Project Overview

“Beneath the Helm” is a digital exploration of form, fluidity, and power rendered entirely in Procreate. At the center of the image lies a knight's helmet — adorned with glistening pearls and faceted gems — partially dissolving into a surreal cascade of neon hues and warped geometry. Through melting effects and morphing outlines, the piece reflects the tension between fixed identity and constant transformation. Sharp angles meet soft flows, inviting viewers to look beyond ornamentation into the shifting nature of control, ego, and elevation.

Context & Background

The inspiration behind “Beneath the Helm” came from a curiosity about what lies beneath symbols of status and protection. A knight's helmet, typically a rigid and revered object, becomes here a mutable, almost liquid presence — unraveling in real time. This piece explores the fragility of image and structure, asking: what happens when what once defined us begins to shift? With visual nods to dream sequences, fashion iconography, and digital glitch aesthetics, the work also speaks to the fluid nature of modern identity — glamorous, unstable, and evolving.

Process & Technique

Created in Procreate, the piece involved an intricate layering of hand-drawn forms and custom brushes to simulate liquefaction, light diffraction, and morphing materials. The foundational structure — a classic crown with gem and pearl embellishments — was drawn with architectural precision. From there, I distorted edges, applied neon-infused gradients, and manipulated shadows to create the illusion of melting and merging. The dominant color palette of neon blue, muted gray, and vivid magenta was carefully calibrated to balance elegance with intensity. Each color plane interacts with the next, creating a pulsating tension between solidity and unraveling.

Final Work

In the completed composition, the helm hovers in a moment of metamorphosis — not being worn, but becoming something else entirely. It flickers between states: royal and ruined, structured and sublime. The interplay of gems and fluid distortions gestures toward the hidden energy beneath presentation — an unseen force reshaping what was once fixed. “Beneath the Helm” is ultimately a portrait of impermanence in power and identity, rendered in luminous, otherworldly detail. It asks the viewer to consider: What do we hold onto when even the symbols we wear begin to melt?