Come up with an idea for your artwork, its era and its aesthetic. Then gather reference on a PureRef board using the techniques Marco demonstrated. Don’t be afraid to spend time researching your setting and any specific details you might need to bring it to life!

Note: You can use our free Brief Builder tool at www.briefbuilder.app to brainstorm ideas.

Choose 8 screenshots of compositions you like from film, TV or games and use the attached template file to analyze these compositions through simple linework. Be careful not to get overly detailed. The goal here is to break down each composition to its most basic form.

Note: You can access the accompanying Photoshop template in this lesson’s downloadable project files.

Stretch, squish and transform Marco’s initial building design into a new set of 2-3 buildings of your own, using the template provided. These don’t have to be perfect, they’re just a quick way to get you thinking about the proportional ideas Marco demonstrated. Have fun with it!

Note: You can access the accompanying Photoshop template in this lesson’s downloadable project files.

Using the template image provided, add a set of your own details to Marco’s simple scene. See how these additions can change the feel of the image!

Note: You can access the accompanying Photoshop template in this lesson’s downloadable project files.

Create 3-4 very basic value compositions showing your scene from different angles. Make sure the values are easily distinguishable. Alternatively, if you’re more comfortable with another sketching method Marco showed, you can use that style instead. Keep the fundamentals Marco demonstrated in mind, and keep things simple for now.

Create a page of 2-4 callout sketches to define any areas of your compositions which might need to be figured out in more detail. These can be loosely rendered, but they should be readable to an outside viewer.