ARTWORK PROCESS: How to Embalm

This piece was created as an assignment for my editorial illustration class. We had to draw a "how-to" illustration. Instead of drawing from the Youtube video the professor provided, I went for something that I'm fascinated by: mortician-work. So, I did my assignment on the embalming process.

This research process was probably one of the most morbid studies I have ever done. Did you know you can post literally anything on Youtube under "education"? Because I didn't. I watched a man get his carotid artery sliced open in 4k, No ads or anything. I felt nauseous, but I was hooked.

My thumbnail phase was small. I did several on creating a ma mian qun- a traditional Chinese horseface skirt and art restoration as well. I think it was due to the subject matter and the uniformity of the composition did my professor select the embalming thumbnails.

Then, I sketched the piece. I ended up changing the exit vein from the wrist to the jugular because it looked better with the symmetrical composition.

Color comps are always the hardest stage for me. My first thought was to go for something more traditionally medical, but then I was inspired by Tim Mcdonagh to do a more out-of-the box coloring. We ended up going with the latter.

Rendering wasn't too bad. It was a back-and-forth about the strength of textures and how to use gradient maps to lessen the impact of them, as well as my style of hard edges so I ended up experimenting a lot more than I thought I would. I thought I had this down!

After some post-critique revisions, we end up with my final piece!