Watching the Detectives

Last week I had published my Szpieg or Polish Spy illustration that I produced in the superlative vector art and design program Affinity Designer. My original intention was to produce an illustration similar to the pulp magazines from the 1930s like Doc Savage or The Shadow, but I wound up with an Eastern Bloc propaganda poster boy with which I am perfectly happy. I started to add to my simple spy, and I may have gotten closer to my initial aim this week. 

I started adding elements to the background as well as playing with shadows, and I sort of got carried away as I went along. I also decided to bring this guy to the States and make him a shamus or private eye. I was inspired by the old radio programs I enjoy such as Pat Novak for Hire and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. I ditched the Polish title of the original illustration and went with the Sleuth title in a vintage looking type treatment I worked up.

All of the elements are vector making this illustration resolution independent. It will look as good printed on a postcard as it will on a billboard.

The problem with this program is that I can work and rework the program endlessly coming up with interesting color combinations and variations on the lighting. That’s the positive thing about a deadline. It makes you stop whether you want to or not.