Today, I wanna share the process behind creating Zarvok, The Incinerator, a character I designed for Marcos. This is one of several characters I’ve worked on for him, and tbh, every time I get to design one of these beings, I love the challenge of bringing them to life from scratch.
Creating characters like Zarvok is something I’m really passionate about. I love exploring different concepts, mixing fantasy with tech, and playing around with details that tell their story and personality. Every new design is a chance to create something unique and expand worlds through art.
For this one, I wanted Zarvok to feel like an unstoppable force—a mix of raw power and technology that demands respect at first glance. I focused on giving him a strong silhouette, with massive armor packed with details like chains, skulls, and his badass weapon with a steampunk touch. The goal was to make his presence feel heavy, like a real threat.
I’ve worked on tons of characters over time, and each one has a special place in my creative process. Zarvok is one of those that really leaves me satisfied—not just because of the final result, but because of the journey to get there. Seeing an idea evolve into a fully detailed design is something I always enjoy, and it keeps me motivated to keep pushing new creations.
Zarvok (The Incinerator)
Rarity: Legendary
Power: 17 Power
Faction: Shadow
The first step in bringing Zarvok to life was sketching out some lines to capture his essence. I don’t always start with a super detailed sketch, but since this design was pretty complex, I decided to plan ahead instead of going in spontaneously.
I already had a clear idea of the character, so I focused on nailing his silhouette and dominant pose. I gave him massive armor with ornate details like chains and skulls to emphasize his brutality. I also added the giant mechanical incinerator embedded in his back—one of his defining features that makes him deadly in combat.
This sketch set a solid foundation for the rest of the process, letting me dive into painting without having to redo details later.
Once the sketch was done, I moved on to the color blocking phase. At this point, I worked with a palette that highlighted the character’s main tones: purple skin, aged metal on the armor, and golden details on the mask.
This base isn’t the final version but more of a starting point for rendering. I didn’t go too hard on details here since lighting, shadows, and textures would be added later. However, even at this stage, you can already see the contrast between the skin and armor, plus the glowing eyes, which really amp up the character’s eerie vibe.
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So in this phase, I added shadows and highlights to give the character some volume. The lighting really brings out the texture of the metal, skin, and accessories, and you can start seeing some highlights on the mask, though they’re not super noticeable yet since the lineart is still on a top layer.
As for the clothes, I worked on some ornamental details that add a unique touch to the design, like the intricate armor decorations and skulls, which play into Zarvok’s theme of destruction. These little touches help add more character and depth to the piece.
Even though I focused mainly on the character, I also started working a bit on the background. Nothing too detailed yet, but I had an idea of the vibe I wanted—something that would complement Zarvok’s strength and power without taking the spotlight away.
Despite the progress, I knew there was still a lot left to do to polish the details and get the atmosphere I was imagining for this character.
At this stage, I pretty much removed the lineart entirely, letting the details stand out more clearly. I focused on refining the mask, weapon, and ornaments, giving them more depth and texture. The mask ended up looking more imposing, while the weapon, with its steampunk style, got the final touches to really bring out its mechanical structure.
Funny thing is, I somehow worked at a different size than usual 😂. buttt F! No idea when that happened, but I only noticed it when I was almost done. After some tweaks and adjustments, I managed to fix it without messing up the render quality.
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The final render is where everything comes to life. I added realistic textures to the metal, dramatic lighting, and fire effects on his mask for extra visual impact. His mechanical incinerator has an industrial aesthetic with gear details, making his combat lethality stand out.
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