Protagonist Full Body Drawing: Vale

Rough Framework

Lineart + simple gradient background 

Greyscale fill

Shading

I used this drawing process to create an early draft of the final character designs that would be featured in the art book. The protagonist, Vale, seemed like a good place to start and I was able to put several of the methods I'd learnt into practice for this piece.

Putting the character in a simple greyscale made it easier to visualize shadows, form and shape, whilst still keeping the various sections of the character distinct. The addition of a subtle gradient across the character, keeps the viewer focused on his upper half, something I'm quite pleased with.

Hopefully, when more character art is complete, I will be able to apply colour to this image, and use more lighting based techniques to flesh it out further.

Primary character facial studies

Sketches: Kori, Lucifer and Liza

For the artbook, I have thought of using sketches similar to these to show detailed parts of a characters design, any expressions or possible action poses. This would go alongside the characters backstory and personality traits, balancing the books lore with the imagery.

I plan on arranging more life drawing for reference, during December Break to improve the quality of these sketches, focusing on dynamic poses and the human body in motion.

Rough character sketches

Minotaur + Gorgon enemy: 2014 version

I wanted to try and update some of the minor characters and creatures as well, since they would serve as good practice for the various lessons I've learnt on anatomy and proportions.

Gorgon and Minotaur sketches: 2016

I decided to sketch out a design based on the original drawings, but also sketch some alternate or variant versions, to see if I felt like developing them further as well. I then built on top of the initial sketch, as well as adding colour to define it's various features.

Detailed Character Headshots

I then began work on several headshots of major antagonists within the game, as seen below.

Guidelines and Lineart

Colour

Lighting/Shading and details
From top left clockwise: Cassah, Bayl, Liza and Jarik

I'm pleased that these designs have improved on; both my work at university and the designs for these characters that I initially created.

Cassah' changes: 2013 to 2016

Whilst working on the latest design, it was noted that I needed to improve Cassah's silhouette, and that his colouring needed to be somewhat quieter. I was glad that feedback found his helmet design interesting, as I'd based it on a Roman centurion's helmet, due to the characters origin as part of the Roman senate.

Hellway, the third chapter: A change in direction

After reflecting on my decision to focus on character design and the abandonment of background/environment art, I have chosen to also omit the prop and UI elements of the artbook, as I realized the time taken to do this will compromise the quality of the final outcomes. While this does go against my original schedule, I feel it is a better direction for the project overall, and will increase both the quality and quantity of the characters I produce.

I am hoping to revisit these areas, including background/environment art, at a later date, following this projects completion.

Dis Environment Sketch (Unfinished)

Maya generated framework

Lineart + tone

With colour + lighting

Using Maya as a guide I was able to create a 2D piece with decent perspective elements. I'd realised the potential of using Maya this way in a previous project, and I was satisfied with the result. It also served as a good source of inspiration about the settings architecture, and made for a useful visual aid, as I was able to clearly see the setting for the first time.

I was quite pleased with the lighting on the buildings and the sparks and the red haze in the air aided both the atmosphere and the perspective. However, due to both the time it took to work on this kind of art and some feedback from tutors, I decided it was best to shift focus entirely onto character art, as it was the more striking aspect of the games design.

Originally, I was planning to change the colours so the characters could stand out better against orange glow that pervades the city, as well as drawing several of the buildings in more detail.

Planning Schedule

Project Alpha Schedule

Month/ Date	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Oct 10th – 16th		Finish Presentation and Design Document, including the games premise, tone and a rough synopsis. Start Blog.			Compile information about the characters of the game and gather reference/research. Start compiling sketches.
Oct 17th – 23rd	Gather reference for weapons and objects. Start compiling sketches.		Gather reference for characters and the  environment and compile a colour palette.		Start sketching environments and mapping them in 3D.
Oct 24th – 30th	Character and enemy sketches.				Colour sketch: Character or Environment.
Oct 31st – Nov 6th	Refine Character design	Refine Environment design	Write up info about the game	Colour Sketch: Weapon		Research the design of other character action games and use to highlight the features of this games characters and creatures
Nov 7th – 13th	Create a group of sketches for characters which include notes on how they should move, what their personalities are and any minor details about them.
Nov 14th – 20th	Creature/Enemy sketches		Environment sketches		Notes of the games environments
Nov 21st – 27th	Complete all sketches of the main characters: There should be at least 3 for each IMPORTANT character and several of the various enemies they
Nov 28th – Dec 4th			!!DEADLINE!!	Start planning the next load of work

I tried to schedule this timetable so I had several points that I could use to do extra work on an aspect of the project in case something went wrong and I needed more time to complete it. I also built the timetable around my access to certain resources, such as the Cintiq, because I decided if I used it primarily I could produce better quality artwork.

