Team of One

Team Fortress 2 Time!

I was inspired to make Aaron into a TF2 picture a few days ago, and it's finally come into fruition!

At first I was going to make him a soldier carrying a rocket launcher before I realized "hey, I hate playing as soldier!".

And so I made him into a Pyro.

This is my first piece of digital art made in an effort to promote realism and remove cartoonish outlines.

I'll explain my process.

First, I drew a basic outline.

Then I made a new layer and made the shape of the body and limbs in a different color.

Next I made a new layer and added in the weapon and clothing in a different color than the first two.

Fourthly, I made the other layers mostly transparent and made a new, final outline in semitransparent black on top of them all.

Afterwards, I added all the colors in individual layers below the outline.

Then I did the outline-like shading with the light source being the top left of the image.

I then duplicated the layer and blurred it, making a realistic shadow.

I repeated the above processes, except with a lighter shadow.

I repeated it yet again for the highlights.

I then added in the flame by making a basic shape out of yellow, followed by red for the random dark parts within the yellow outline

Next I repeated the blurring process of the shading on the fire shading

I then added highlights in the center of the yellow spaces and combined the layers.

Following this, I copied the layer and made a new one below it. I pasted the fire and instead colored it bright yellow. Then I blurred that by a massive amount.

Then I did the same steps for shading but instead with the light source being the fire (and I made the highlights and shadows more intense as well).

Finally, I added in the finishing touches by putting plasma filters of different turbulences and colors in several layers and layer effects. I added in shadows and highlights on the ground with the shading effects I normally use, and I added a wood textured frame with an inner drop shadow. Then I put some grain over the whole thing and called it a day.


I hope you enjoy it!

and I'm still working on the comic (honestly! I'm not a genius when it comes to writing!)