the bushes, since I’ve already got tired of my traditional bushes outline.

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