Witch's Study - A Complete Guide
A look into creating complex and stunning backgrounds
Witch’s Study, created in late 2020, was a turning point for me. At the time, I was in Arizona for a months-long work trip, training at a hospital. Since my family couldn’t come with me, I had long stretches of quiet evenings to myself.
To fill the time, I’d wander antique malls. One in particular was massive — aisle after aisle crammed with treasures, textures, and trinkets. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love collecting old and unique things, so this place completely filled my creative cup. I must have taken over a hundred reference photos on those visits, knowing they would become part of my work.
Back in my hotel room, flipping through those photos, I felt the urge to create a new background piece. At that time, I was focused on pushing my environment art further. My earlier piece, Witch’s Attic, had been one of my first real attempts at a larger-scale background, and while I was proud of it, I could already see where I wanted to improve. Witch’s Study became my chance to do just that — to practice layering details and creating a space that told its own story.
I — again — deliberately chose not to add a figure. Instead, I wanted the environment itself to speak for the character. Ever since I was a kid scouring I Spy books, I’ve been fascinated by scenes that feel alive without anyone in them. To me, the objects a person surrounds themselves with tell their story just as much as their dialogue or appearance do. That became my guiding principle: let the clutter do the talking.
On the antique desk sits an open book, its pages fluttering as if moved by magic. A cup of tea stirs itself lazily, pouring a sugar packet into itself. Stacks of books pile high — including the cheeky Love Spells for Dummies. A cat naps in the midst of it all, unbothered by the chaos. And if you look closely, you’ll spot tiny companions: mice slipping through a miniature door, nibbling under the desk, or reading spell books.
Every detail was chosen with intention. I wanted viewers to linger, to keep finding small surprises with every glance.
Like me, the witch is a collector of odds and ends: glass jars, fabric lamps, dried flowers, and beloved books all curated into a magical, lived-in space. My hope was for viewers to feel as if they could step inside — to smell the herbs, hear the creak of the desk, sense the warmth of sunlight pooling across the floor.
From here, I’ll break down exactly how I built Witch’s Study step by step — sketches, composition choices, and how I balanced cozy clutter without overwhelming the scene.
Let’s dive in. ✨