Sean Lee - Concept Art Rookie Awards 2022

A Fantasy Medieval Styled Town on a broken floating bridge. The Town is designed to look like a warm safe haven in contrast to the dark and cold world surrounding it. 

The Central Tavern Building is the heart of the community. Travelling adventurers and locals alike meet here to eat, drink and exchange stories.

The 3 main levels of the building are connected by a paternoster lift system. Allowing for many people to transverse the different floors simultaneously. Stairs on either side of the lift allows for walking too.

Level 1 Lobby - Main meeting area with a central magical light well. This is where events and parties are held. 

Level 2 Tavern - The Dirty Pony Tavern. Dining area with food and drinks.

Level 3 Rooms - Residential area where travelling adventurers can rest. 

Space Adventure World combining the aesthetics of the British Georgian Era (18th - early 19th century) with the Scifi Technology of a spacefaring civilization.

Focusing on the Star Admiral, a leader type character commanding a ship that sails the celestial oceans of the galaxy. His ship is based on the traditional ship of the line from the Georgian Era but with scifi elements added to fit it into the world.

The props in the ship that the Star Admiral uses would also be a combination of Futuristic Scifi in function and historically Georgian in look and feel.

The Holographic Table blends the idea of a Wartable that Officers of the ship can gather around to plan strategies in 3D. Together with the curvy gliding aesthetics of the 18th century Rococo Style .

The Smart Pocket Watch combines the old aesthetics of a pocket watch together with the function of our modern smart flip phones but also utilizing holographic user interface.

A day in the life of the Star Admiral and his crew. I wanted to bring out his personality in this illustration as well. He's a cocky dude and likes to torment his pirate prisoners by making them play mini games with their lives. 

A concept idea for an East Asian temple with a Magical Tree sprouting out from it. Even though this is an environment focused piece it also serves as a base idea for the "Earth God Character" who is sitting above his shrine and responsible for the magical happenings in the image. 

My Fantasy take on the Interior of a classical Greek Temple to the Goddess Aphrodite. While most people think of the Goddess as a sexual and love deity. I focused on her ocean aspect. 

Her origin myth claims that she emerged from the ocean on a seashell fully formed and beautiful. That is why historically many of her temples are also found next to the ocean and she is also venerated by sailors and fishermen. The tidal pools, coral reefs and seashell elements from which she emerged is the main aspect I decided to use for her temple as i believe she as the goddess who personified beauty would want to be surrounded by beauty.

Photobashed concepts depicting how an Underwater City would look like. The base images from which I created the photobashed images are taken by me and are based on various locations in Singapore City. 

The visuals are influenced by cyberpunk aesthetics and the concept of a heavily capitalistic world dominated by vibrant neon advertisements much like modern day Hong Kong and Tokyo.

Now would you kindly take a tour of the city.

While I focused on ideas of the city below the ocean I imagine there might be areas of the old city on higher ground which might not be fully flooded and may still be inhabitable. Differences in elevation of buildings and the damming of certain waterways might cause a higher tide to fill in certain areas and cause spectacular displays of waterfalls as the water escapes from these areas. 

An assignment where I had to create 2 characters that were of Similar Race Type but of Opposing Teams

I settled on 2 Elf Races. A more sinister and magic wielding Dark Elf race that uses mind control. And a free spirited and nature loving Wood Elf race that practices druidic magic. 

Assignment where I had to create a Room Interior Design that's not in our current modern world. It had to be fantasy, scifi, steampunk etc.

I settled on the idea of a Space Cabin that's attached to a bigger spaceship. The Space cabin would have been inhabited by a Cartographer whos exploring the galaxies and mapping them out. 

To reflect the nature of his work he would have a working space observatory in his cabin, with windows at the sides and at the top, allowing him to study the cosmos.

Project where I had to create an Interior and Exterior Environment Design set in the same world and culture.

