The Defiant

I finished a character portrait of the forest wizard guy from the previous post. The name of his race is the Defiant, and he is the embodiment of the darker side of nature: fear, decay, plague, etc. He is the evil face of the natural forces combating the technological zealots called the Lexia, brought forth from the bowels of the earth in response to the rapid contamination of the world. They are capable of manipulating our darkest instincts, and can spread disease rapidly, as well as hold dominion over the vile creatures that inhabit the earth.

Here is a bit of my process as I painted this portrait:

Quick preliminary sketch

Big shapes of color to establish light and tone

Clean-up the edges and more in depth rendering with texture before adding the overall texture that enhances the mood I want.