The Hellraiser Project: Documented

The Hellraiser Project came from a customer who asked Mike to refinish his ESP guitar. He asked for a Hellraiser theme and really left everything else up to Mike. Anyone who knows Mike, knows that he is a HUGE horror fan and he has never had the opportunity to paint Pinhead, so this job thrilled him. We also thought it would be a great subject for tutorials. We filmed the Pinhead mural nearly in its entirety and present it to you here in chronological order.

1. VIDEO: Creating the Mask: This video details how Mike utilizes CorelDraw to create a masking system to lay out the basic "map" of the mural
2. VIDEO: The Underpainting: Utilizing the Grisaille method, Mike lays out the mural elements and establishes the complete image through values of light.
3. We did not film the color wash portion of the project. After the underpainting is complete, color blocks are laid down rather quickly.
4. VIDEO: Detail Color: Once the color washes are down, Mike utilizes darker colors to really "carve out" the details.
5. VIDEO: Final Highlights: This is where it all comes together! Mike goes back through the entire mural to bring out the final detail and add impactful shadows.
6. BONUS VIDEO: TEXTURE TECHNIQUE: Mike uses a lot of unique methods to create realistic textures. There are quite a few videos on our YouTube channel that detail many of them. We added a new one during the Hellraiser project!

Mike gives very detailed instruction throughout the videos. We trust that you will enjoy the series and would LOVE to hear from you! See our contact information in the footer. ENJOY!

GALLERY OF FINAL IMAGES