ARTWORK THREAD 1: Factions Posters

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ARTWORK THREAD 1: Factions Posters

Unread postby Panda Tar » 15 Apr 2015, 19:53

This is the thread to start deciding and sketching posters for each faction.

But before starting, I wanted Groovy to post here some examples of what he wanted to express by 'poster' in first place, so I can have a grasp of what to do. Also, to decide which faction to start based on those core ones that are more advanced in development. I guess Sylvan is one of those?

I'll have this one sticky because it'll be updated while it's being improved and all insights will be important in this process.
"There’s nothing to fear but fear itself and maybe some mild to moderate jellification of bones." Cave Johnson, Portal 2. :panda:

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Unread postby Groovy » 15 Apr 2015, 22:20

The single best example that I could find is this:
Image
I haven't seen the movie, but the poster moves me. I feel like I can connect with its protagonist. That's what I'm after - posters that bring their factions to life in a way that players can connect with and get a sense of what the faction is about.

Another excellent example is this:
Image
It gives great sense of place - it is simultaneously dark and light, threatening and awe-inspiring, a protective home and a tomb - just like Sylvan.

The posters would probably be some combination of faction landscapes and faction themes. Or faction themes expressed through the landscapes. :)

With the Barbarian faction, the images that come to my mind are an orc stoically enduring a sandstorm, and a small orc tribe trekking through the desert.

With the Sylvan faction, it is an elf funeral under a tree, and a foreboding forest.

Something I think is fairly important is that we don't get too focused on the warrior aspect of the factions. I'd prefer to portray the people who make up the factions in a more holistic fashion. They lead rich lives, of which fighting is only one facet.
Last edited by Anonymous on 16 Apr 2015, 20:26, edited 1 time in total.

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Unread postby Panda Tar » 16 Apr 2015, 07:20

Understood.
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Unread postby Groovy » 16 Apr 2015, 08:27

You make it sound so military. :S
Please add your two cents.

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Unread postby Panda Tar » 16 Apr 2015, 10:42

Acknowledged. :D

This is another poster which could give me an idea, I think?

[img]http://blogs-images.forbes.com/erikkain ... cept_2.jpg[/img]

Many landscapes and ideas are in turmoil regarding Sylvan in my mind. I'll focus on that for now. The strongest picture is of a hollow tree from where a waterfall seems to have carved its way through it, or perhaps the tree was carved to accommodate that water course, going to a small pond deep in the forest. There's an ornamented path going behind that waterfall where there are rocks, and there's an eerie air about the place. Some unicorns watch two figures as they go, unrecognizable through the mist, beyond that path.

This might be what I'll try to sketch at first. How does that sound? It'll take a while. It's been ages since I last sketched landscapes. ^^

***

This picture shows something that would make part of my idea, waterfall falling in front of that entrance (which would be several meters high, very big), the waterfall coming from a hole in a huge tree, but around the place, only tall and large trees, a dark pond where waters meet, some sun rays bathing the scene.

[img]http://41.media.tumblr.com/83ebaeb288a6 ... 8_1280.jpg[/img]
"There’s nothing to fear but fear itself and maybe some mild to moderate jellification of bones." Cave Johnson, Portal 2. :panda:

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Unread postby Groovy » 16 Apr 2015, 11:32

That scene has a lot of potential. I'm curious to see what you make of it.

There's another aspect to the landscape pictures that we haven't spoken about yet, and that I think we need to take into account - the living quality of the Heroic world. I remembered when I saw that stone building in your picture. The way I imagine it, the inhabitants of the Heroic world don't convert it into resources from which to construct buildings; they use living materials. They shape rather than break down and bind together again. I think it's important that the living quality of their structures is reflected in the artwork. This applies to wood, stone, metal, ice and any other material.

I've never seen this before, so I have no idea how well it would work, but I'm keen to see us try it. :hoo:

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Unread postby Panda Tar » 16 Apr 2015, 12:23

Hmmm ... this feature changed a bit my inner image and added some fluid to it now. The way I understanding it, things won't look like blocks, but like fluids. For Sylvan at least.
"There’s nothing to fear but fear itself and maybe some mild to moderate jellification of bones." Cave Johnson, Portal 2. :panda:

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Unread postby Groovy » 16 Apr 2015, 20:18

Spot on. For all the factions, not just Sylvan. And for all materials, not just wood.

Here's something else that you might find useful.
Image Image
I'm using the picture on the left for the gargoyle hero, and the one on the right for the troll hero. What I'm trying to convey with these pictures is that these creatures are people, not animals or monsters. They have feelings, they can contemplate and reflect on their actions, they can be negotiated with. They can certainly behave like monsters in certain situations, but this is not what they are limited to. I think it's important that the posters give this impression for all the factions.

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Unread postby Panda Tar » 16 Apr 2015, 20:24

Acknowledged.
"There’s nothing to fear but fear itself and maybe some mild to moderate jellification of bones." Cave Johnson, Portal 2. :panda:

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Unread postby Groovy » 16 Apr 2015, 20:58

With the Frost faction, the dominant image for me is that of a picturesque ice cavern that has been put to communal use. It makes its own light. Its floor is transparent and shows a shallow sea teeming with marine life.

Image Image

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Unread postby Groovy » 16 Apr 2015, 21:06

Google image search on "hang nga house" gives some interesting designs. :D


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