For my creep den I want to have a nice balance of shapes -- jagged and twisted juxtaposed with soft and supple. Using the current Summoner's Rift map as a starting point, I want to bring in elements from other places in LoL lore. In particular, I'm interested in the, "[...] places where the mystical barriers between Runeterra and the Void have been worn thin," which is described briefly here. I included marine plants in my reference sheet for the creep den because they remind me of the vibrant colors, fantastical occurrences, and psychedelic visions described in this place between Runeterra and the Void and of the softness I'm looking for. I've also included some sharper, twisted shapes for contrast. For my turret, I want to focus on silhouette and readability from the angles used in-game. I also want to bring a slightly more dynamic pose to my turret. Following somewhat in the theme I have for my creep den, I am inspired by Kassadin. There's a certain power and intimidation in his look that I hope to translate in my turret design. I've also included Loki from Thor and Emperor Zurg from Toy Story in my turret reference sheet. I didn't include it in either of my reference sheets, but I am definitely referencing the current Summoner's Rift map. Overall I want to match my ideas with the Rift's visual style -- to bring in new elements while maintaining a cohesive look. There are two Dev Blog posts that I've found really helpful for understanding how Rioters approach their game art: Optimizing the Rift and Defining the Rift's Visual Style, I hope these help you too!
I'm working on some sketches and color keys for now and I'll have some up as soon as possible.
I did some quick sketches for the creep den and added some color to help clarify some of the details.
These aren't exact blueprints for the creep den, just general directions. The design and colors palette will evolve over time with each iteration and with your feedback. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I'm going with the idea of the places between Runeterra and the Void. I want the creep den to sort of be a transition from a lush, mystical place to somewhere more desolate and twisted.
Den A: I thought having a small waterfall might be neat, with stones building up an island in the middle. Den B: Similar to Den A, without the waterfall Den C: I tried to make the transition more obvious. The tree trunk twisting from one side to the other is meant to be like a bridge tying these places together. Maybe a small cave-ish area on the left side. Den D :The rock formations are supposed to resemble a hand reaching out from the void -- like if someone got lost exploring too deep into the space between Runeterra and the Void and that was their last desperate attempt reach out and find their way home.
The bright streaks in the water are supposed to be something like bioluminescence, since in this place, "Rivers run with vibrant colors." I chose purple for this because it's associated with the void, and when combined with the pool of water - while feeling mystical - it almost feels a little dangerous too. Like if you stepped in, even if you could see the bottom, you might be pulled into somewhere where there's no escape.
I'm still exploring designs for my turret. I'll post those here whenever I figure something out.
In the meantime, I'm looking forward to your comments and crits of my creep den concepts.
I admire the power of wood in your creep den designs. The sunken trunk (2. picture) has a great storytelling look and the rock on the 1. and 3. picture looks like a great battlefield with the monster that would stand there. Great ideas overall.
Here's a paintover of a creep den I did last weekend; I haven't had the chance to post until now. The foliage needs some work, but I'll worry about that when I'm painting textures. Hopefully I'll be able to work on my turret concept next week.
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For my turret, I want to focus on silhouette and readability from the angles used in-game. I also want to bring a slightly more dynamic pose to my turret. Following somewhat in the theme I have for my creep den, I am inspired by Kassadin. There's a certain power and intimidation in his look that I hope to translate in my turret design. I've also included Loki from Thor and Emperor Zurg from Toy Story in my turret reference sheet.
I didn't include it in either of my reference sheets, but I am definitely referencing the current Summoner's Rift map. Overall I want to match my ideas with the Rift's visual style -- to bring in new elements while maintaining a cohesive look. There are two Dev Blog posts that I've found really helpful for understanding how Rioters approach their game art: Optimizing the Rift and Defining the Rift's Visual Style, I hope these help you too!
I'm working on some sketches and color keys for now and I'll have some up as soon as possible.
These aren't exact blueprints for the creep den, just general directions. The design and colors palette will evolve over time with each iteration and with your feedback. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I'm going with the idea of the places between Runeterra and the Void. I want the creep den to sort of be a transition from a lush, mystical place to somewhere more desolate and twisted.
Den A: I thought having a small waterfall might be neat, with stones building up an island in the middle.
Den B: Similar to Den A, without the waterfall
Den C: I tried to make the transition more obvious. The tree trunk twisting from one side to the other is meant to be like a bridge tying these places together. Maybe a small cave-ish area on the left side.
Den D : The rock formations are supposed to resemble a hand reaching out from the void -- like if someone got lost exploring too deep into the space between Runeterra and the Void and that was their last desperate attempt reach out and find their way home.
The bright streaks in the water are supposed to be something like bioluminescence, since in this place, "Rivers run with vibrant colors." I chose purple for this because it's associated with the void, and when combined with the pool of water - while feeling mystical - it almost feels a little dangerous too. Like if you stepped in, even if you could see the bottom, you might be pulled into somewhere where there's no escape.
I'm still exploring designs for my turret. I'll post those here whenever I figure something out.
In the meantime, I'm looking forward to your comments and crits of my creep den concepts.
The foliage needs some work, but I'll worry about that when I'm painting textures. Hopefully I'll be able to work on my turret concept next week.