course

Photobashing + Shapecarving

Course by Scott Flanders

Full course

$39.99

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Full course

You will be given unexpiring access to watch the videos online .

$39.99

Lessons

Duration

1h 22m

Skill Level

Beg. & Int.

Captions

overview

NOTE: This course is on presale through September 16th. All lessons will be released after presale ends.

Let me show you some techniques I've been using to create creatures and monsters in this new tutorial, Designing Grimdark Mutants. This is a unique combo of photobashing and shapecarving. It’s fast, it’s fun, and it will change the way you sketch.

We’re not just talking about making cool monsters. This is about creating sketches with impact—creatures that look like they just crawled out of a fresh new horror movie or game. I’ll walk you through the full process, starting with quick gesture sketches and moving all the way through photo manipulation, shape design, value grouping, and gritty final touches. You'll see exactly how I think, how I problem-solve, and how I use real-world reference and Photoshop tools to bash together believable, brutal designs.

What You’ll Get Inside the Course:

A full, unfiltered look at my workflow—from blank canvas to a finished roster of concept sketches
A custom photobashing toolkit (actions, brushes, and PSDs) ready to drop into your process
My real-time thought process as I iterate, adjust proportions, and bring characters to life
Techniques for balancing photo realism with stylized design
A private invite to the Shapecarver Discord, where you can share your work and get feedback
Tons of insight into design, storytelling, and embracing experimentation

This approach is perfect for artists who want to move fast, and who aren't afraid to break stuff. If you’ve been looking for a sketching workflow that embraces chaos, leans into texture, and will help you get in touch with the grimdark-side—this is it. Let’s make some mutants.

This approach is perfect for artists who want to move fast, and who aren't afraid to break stuff.

What you will learn

1Intro to Shapecarving

What is Shapecarving? How do you do it, and how do you use it? I’ll also be covering some of the key ideas that inform my choices when I am ‘carving out’ or describing shadow shapes.

2Prepping Source Images for Photobashing

How do you convert photographic images into posterized graphic elements? I'll show you multiple approaches for achieving this striking graphic look, including methods which prioritize control, and methods which prioritize speed.

3Photobashing + Shapecarving

In this demo I will show you how to add an exciting, fresh approach to your Shapecarving tool-kit. This is the perfect technique for creating monsters, creatures, and designing from abstraction. It's incredibly fast, fun, and it will change the way you sketch.

4Understanding Focal Points

How do you know what your focal point should be? How do you use focal points to guide your art and designs? You will see and hear how I think about the concept of ‘Focal Points’, and how I apply my thinking to my concept sketches.

5Lateral Iteration

Learn one of the most effective ways to explore and iterate on your designs. it's quick, effective, and very fun.

6Understanding 'Greeble'

What the heck is 'Greeble'? What does it have to do with the Death Star?? When used effectively, small details of shape and line can have a significant impact on the perception of finish or complexity in your artwork, even loose sketches. I’ll cover how the concept of ‘Greeble’ relates to these small details.

7Using Texture

How do you add texture to a graphic image? Texture means photoreal and tiny details, right? Nope. Every element of texture should have a story behind it, and it's up to you to tell that story.

8Intro to Rimlights

What are rimlights? Why and how do you add them to your art? Rimlights are more than just an outline of a shape. When visualized correctly they can help to communicate additional dimension and form. I’ll show you how to use them strategically to control focus and increase the visual impact of your sketches quickly.

Premium Benefits

Money Back Guarantee

Contact support@proko.com within 30 days. We usually don't ask questions, but a request is subject to review if over 25% of content was downloaded. This is to protect our instructors from dishonest wardrobing and ensure a happy and thriving community.

Exclusive Content

Only premium students get to watch the majority of instruction contained in this course. Little to no free content is provided.

Assignments

A variety of exercises to help you practice what you've learned. After you do the assignments, you can post them in the community for feedback and see what other students are posting.

Step by Step Process

Watch step by step video demos from start to finish with educational commentary from the instructor. Most of us are visual learners (we’re artists!), so reading about it or hearing it explained is not enough. We have to see it!

Downloads

Includes content that the student can download to any personal device for offline viewing.

What others are saying

Joey Ro

“Scott has an ability to put himself in his students' shoes and teach from a perspective that makes understanding and retaining the information much easier, and is suitable for artists of any skill level. I've participated in 3 or 4 workshops now. I learn and pick up something new every time. Scott is really great at knowing where to push his students to allow them to really grow. I've seen it in my own work as well as some of my classmates. The classes are well structured and the community aspect of the class really helps with making the workshops feel like a team project. These workshops have helped grow my skills and speed and efficiency of my workflow. Highly recommend it.”

Patrik Antonescu

"Very well made tutorial with extremely useful techniques. This is a great addition to any artists toolkit!"

Sam Capper

"Scott is an excellent teacher, and he breaks down complex topics in a manner that is approachable. He provides a roadmap that is fun, and gets results quickly. I would definitely recommend picking up this course."

Will Wheatley

"It was very cool to see how much Scott put into this one. Come do yourself a favor and learn with the Obi-Wan of concept art!"

Liubov Shamanina

"Great insight into the artists thinking process. Love how this way of creating concept art is very streamlined and efficient. The tutorial itself is concise and dense with information, I would definitely revisit it again in the future."

F.A.Q.

Can I download these videos?

No, this course does not offer downloadable video files.

Do I need photoshop or another digital program to follow along?

Nope. You do not need Photoshop to follow along. I have included a select demonstration specifically for artists who are not using Photoshop, and which will help you achieve similar great results.

After the course starts. Is it too late to join?

Nope! You can join and watch the lessons at any time. This course has been designed with a relaxed pacing in mind, with assignments and lessons and plenty of time to do coursework. You can always go at your own pace!

Is this price a monthly fee?

No, it’s a one-time payment and you will have access to these videos forever. You are essentially purchasing a product. It’s not a subscription.

Are there any prerequisites?

Nope! Though an imagination filled with crazy monsters and mutants is sure to be useful for anyone interested in this tutorial.

Can I buy this course as a gift?

Absolutely! Just enter in the gift receivers email address at checkout.

Will you be adding new lessons?

No, you'll have access to the full course after the presale ends.

If I bought one of your videos on a different platform (gumroad, skillshare, etc.) will I have access to them here?

Unfortunately no, Proko is a completely different platform and cannot transfer your purchase over.

When will all the lessons be available to stream?

All lessons be released on 09/17/2025.