Squall Leonhart

Final Fantasy VIII was my first Final Fantasy game, and one that has stuck with me my whole life despite its numerous flaws. Appropriately, this piece was a major turning point in how I approach texture and color in my paintings. For awhile, I had been using overlay layers on the brushstroke heavy patches of color I use as a backdrop. While doing this piece, I was curious what sort of lighting effects I could achieve by doing the same thing with the subject of the painting. This went through several iterations, trying to find the right balance of values and colors. I was very happy with the final result, and I've used this technique on nearly every painting I've done since.