Overview
The Mage’s Workshop is an interior environment scene, stylistically inspired by the World of Warcraft series, and created in the Unreal Engine.
VISUAL STYLE:
PROJECT AIMS: ❖ Environment tells narrative about owner. ❖ Showcases environment and prop art ability. ❖ Demonstrates a versatility in texturing style.
DELIVERABLES: ❖ Explorable game-ready scene. ❖ Potential VR implementation. ❖ Art book, with asset breakdowns. ❖ Areas of high detail. SOFTWARE:
❖ Exaggerated silhouettes. ❖ Magical, fantasy themes. Warm tones for contrast.
Neutral tones for background.
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Bright tones for interest.
Research
Four main areas of research:
TEST ASSETS:
❖ Case Study. ❖ Test Assets. ❖ Culture Kit. ❖ Material Library.
CASE STUDY:
❖ Exploring Stylized Art: World of Warcraft.
❖ First attempt at hand-painted style.
❖ Follows pipeline from case study.
❖ Re-creation of the in-game garrison table asset.
❖ Layered baked maps to create composite texture.
❖ Entirely handpainted, not very efficient.
❖ Quick hand-painted pass to finalise.
CULTURE KIT:
MATERIAL LIBRARY:
❖ Describes five principles that define the art style: Context, Texture, Colour, Animation, Shape Language. ❖ Investigates Blizzard artist’s texturing techniques.
Click on PDF icon to view the full report.
Visual document, investigating how context drives the art style.
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Video
Planning
Three different methods of tracking project progress:
PROJECT TIMELINE:
BLOG:
❖ Project Timeline. ❖ Asset List. ❖ Timetable.
ASSET LIST:
Phases are colour coded. ❖ Currently working on the modular assets.
❖ Currently tracking 62 assets.
❖ Started to create base meshes for all assets in scene.
❖ 10 different fields: Name, Type, Mesh, Unwrap, Looped, High Poly, Baking, Texturing, Implementing and Notes.
❖ Assigned 3 weeks at end of timeline, to allow tasks to be extended.
❖ Green tasks are completed, Orange is in progress. Red tasks have an issue that needs to be fixed.
TIMETABLE:
❖ Posting regular updates on my blog, available on ArtStation, here.
Tasks are assigned on a daily basis to manage workload.
Click on icon to view the full document.
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❖ Allows me to evaluate progress and assign tasks for the week. ❖ Helpful for tracking progress for later use in the report.
Progress
Current progress:
MODULAR WALLS:
❖ Completed level blockout. ❖ Finished main modular walls. ❖ Started work on base meshes.
LEVEL BLOCKOUT: Creating a plane for the texture.
Current wall pieces implemented in-engine.
Adding sculpted detail.
Middle trim pieces.
❖ Modified the original design by adding in the arch geometry. ❖ Working on making the upper walls less modular. Editing the texture in Photoshop.
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❖ Editing the texture to re-tile.
Upper wall pieces before welding.
Progress ❖ Working iteratively to improve block out assets.
❖ Gathering reference from in-game, and creating themed moodboards.
❖ Testing final texturing style on potion props.
❖ Helps to keep designs consistent.
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IMAGES: Adobe Systems (2012). Adobe Photoshop CS6 icon.svg. Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adobe_P hotoshop_CS6_icon.svg (Accessed: 04 March 2018). aleksandr-osm (2018). Preperation room – game scene. Available at: https://aleksandrosm.deviantart.com/art/Preparati on-room-game-scene-577595655 (Accessed: 04 March 2018). aopsan. (2017) Grunge vintage old paper background Free Photo. Available at: https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/grungevintage-old-paperbackground_1273370.htm#term=old paper&page=1&position=0 (Accessed: 04 March 2018).
