My new image, inspired by a
Mike Hoffman sketch, is of a small Halloween diorama, meticulously crafted and set against the backdrop of an artist's studio. The diorama is a playful scene with Frankenstein's monster shambling behind a group of terrified trick-or-treaters set in a graveyard setting. In front of the monster, we see a costumed kid in a Dracula outfit nearby holding a pumpkin pail, as a frog-masked boy lies comically on the ground nearby. Two other children, one wearing a skeleton mask and the other in a ghost costume, appear to be running away in horror. The special effects, with a full moon, creeping graveyard fog, and blackened bats against the sky in the diorama, contrast with the golden, sunny light illuminating from the real-world workshop. Tools of the trade: paintbrushes, paints, and a sketchbook are scattered around, implying this intricate scene is a work in progress.
[Workflow: I used Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (Nano Banana) to generate a lot of bits and pieces to be collaged together, found a ton of creative license images to merge in the background, desk, brushes, gravestone etching, etc. A bunch of Affinity Photo work: creating the fog within the diorama, importing the book pages, creating the lighting from a lamp, fixing shadows on the figures, Frankie's glowing eyes, updating the headstones, among many others. A lot of heavy masking layers, and Serif Fx with dynamic filters.]
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layout sketch ideas
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| final image v33, zoom in to see all kinds of hidden details |
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lots of layers + masks
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Hoffman's source of inspiration
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merging in the various figures
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| 2+ fog layers merged, then texture warped |
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| adding gravestone etchings |
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| texture mapping Frankie into the book |
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| adding another kid, a ghost this time |
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| removing lower layers so you can see pieces |
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| the workshop background |
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every tree needs a raven/crown
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