Michael Vs Emmett Series 2018-2020

The Michael vs. Emmett series is an exploration of narrative-driven character art, told through dramatic combat illustrations featuring two central figures in my original universe: Michael “Iron Sentinel” and Emmett “The Swine Breaker.” Each illustration depicts a moment of escalating conflict, blending stylized realism, emotional storytelling, and cinematic atmosphere. A classic good vs evil mashup.

My Role

Sole Creator: Responsible for the full character pipeline, from concept refinement to final presentation.

Responsibilities:

Concept & Narrative Direction

This series was created to visually explore the hostility and history between the two characters—Michael, augmented being empowered by cosmic crystalline lightning-charged abilities, and Emmett, a brutal backwoods slasher accompanied by packs of mutated boar-like creatures and his ravenous Hellstock. The images emphasize tension, violence, grit, and the mythic scale of their rivalry.

I approached each scene as a sequential moment in a larger narrative, designing compositions that feel like frames from an illustrated novel or graphic cinematic campaign.

Art & Technical Breakdown

Modeling & Sculpting

I sculpted, modeled, and designed every character, creature, prop, and environment in the series.

Michael features a hybrid hard-surface/mechanical and organic sculpt—armor integrated into anatomy, glowing cracks, and stylized musculature.
Emmett was designed as an imposing figure with exaggerated proportions, cracked skin, and a grimy gas mask with glowing lenses.
Boar creatures were sculpted with diseased, mutated features to create a horror-infused atmosphere around Emmett.

Each character was built from scratch and rigged for posing.

Rigging & Posing

Both Michael and Emmett have full body and blend shapes allowing expressive combat choreography:

Wide, angular poses emphasize Michael’s explosive power.
Emmett’s movements rely on heavy, slow grounded movement and weapon weight.
Creature rigs allowed me to pose dynamic attack formations around Emmett.

I used these rigs for high-intensity illustration work rather than animation.

Lighting & Atmosphere

A major focus of this series is storytelling through lighting and mood. I used a stylized cinematic approach:

Storm-charged blues and chaotic lightning FX for Michael’s scenes.
Sickly yellows and swamp greens to emphasize Emmett and his corrupted environment.
Volumetric fog, mist, dust, sparks, and debris were layered to create depth and tension.
High-contrast rim lighting highlights silhouettes and drives emotional impact.

Each scene varies from nightmarish marshlands to burning battlegrounds to emphasize story progression.

FX & Compositing

All electricity, energy bursts, muzzle flashes, sparks, and atmospheric particles were created and composited by me.
Techniques include:

Procedural lightning passes
Multi-layered glow systems for eyes, armor, and electrical nodes
Smoke simulations and stylized particle bloom
Gritty film-like textures to give the illustrations a graphic-novel finish

The FX work reinforces character identity—Michael’s lightning vs. Emmett’s toxic, feral presence.

Visual Storytelling Goals

Across the series, I aimed to:

Convey emotional stakes through expressions and body language
Build a world through environmental storytelling, such as swamp decay, ruined structures, and corrupted wildlife
Use color theory to distinguish protagonists and antagonists
Capture the moment-before-impact or aftermath of violence to enhance drama
Create a sense of motion and kinetic force even in still frames

Each illustration stands alone but also contributes to a cohesive arc of confrontation between the two characters.

Software Used:

3DS Max, Zbrush, Maya (Rigging), Marmoset Toolbag3, Substance Painter, TopoGun 2, After Effects, Photoshop