Of Strokes and Shades

We use the 3dtotal.com website and name to promote all our art titles. This includes adverts, announcements, features, and a free chapter on our site. We also use our various social media platforms to publicise the book: Facebook (200,000 Likes), Twitter (48,000 followers), Instagram (113,000 followers), and Pinterest (8,000 followers). In addition we post promotional videos for all our books on YouTube and Vimeo. Book releases are always announced to our mailing list of 83,000 subscribers. In terms of print marketing we send out promotional postcards and a catalogue with all physical orders in our online shop to promote book titles that are about to be released. We also send review copies to popular magazines, websites, and blogs such as ImagineFX and Parka Blogs, and work with sites such as Creative Bloq and CG Cookie to promote the usefulness of our books on their websites. In addition we advertise our titles on the popular Character Design References Facebook page (853,000 Likes). Artists involved in the book are always asked to promote the book to their audience – this means our titles are often mentioned on social media platforms with as many as a million followers.

With many of her subjects rendered in hyper realistic style, wearing a second skin of black paint or dark-florals, Laura Rubin’s art is unmistakeable. 

To tell the story behind her art, Laura begins the book by sharing her journey from art student to professional artist, providing encouragement for budding pros and enthusiasts alike. Laura also talks about what inspires her, with mythology and psychology being just two subjects that feed into her emotion-infused work. The reader is then invited behind the scenes to watch the artist at work in her studio, located in her hometown of Thun, Switzerland. 

Laura’s portraiture sketchbook is opened to reveal simple drawings and recent studies made as the early stages of future paintings. Throughout these sections are artworks from past and present. In addition, there is brand new art by Laura, created exclusively for this book. 

Finally, the reader is led through detailed, step-by-step tutorials demonstrating the artist’s workflow and the key fundamentals of portraiture (pose, light, and composition). From using reference models, and expert tips for working in Procreate, to sketching, coloring, and advancing the portrait from realism to hyperrealism, the process is explained from start to finish.