Graduate Compilation

University Final Project - Zoephage

Snippets of work from a worldbuilding project I undertook in the last term of uni. The story is based around journeys and connections, building on the themes introduced in the recent 'strandlike' genre. I produced four character designs and three keyframes, a few of which are showcased below.

The Ascent

Liesl's journey begins at the gates, where she steps out of the city borders overlooked by the revered heroes, cast in marble and draped in gold. Her journey seems bleak, but she proudly continues regardless.

The focus of Liesl's ceremonial attire is the opalescent armour. If you look closely, it might almost be transparent. Whilst variations exist for the guards, this styling of cloak is reserved for the candidates. Both her armour and the architecture in the keyframe are inspired by European gothic architectures and historical armour styles.

Library Chores

Idrys is the son of the family that own's Mukh's great central library. Whilst it is a great public resource, it is also an organisation leading long research exhibitions outside the city borders. A unique feature of this library is the private study rooms suspended on overhead railings, allowing for a quiet place to read or work away from the main floor. A lot of influence was taken from Middle Eastern and Islamic architecture in the design of both the character and the building.

Both keyframes above use some assets from Quixel Megascans and the Epic Marketplace.

Meng Qi and Meng Zan

Twin candidates for the ceremony hailing from a land covered in a thin layer of water. Meng Qi is deaf, whilst Meng Qi is blind. They are both reliant on each other but stunningly independent in the world, and navigate their lives with ease. 

Side Project - Riley

A character design and illustration set based on some worldbuilding themed around 80s cyberpunk and dystopian cities. I enjoy using brighter colours and fun lighting in this sort of work.

Somewhere in a dingy alleyway, around the back of a long closed restaurant, Riley stops for the first time that evening. As she lights her cigarette, it starts to pour.

'It's my lucky day.'

Riley's design was based off a written brief, which developed into what it is now. She had to seem like she could hold her own and had a bit of an edge to her, but still had a bit of a fun side that she expresses through fun hairstyles and colours.

Her bike is partially modelled, partially kitbashed from Andrew Averkin's hard surfaces pack. The engine's exposed at the back to allow for maximum heat dispersal efficiency, and the lack of headlights are to maintain stealth when escaping authorities. Riley finds the vertical handlebars more comfortable for long distance cruising, so this is one of her own modifications to the bike.

'By the time most of the enforcers had poked their heads out again, she was gone, with only the shell of a smoke bomb and a scrawl of charcoal-black tire tracks to show she had been there in the first place.'

I went back to some old Cyberpunk Red art to reference the style of this piece. The project as a whole takes inspiration from older tabletop games, so I wanted to try a high energy keyframe to practice techniques from older work.