Enter the World of Survival Horror with the Licker

CASE STUDY

ESP

PERSONAL WORK

Comic-style illustration of the RPF 1st floor West Wing hallway

Custom comic-style illustration of a RE 2 Licker performing a tongue attack at the viewer

Survival horror games became my passion when I got Resident Evil 2 on PSX from my dad on my 17th birthday in 1998.

The eerie atmosphere of Raccoon City, mixed with the puzzles and combat, was burned into my memory. I was ecstatic when the announcement of Resident Evil 9 (a.k.a. Requiem) revealed that it would pay tribute to RE2 and its characters, taking the story back to the mythic city. Remembering the pitch-dark corridors of the police station inspired me to draw one of its most terrifying monsters: The Licker.

I created a full-spread illustration of a Licker roaming the infamous "Licker" hallway on a rainy night. The scene is illuminated by a flash of lightning as the beast launches its lethal tongue strike. The piece was created with flexibility of use in mind.

SCOPE

Illustration

Hold Your Fire! I’m a Human!

EXPOSITION

Resident Evil 2 was a watershed moment in gaming; the first game set the foundation for what a survival horror game could be, but the sequel blew my mind with its ambitious scope and story, as well as the ability to experience it from multiple perspectives, following both Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield.

Resident Evil 2 - PSX Cover (1998) by Capcom

RE 2 Screenshot showing Leon running between zombies in the burning streets of Raccoon City

RE 2 Screenshot showing Claire running away from zombies in the burning streets of Raccoon City

3D rendered image of Leon and Claire standing shoulder t shoulder at a Raccoon City street

Survival horror games invite you to go into the darkness and face your fears.

RE 2 Remake screenshot showing Leon standing in front of a long dark hallway of the RPD, branding a flashlight

Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019) by Capcom

The tense atmosphere is achieved with the use of poorly lit environments and enveloping silence, pierced by the impending sound of unseen threats that we soon become familiar with as we play, in the form of shambling zombies dragging their feet, Mr. X's heavy steps, or the sound of long, sharp claws slowly clicking on the floor accompanied by creepy long breaths (that's a Licker).

The Licker's design has evolved over the years, appearing in several Resident Evil sequels and spin-offs. However, I'm sticking with the 1998 original design from PSX and the revamped, more realistic version of the Resident Evil 2 Remake from 2019. I love those two games, and I know them by heart, so the idea of revisiting the R.P.D. and capturing a lethal faceoff with a Licker in comic form had my heart pounding with excitement.

Mockup. Comic-style illustration of a RE 2 Licker painted on a dirty subway wall

Building a Tense Atmosphere

THE PROCESS

Everything starts with a reference board and some sketching. I looked for awkard, contortionist poses, and a lot of Licker shots from multiple angles.

Collectible figures and statues were especially helpful to understand every detail on the muscles, the brain and the spiky tongue.

I went through various maps and screenshots from Resident Evil 2 and its modern remake to get every inch of the 1st floor west wing corridor just right, counting the windows, spotting the heaters, the doors, the tile pattern on the floor, and the pipes in the ceiling.

Clip Studio Paint Pro screenshot of a comic-style illustration. It shows a hallway from the RPD with boarded windows and dirty tiled floor

Clip Studio Paint Pro screenshot showing a pencil sketch of the licker over the hallway, on a 1-point perspective grid

A single vanishing point perspective was perfect to give the entire focus to the Licker. The most challenging part of this piece was the game of lighting and shadows, created by the lightning flash coming through the windows.

Projection lines representing a beam of light coming from the window

The color palette is a contrast between muted brown, blue, and gray tones in the background, and vibrant red tones coming from the Licker. I also used variable-width ink strokes on the characters, which were overall thicker than the lines in the background to make it stand out even more. In the end, I added extra texture on the floor and subtle glow effects on the tiny light in the background as finishing touches.

Mockup. A person holding a framed comic-style illustration of a RE 2 Licker roaming the West wing 1st floor hallway of the RPD

Into the Darkness

THE OUTCOME

The end product is a full-spread, high-resolution illustration of a menacing Licker attacking the viewer.

Zoomed in comic drawing of a RE 2 Licker claw

Crosshatching:

the shadows are filled with Crosshatching, paying tribute to the classic Jim Lee comic style from the 1990s.

Intricate details:

gleaming muscles and strips of skin are highlighted with complex inkwork.

zoomed-in comic drawing of a door knob with a clover sign engraving

Zoomed-in comic drawing of a hallway floor with a pre-made concrete texture

Textures:

A pre-made concrete texture was applied to the hallway floor to enhance its gritty appearance, while other textures, such as those on the wood planks, were hand-drawn.

Game references:

every asset from the game was recreated, down to the clover marking on the doorknob.

Every asset was made independently, ready to be used in posters, t-shirts, wall decorations, or any other promotional material worthy of a thrilling survival horror game marketing campaign.