G2 Crowd (2018). 3DS Max Design Reviews. Available at: https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd _favicon/1487565844/3ds-max-design.png (Accessed: 04 March 2018). G2 Crowd (2018). ZBrush Reviews. Available at: https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/im age/large_detail/large_detail_1489711464/zbrush .jpg (Accessed: 04 March 2018). Gaber, Y. (2018). alchemy lab. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/8X8Nx (Accessed: 04 March 2018). geonini (2017). Old Secret shop illustration. Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/DotA2/comments/5qg jln/old_secret_shop_illustration_ive_forgotten_to / (Accessed: 04 March 2018).
Atomhawk Design. (2017). Potionomics – Potion Shop and Potions. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/8OyzG (Accessed: 04 March 2018).
Hanlin, R. (2016). Adventurer’s Room. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/ENamA (Accessed: 04 March 2018).
Barrington, M. (2018). Magical Girl Item Shop. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/PxD0n. (Accessed: 04 March 2018).
Hayden, S. (2017). ‘Waltz of the Wixard’ Gets Substantial Update … Available at: https://www.roadtovr.com/waltz-wizard-getssubstantial-update-today-including-newlocomotion-scheme-combat-focused-area/. (Accessed: 04 Martch 2018).
Blizzard Entertainment. (2017). Garrison Table. Blizzard Entertainment, World of Warcraft. Bowkett, J. (2017). Workshop. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/YE1N3 (Accessed: 04 March 2018).
Leather Journal Wholesaler (2007). Handmade Brown Leather Journal… Available at: https://www.leatherjournalwholesaler.com/prod ucts/antique-style-leather-journals/handmadebrown-leather-journal-note-book-blank-bookdairy-with-brass-buckle-and-strap. (Accessed: 04 March 2018). Mahmoud, A. (2018). marmoset toolbag logo. Available at: https://howtolearn.me/gettingstarted-with-marmoset-toolbag/marmosettoolbag-logo/. (Accessed: 04 March 2018). McAllister, C. (2016). The Alchemist’s Lab. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/1EAOK (Accessed: 04 March 2018). Owsinkski, R. (2017). Alchemy Lab. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/6oX6r (Accessed: 04 March 2018). PowerPoint Hintergrund (2017). Brown Leather Texture Background for PPT Slides. Available at: http://www.powerpointhintergrund.com/pptimage/brown-leather-texture-background13127.html (Accessed: 04 March 2018). Rezonansowy (2016). Unreal Engine 4 logo and wordmark.svg. Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Unre al_Engine_4_logo_and_wordmark.svg (Accessed: 04 March 2018).
Imgur (2015). Shipyard Command Table in your Garrison! Inconvenient for some NPC’s though. Available at: https://imgur.com/a/xMHjr. (Accessed: 04 March 2018).
Shutterstock. (2018) Collection of retro ribbons. Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/
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image-vector/set-red-vector-retro-ribbonslabels99909116?src=ndhzOq5ED_XUmpE8mp6SLg1-0 (Accessed 04 March 2018). Studica (2018). Allegorithmic Substance Painter. Available at: http://www.studica.com/Allegorithmic/allegori thmic-substance-painter.html (Accessed: 04 March 2018). Thinkstock. (2018). Frames, Corners, and Cornices. Available at: http://www.thinkstockphotos.co.uk/image/stoc k-illustration-frames-corners-andcornices/122480400 (Accessed: 04 March 2018). Wells, M. (2017). Earthlock: Festival of Magic – The Farmoury. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/lLEya (Accessed: 04 March 2018).
SOURCES: Gowland, A. (2017) Exploring Stylized Art: A Case Study of World of Warcraft. Available at: https://www.dropbox.com/s/8oltssws3sqfuet/ Gowland_Amy_P4039865_Exploring%20Stylize d%20Art%20A%20Case%20Study%20of%20Wor ld%20of%20Warcraft.pdf?dl=0 (Accessed: 31 January 2018). Blizzard Entertainment. (2004) World of Warcraft. [Video game]. Blizzard Entertainment.