This character was partially influenced by the art of Sorayama and James "Hawkprey" Hawkins. I also wanted a hint of anime style with the background.
How was the image made: Pretty typical modeling. I used materials vs. texturing for everything but the background. I used Max particle effects and warp for the jetboot smoke. The background is actually a giant tube that spins to give the impression of movement for the animation (can be viewed on my website @ www.3dprofessional.com).