Hej Víkingar!
Welcome to our first Art Department update! Take a look behind the scenes with our Art Department as they give us the inside scoop on their work over the last few months.
From a massive overhaul of the user interface to the meticulous crafting of character designs, every detail has been carefully curated to immerse you deeper into the realms of Skye: The Misty Isle!
Fate Beckons...
Art Week gave a sneak peek at the design process behind a very exciting announcement coming soon. We have been working on this one for a long time and we can't wait for you to see it!
"Prepare yourself for fate beckons and her price is always blood… From the initial spark of scriptwriting to storyboarding and concept art creation, witness the evolution of every frame, culminating in a breathtaking glimpse of what’s to come. With a bespoke soundtrack crafted to stir your senses, this has been a real labour of love, each step meticulously taken to immerse you deeper into the enchanting world of Skye."
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Click the links to read more!
Einar Hair Concepts
We revealed not one but two character concepts this week. First up was Einar, following on from his metahuman reveal in Narrative Week, we showed his early hair iterations. Exploring a couple of historical and not-so-historical designs to lock down his Early Access appearance, we are sure he will continue to evolve in the future.
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Click the links to read more!
Sissel Face Concepts
Sissel followed next, with a face reveal and makeup iterations, ready for her first appearance in the Art trailer. Sissel has been in the works for a long time behind the scenes, but nowhere near as long as Einar has!
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Click the links to read more!
Æsir Shield Concepts
Revealed many months ago as a present to our Pre-Alpha Æsir donors, and one of the first of many unique assets, we revealed the workflow of the Æsir Shield design, from concept to final design. See just a select few of the shield designs we considered before we made it into reality.
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Click the links to read more!
Map Designs
We showed off both of our full, in-game maps, along with some iterations of the Skye map. We decided to hand-paint both maps to give them an authentic feel, and we hope you enjoy exploring them as they unlock!
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Click the links to read more!
Department Update
Our Art Department provided an update on what they have been working on recently, including historical research, working outside of their comfort zone and what the focus will be in the future.
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Show details
What We're Working On We have been very busy in the art department over the last few months. Our main focus has been chipping away at a huge overhaul of the user interface; icons, maps, menus, you name it, we’ve done it! Alongside this, we have been teaming up with the narrative department to start bringing our characters to life; exploring early face and hair sketches to reimagine in MetaHumans and, as ever, we have been neck-deep in research. Our Favourite Project Bringing Einar and Sissel to life, from first initial concepts through various iterations of their MetaHumans, has been such an interesting process. While we are still working within the limits of our small team, it was great to see some of these characters start to be realised. Knowing that they will continue to evolve during development and as our resources and capabilities increase is something to look forward to, and we can’t wait to share these changes with you! Our Biggest Challenge The biggest challenge so far was making the Æsir shield. It was very important to us to have the actual shield in-game and ready for our Early Access launch. As we have some very basic experience with 3D modelling, we decided to take the plunge into learning Blender to model the shield from scratch. Nothing beats the sense of accomplishment when you see your own asset in-game for the first time! What We've Learnt We have learnt so much over the years, tackling work outside our comfort zone and acquiring new skills to really push the game forward. Recently, we have spent a lot of time in-engine, helping the production department by redesigning some locations and points of interest in the game. As a small team, we get the opportunity to learn more behind-the-scenes aspects of game development that we wouldn’t normally get to see or enjoy in our respective roles. Geographical and Historical Accuracy Historical accuracy is very important to us, and something that is always on our minds. Research is a constant theme of development, but knowing when to push the boundaries for visuals is also vital. We want the game to look visually recognisable for its time period, while also maintaining a respectful and realistic portrayal of the cultures that we are exploring. We are still finding the difficult balance of adhering to historical accuracy, without sacrificing the iconic Viking aesthetic. Looking to the Future In the future, we will be focusing our attention on the game’s visuals, starting with redesigning our placeholder assets and bringing our characters and the world around them to life. We can’t wait to begin creating a unique identity for both Norway and Skye, their different cultures, and to see the game take on such a huge visual overhaul throughout development.Stay tuned for more updates as we continue our journey towards bringing Skye: The Misty Isle to life!
Skål,
The Art Department 🎨