What could be more Detroit that pistons, skulls and rust? Not much, I think. That being said, when speaking with Detroit’s Mound Road Engine about their record art for their forthcoming self-titled EP, it only seemed natural to create a “real life” version of the logo I created for them. The challenge? Making everything look like it’s rusted metal. Enter my buddy George Charbeneau from Graveside Manner. George makes it a habit to create and construct sweet special effects for haunted attractions. You know, the hydrolic jump scares in those haunted houses that bloom from hell come late September?
Anyway, I enlisted George to help me create the pistons-and-skull piece, and he did not disappoint. The technique he used to make an average, replica skull look like rusted metal is actually fairly simple, but messy. And something I’m gonna keep a secret.
I also have a feeling that this image is going to get stolen. A lot. Which is why I’m not posting it in the usual glorious high-resolution (well, for the interwebs). But that won’t stop people, for the most part.
So to sum up, most of this is “practical special effects” versus mostly digital. Yes, there is lots of compositing and color treatment and such, but if you took all that away, it’d till be bad-ass.
Tags: bones, Detroit, heavy metal, industrial, metal, motor city, mound road engine