The commissioner asked for a "full illustration of a zombie and a graveyard keeper playing chess on a cemetery" 

I wanted to use this project as an opportunity to study lights, fog and perspective, sice I don't usually draw full scenarios.

After a lot of sketching, I found a layout that pleased both me and the client

I used a grid to find the best composition possible. I wanted the chess pieces to be in the center of the scene and the characters' faces to be as near os the upper thirds as possible.

At this stage I also improved the overall perspective, character designs and changed their poses to be more expressive and fitting on the environment. 

It was now time for the lineart. I decided to go with a smooth brush for the characters and a rought one for the background, to add texture.

By this stage I had also added other elements to the piece, the cemetery on the background, a lamp, the chess board as well as a shovel and a couple gravestones on the front, so that the viewer could feel immersed in the scene.

The most challenging part for me was coloring. Night scenes are speccially hard to figure out and I sttrugled to find the right pallete. Using blend modes and oppacity tricks can be very helpful at this stage.