Why the Punk Aesthetic is So Effective at Capturing Attention - 'Melt' Video and File!

Hey everyone

Here is the process video, file, and brief insights of MELT, my latest illustration. These kinds of articles are often split into two parts: the concept, where I share the idea behind the piece, and the execution, where I explain the technical aspects like shapes, colors, and value choices. I hope you find this useful; have a great read.

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Concept

Someone suggested in the comments section of Instagram to try out a candle. This was an interesting reference, but I wasn't sure what approach would be best. Initially, I thought of one character, but then I realized it would be nice to have one for the fire and one for the candle. My logic behind this thought is that the fire would melt the candle, eventually turning off itself. My immediate correlation was about a relationship, like a toxic couple.

Although it's true that people in toxic relationships do not have any particular outfit, I went with a stereotypical approach of the self-destructive rock artist, punk to be precise. I always search for excuses to incorporate punk style or aesthetics to some degree. I find punk interesting to look at because its chaotic/anarchist nature translates into symbols; it's an expression of rebellion. This aesthetic often features leather jackets, either studded or spiked, symbolizing a tough, resilient attitude. Animal prints and plaid patterns are common, reflecting a wild, unapologetic spirit. The signature punk hairstyle, the mohawk, is often dyed in bright, unconventional colors, symbolizing a rejection of mainstream norms. Tight pants, typically black or adorned with bold stripes, are paired with chunky boots. Accessories like chains, safety pins, and band patches add layers of personal expression.

Punk style, with its unconventional, chaotic, rebellious, and vibrantly bold elements, inherently makes the outfit stand out and consequently engages the viewer.

The list looked like this:

• Color: White, Orange, and Yellow
• Reference: Candle
• Action: Toxic couple. Two punks in love. She is lighting his cigarette. They will destroy each other.
• Costume: Punk outfits (Jacket, pants, boots), hair style. Guitar.

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Execution

I wanted both body shapes to feel like they were in love, that's why I started by positioning them together, interacting in one way, similar to the reference. Initially, I thought of using the iconic punk hairstyle for the candle character, but changed my mind towards a shape that resembled the wax melting. I applied this same logic to the shapes in his anatomy, gesture, and cloth, making him bent and tired. As for her, I approached a curved and pointy shape design to capture a bit of the style of the flame. This decision also helps make it look dynamic and feminine.

While defining the concept with lines, I pushed the idea of him being full of bandages, as a suggestion for the nature of the relation. His facial expression looks sad yet engaged, but hers is bright, fresh, and alive, getting close to him. I particularly love this piece; it has many layers.

The color application in the fire character is inspired by the white, yellow, and bits of blue of the flame, distributed across cloth shapes often found in punk outfits. For the candle character, the costume shape distribution was the same, but I chose darker orange tones to resemble the candle in the reference. In theory, the candle is white, but I opted to make the composition happen in the dark, therefore colors would be a consequence of the light emitted by the flame.

Shadow choices were influenced by this "flame" art direction, in which I chose slightly brighter and more saturated warm tones. Often, I use one layer in "overlay" to push lights in the character. This time, I used two, one saturated and another white. I wasn't sure if too much color would ruin the vibe, so I went for a 50/50 approach. Find more about this in the PSD file.

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Conclusion

The fact that punk outfits are often very charged with information allowed me to weigh this information with shapes in the line art and leave the rest of color and value choices a bit more simple, balancing the composition nicely, in my opinion. Punk is a visually captivating style that can be applied to any outfit as long as you understand what makes punk interesting to look at. Thank you for your support!