The Undead Step by Step - Cihuateteo

Here is a step by step (sort of) process for an assignment I was given for the "How To Draw and Paint the Undead" book. The character is called the Cihuateteo. She's a woman from the Aztec mythology who died while giving birth. She haunts crossroads at night stealing children.

The first image is part of my sketch book pages, my ideas on paper.

The second is a character turn around. Most illustration clients don't care for this kind of thing, but since the book was a "how to" the client felt that it was important to have the turn around.

Right about here is where I would post the photo reference I shot of Meadow's face for the final painting, but she would kill me!
Lastly, the finished painting.