I made these shapes in SketchClub. I used the Vector tool to create a figure on a layer, and then I copied it onto another layer by adding a new blank layer below the figure layer, and then selecting the higher layer and using Copy Down. Then I used the Move tool (the one on the toolbar at the top of the screen that looks like a cross) to drag the copy to one side and a bit lower. Then, on the higher layer, I used Merge Down to make the two layers into a single merged layer. So now I had a single layer with two figures on it. I followed the same process again to get a layer with four figures on it. Then I followed the same process again to get a layer with eight figures on it. And so on, until I had a layer with a diagonal column of figures crossing the screen. Then I duplicated this layer three times using the same process as above, and I used the move tool to drag them into different positions, using Flip X (on the lower left of the screen while the Move tool is active) on two of the copies so that the figures were facing the other way on two of the copies.

To make the diagonal straight shapes, I made four new layers above the set of layers with the figures on them. I used the Vector tool with the Square selected (touch the squiggle shape on the toolbar at the top of the screen to get to the square), then on each of four new layers I made a long narrow black rectangle. The rectangles were all horizontal, so on each of the four new layers, I used the Move tool to rotate them and put them in the desired position. Now I put the Vector tool back into Freehand mode (the squiggle).

Now I wanted to make each of the "walls" behind the rows of figures a different color. To do this, I made five new layers below all the other layers (at the bottom of the layer stack). On each of these five new layers, I used the Vector tool to draw a colored shape representing the wall behind a set of figures.

Now, some of the layers were not in the order I wanted. I wanted the figures and wall in the lowest part of the canvas to be closest to the viewer. I wanted the figures and wall at the top of the canvas to be farthest away from the viewer. To do this, I rearranged the layers so that the lowest layer was the purple shape at the top. The next highest layer was the top row of figures. The next highest layer was the top diagonal bar. The next highest layer was the pale blue shape. The next highest layer was the second highest row of figures. The next highest layer was the second highest diagonal bar. And so on. This rearranging of the layers has the figures at the lower part of the canvas visually in front of the figures towards the higher part of the canvas. Once the layers were rearranged, I used the Vector tool in Erase mode or in Over mode on each layer as needed to clean up the shapes (erase stray unwanted bits, etc).

Now I wanted to make each row of figures a somewhat different color, getting darker as they move farther into the background. To do this, I added a new layer above each row of figures. I changed the blending mode of each of these new layers to On. Then I filled each layer with a color. Then I used Merge Down on each of these new layers. So now each of the rows of figures has a slightly different color.

I describe the use of the On blending mode in my tutorial on Digital Collage. Basically, whatever you put in an On layer affects only those pixels that are present in the layer immediately below. In our case, where I used an On layer filled with color to change the color of the rows of figures in the layer immediately below, no other layers were affected. If I had used the Normal blending mode or any other blending mode other than On for the color layer, the color would have affected the entire canvas and not just the figures. One restriction in SketchClub is that you can have only a single On layer applying to a layer. If you later want to use another On layer with a layer, you first have to Merge Down the first On layer. That is why I used Merge Down on the color layers, when we used On layers to change the colors of the rows of figures. It is because later I will want to use another On layer to shade the figures, as we shall see below.

I also wanted to add a pattern or texture to the figures. To do this, I made a new layer above each row of figures, and I changed the blending mode of each of these new layers to On. Then I used a light colored pen to draw thin lines on each of these new layers. Then I used Merge Down on each of these new layers. So now I have a pattern of lines on the figures.

Now I want to add shadows on the upper parts of the colored walls. To do this, I created a new layer just above each of the five layers with the colored patterned shapes. Then I changed the blending mode of each of these five new layers to On. Then I used a soft round brush with a dark brown color, and I put the brush into Multiply mode (by touching the brush icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen, and selecting Multiply from the horizontal menu at the bottom of the window that pops up). Normally, I find shadows look best in Multiply mode. But we are painting on an On layer, and a layer can’t be in two blending modes at once. So putting the brush into Multiply mode lets us deal with this situation. I painted with the brush on the top portion of each of the wall sections. I adjusted the layer opacities of these On layers as needed. Then I used Merge Down on each of the On layers.

I opened the image in iColorama. I used Adjust/EQ preset 1 at medium opacity, as well as Effect/Glow preset 1 at low opacity, and I tried some of the presets under Adjust/Tonelab. I sometimes also try Adjust/HDR preset 2 at low opacity and Adjust/High preset 1 at low opacity. These presets help to increase contrast and tonal separation. You can see how it really brought out the texture in the collage papers. I also used Effect/Raise or Effect/Sharpen at low opacity for emphasis and sharpness.

I edited for color and tone using several functions under Tone. This gave the image a darker mood.

As a finishing touch, I used Form/Sort preset 3 at low to medium opacity.

I continued adding figures, and as I described above for the first version, I colored the figures and the various wall sections.

I opened the image in iColorama. As I did for the first version, I edited for tone and color.

I used Effect/Blend to blend the image with a previous version of itself, using one of the negative blending modes (Negative, Exclusion, Difference, Phoenix). I experimented with all the sliders, including the sliders under Set.

Still unhappy with the results, I used a preset under Effect/Blur, with a plan to use the result in a later Blend step.

Going back to a previous version of the image, I used Form/Sort preset 1 at low opacity.

Continuing to use the mask from the previous step, I used Form/Sort twice at low to medium opacity, each time using a different preset. Here I used preset 1 at medium opacity.

I removed the brush mask. I used various presets under Tone and Adjust to enhance color and tone. I used Effect/Sharpen at low opacity to add sharpness.

I used Style/Water preset 3 to soften the rough edges.

I again used Effect/Blend to blend with another texture I had made previously in SketchClub. Again I lowered the opacity and tried several blending modes.

I opened the image in SketchClub, and I painted on cracks using the Wobble brush. I saved the image to my camera roll.

Now I opened a blank canvas in SketchClub. I imported the image onto two layers. On the upper layer I decreased opacity and resized using the Move tool (the one in the toolbar at the top of the screen that looks like a cross). Then I used the Vector tool in Erase mode to cut away part of the upper layer, and I put the layer opacity back to 100%. I could also have done this using Effect/Blend in iColorama and using a brush mask with a sharp-edged brush, but I found it easier to do in SketchClub. In iColorama there is no undo while painting the brush mask. I saved the image to my camera roll.