Cuphead Backgrounds

Layered Watercolour Backgrounds

Background paintings for Cuphead, a classic run and gun action game inspired by cartoons of the 1930s. All the visuals were created using the same techniques of the era, with traditional hand drawn animation, watercolour backgrounds, and stop-motion models.

The backgrounds were done in multiple layers to create movement and parallax. There were a variety of levels: single screen boss fights, scrolling flying levels, and side scrolling platformer levels. Each boss fight had multiple phases, and each scrolling level would shift mood/location as you moved through and progressed.