Additionally, I plan to use the University's life drawing sessions as reference for posing the high quality character designs, likely during Project Beta.

Reference and Research

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance screenshots + concept art

Doom 2016 screenshots + concept art

Destiny screenshots + concept art

Wayne Barlowe's Hell

The above images were collected to provide reference for both the games characters and environments. Metal Gear Solid was a good source of high-tech cyborg designs and Doom has mixed technology and demons since it's original release. Destiny was also useful as it is a science fiction series that uses mythological influence in it's design.

One of the key points of reference is the work of Wayne Barlowe, an artist I've researched before on previous projects. His interpretation of Hell is among the most unique, and is quite alien in it's approach to the creatures and the culture, an aspect I felt was important to touch on in my own work.

These sources serve as high quality guides on the melding of different elements, such as organic material and machinery. Given that this kind of fusion is such a prevalent part of my project, I knew that it was important to have examples such as these, readily available.

DCAU Neo Gotham

Caverns + the Underdark

I also looked at DC's Neo Gotham for influence on how to create the lighting for a futuristic cityscape. Additionally, I also gathered some reference of caves, subterranean lakes and illustrations of the Underdark (a fantasy underground setting from D&D).

Skin + Bone textures/ Strogoi

Lastly, to add in any highly detailed character images, I gathered some reference of skin, both real and fictional. The Strigio made for a good point of reference due to the shift in skin texture around their throats. I also sketched the image below, using this reference as a guide to improve the designs anatomical accuracy.

Demon Head

Demon Torso

I plan on completing the following and compile it into an artbook.

• Several character designs, including major and minor characters, with both sketches and full light artwork
• Background art of the environments, including at least 1 fully coloured and shaded piece
• Props, items and environmental features
• UI and other graphic elements
• A player view of the game space

Hellway: The second chapter, Pre-Alpha Presentation

Summer Work: Character Headshots part 2

Character Headshots 2: Summer 2016

Using the knowledge from my previous head designs and that which I'd learned doing life drawing, I made a new collection of character drawings, including several with both shading and lighting. I also used some different brush styles to make the lines feel more organic and sketchy in places, something I'd considered based on the life drawing experience and that I hoped it would make them more animated.

Summer Work: Life Drawings

Quick sketches

Reductive charcoal

Reductive charcoal

2 - 5 minute drawings

I found the life drawing very useful for anatomical knowledge, and working at a large scale produced more organic lines and shading. I plan on using life drawing as a resource during the later stages of this project, likely in the project beta.

Summer Work: Sketchbook Studies

Hunterian Museum (London) Skulls 

Rick Kenton

Facial Expressions

Summer Work: Character Headshots

Character headshots: Summer 2016

This set of initial drawings, were made so I could practice by updating my older designs. Self reflection and feedback indicate that I still need to improve my anatomical knowledge, particularly a person's facial structure, even accounting for stylisation. 

I've made plans to enroll in a week long anatomy and life drawing course, and also begun sketching members of myself and members of my family.

Hellway: The first chapter

For my 3rd year project, in Computer Games Art, I planned to base it on a long running personal project. The project, which I named Hellway, is based upon the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, and takes the form of a continuation of the Inferno, but has a modern /futuristic twist. 

The setting that Dante created in his original poem is rife with inspiration and of great influence. It has always been a personal interest of mine, but I found it particularly interesting that hell has always been depicted in this traditional fashion, outside comedic interpretations. 

I wanted to explore the effect of such an extreme environment on a group of characters after several millennium of hellish exposure.This setting provides many opportunities for unique stories and despite this project being an action game I wanted to find the best and most engaging way to tell them, in contrast to certain other games within the sub-genre.

I'd also planned to link this project with my dissertation as exploration of the sub-genre's use of narrative. I'd noted that it was an area of much debate and discussion among gaming communities but that it had never been academically analysed. 

My decision to make an art book was so that I could play to my strengths, both 2D design and narrative. It allows me to present the games characters and locations alongside interesting traits and features that would be as engaging to the reader as they would to a potential player.