Culture and Time Period : 10th Century Norse Scandinavia 

Interior of a Norse Longhouse : While I based my designs on historical facts I also tried to recreate and romanticize these environments in a way that people in our modern world could relate to. Realistically Viking longhouses were not ideal places to live. There was alot of smoke from the main fireplace and usually cramped with a single large extended family or many families. 

I sought to make the longhouse look homely and fun. Instead of having the beds in the same elevation I had them in different heights. Similar to modern youth hostels that want their rooms to look "fun" Similarly I kept the functions of many other objects such as kegs to store water and mead but exaggerated their sizes. 

Exterior Norse Harbourtown during lowtide : 10th Century Scandinavia was still a predominantly pagan pre-Christian society. I imagine some towns might have sprung up around areas of religious significance like fresh water springs near the costal shore such as this concept town I created. The freshwater spring would have evolved into a fountain featuring the idol statues of the Norse God of the Sea, Njord. The freshwater would than have poured out from the lower part of his statue and flowed towards the ocean. This would make the freshwater look like his beard, and as the god of the sea his beard would rightfully flow back into the ocean.

Character Concept of a Roman Patrician Family set in an Alternate Fantasy Styled Rome. 

My goal was to design these characters with an Accurate Historical Base but to also further add on to that base and recreate them with a More Vibrant and Energetic Design. As they were a family unit they would also need to be designed to be Seen as Being from the Same Tribe Visually.

Time Period : Late Republican Rome (50 BC) - Early Imperial Rome (50 AD)

Historical Context : Rome had a social hierarchy, from slaves at the bottom to freeborn plebs in the middle and the Emperor at the top (From 27BC onwards). 

The Patricians were a small and exclusive group of about 300 families in Rome. They were the ruling class and ranked directly below the Emperor. You could not work your way to this social class. You had to be born into it.

As the most powerful social class in Rome, the members of the family would have occupied key positions in the State, Military and Priesthoods. They would have influenced fashion and were highly educated at a time when most people could not read and write.

Father, Master and Head of Household - Serves the state as a powerful politician. Wears a toga that is reserved only for freeborn male citizens. Wears a big charming smile that carries with it fake promises much alike our modern politicians. Charismatic and silver tongued man, but with an ego so huge you can spot him from across the Mediterranean.

Mother, Lady of the House - While women were excluded from politics and could not vote, various religious priesthoods were open to them and allowed them to rise to great positions as high priestesses. Like this character who would have influenced emperors and generals alike. Snobby woman, has her nose up higher than mount Olympus. 

Oldest Son - High ranking military commander who wears highly ornamental armor.  The extra ornaments may not provide actual functional purposes, but serves to provide the authority and power to inspire his troops. Stern and competent general who wins battles both on the battlefield and the bedroom.

Middle Child Daughter - Highly educated and an excellent speaker like her father, she is based on the historical Hortensia. A woman who was praised for her oration skills in speaking in the senate. But unlike her father, women can't be politicians so she doesn't need to keep up with the fake smile and act like she likes you.

Youngest Son - As a younger son with no responsibilities but also born into power and wealth he spends his time leisure hunting. Much like modern day boys who play Call of duty for fun and not because they need to defend their country in real life. The younger son hunted not because he needs food. He hunted for fun, prestige and to show off the giant wolf he killed to his friends.  

The defining colour that brings all 5 characters together is Purple. Purple was considered an extremely rare and hard to obtain dye that was worth its weight in gold. So by wearing purple, it was a statement of your wealth.

These Historical bases factored into how I designed these characters and what they did in their daily lives.

"There are plenty more fish in the sea"

Popular Proverb

"Do not despair, child"

Nyx. Hades

Project to swap an existing character's culture with another so that the character is still recognizable but is portrayed in a different look. I decided to use Nyx from Hades(Supergiant Games) and swap her Classical Hellenic Greek culture with Han Chinese culture. 

IS TROUBLE BREWING?

Pandaren Brewmaster. Warcraft Universe

"This Is My Story Not Yours. You Must Let Me Finish Telling It."

Ciri, Lady of Worlds. Witcher 3