#TBT: Deconstructing a Homage to Robert McGinnis
My finished homage to the great Robert McGinnis. The goal was to capture the specific mood of his vintage paperback covers—a mix of glamour, suspense, and drama.
Every so often, it’s a valuable exercise to step outside of your own style and pay tribute to one of the masters. For me, one of those masters is Robert McGinnis, the legendary illustrator behind countless iconic movie posters and vintage paperback covers. His ability to capture character, drama, and a specific kind of dangerous allure in a single image is unparalleled.
A few years ago, I created this piece as a personal project—a direct homage to his signature "femme fatale" style. It all began with a simple sketch to map out the scene.
How it all began—a clean, blue-line sketch to establish the composition and the classic, expressive pose of the character.
From there, I moved on to the foundational ink drawing, where the high-contrast look that is so essential to the noir style gets locked in.
How it all began—a clean, blue-line sketch to establish the composition and the classic, expressive pose of the character.
The challenge was to capture the feel of his work—that mix of glamour and suspense—while using my own hybrid process of traditional inking and digital color. I even explored a few different color palettes to get the mood just right.
An alternate color version I explored, focusing on a solid color for the dress to create a different mood and test the palette before adding the final details.
The goal wasn't to create a perfect copy, but to learn by doing, to understand the choices he made by trying to make them myself. This illustration remains a personal favorite because it represents a deliberate step outside of my usual whimsical style to explore the worlds of noir and suspense. It’s a reminder that studying the great artists of the past is one of the best ways to continue growing as an artist today.
What artist’s style has always inspired you? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.
P.S. This illustration is now available as a high-quality art print, T-shirt, and sticker in my new Redbubble shop! Click here to see the full collection.
