How do I give my art the same cinematic look that I see in professional work?

Sandy Morrissey, Wales

Bram replies

There are lots of tricks you can use to make an image feel more cinematic or photo-real, but the most important one of all is lighting. Try to develop a good understanding of how cinematographers use light to their advantage and how they lead the viewer’s eye to certain parts of an image by using light and contrast.

In this image the light source in the background helps to push the silhouette in the foreground while providing the

The most important part of making an image feel cinematic is the lighting. Study how top cinematographers do it and try to emulate those set-ups in your own paintings.