Making of Mech Dragon Battleby Alex Ruiz, California Web: www.alexruizart.com


Now I duplicated the 'head' of this thing, then construct it's body that goes off into the distance, giving the image more depth.  I've also added tentacles whipping around, with claws on the ends of them.



Now the image starts getting crazy!  I really started to feel like the guys down below, frantically running around,  trying to stay clear of this giant horrible fish thingy!  But I persevere, the show must go on:) I flip the image to keep the process interesting, and it's also a good way to find mistakes or flaws you wouldn't otherwise see.

At this point I had gathered very interesting images of neurons ( yes, the ones in your brain) and placed them  on the sides of the creature, as well as in front of it.  For me, this suggested great energy within the creature, as well  as a malfunctioning of some kind. I've added more sharp elements to the tentacles, giving a more dangerous feeling to the image, and a guy running  in from the left to enhance the action.



Here I've widened the image for a more cinematic feel. I've also flipped the image again and felt this was the best direction for the composition. And since we read left to right, it feels more comfortable to lead in at the left and have the climax at the right. I add more reds to the characters in contrast of so many dark elements, and hint at other characters on the ground.



And so on the finishing touches, I've added much more detail and texture. But the composition basically remains the same, as well as the action. Photo reference really comes in handy for the ground and the mountains, as well as some of the smoke, but it's best to always keep to a minimum (unless it's a matte painting of course.)


Also, a lot of things happened between previous step and this for enhance the lighting. I done this by setting the brush to color dodge, picking a darker unsaturated color, and lightly tapping at key interest points in the image. You never want to overdo it with color dodge, it'll look like crap!:) 

In the end, the large creature reminded me of a chinese parade dragon all meched-out, hence the title. Some people see a giant fish, and others make out an entirely different scene in their minds. That's exactly how I intended it!  By leaving my images slightly abstract, it can become so many different things to anyone who sees it:)

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About the Artist - The visions of Alex Ruiz range from dark and disturbing, all the way to vomit inducing cuteness and hilarity. In his paintings, the creatures of his thoughts crawl off the page and transplant themselves into the unsuspecting brain, hopefully taking residence there as well. Born in the Cuevas Negras( the Black Caves) of Hermosillo, Mexico, Alex began engraving murals on the cavern walls, and soon after, the walls of family and friends' baby nurseries. To this day, he continues to explore the roads and depths of the heart and mind, especially the odd and strange ones, and bury the findings within his art. Alex is now a freelance concept artist/illustrator living in Los Angeles, California, lending his talents to the film, television, and interactive games industries.