by Alvaro Ribeiro, Art Director

Since the first idea of designing a game came to be, all of us had already set the highest standards for what we wanted to achieve with the mechanics, the lore, and especially the art in Relics Untold. Despite having a long road ahead since the beginning, we knew where we wanted to go, and we knew we could get there.

Among the many art challenges we had to face while walking this path, there was stylistic unit. From day one we knew this would be something to be handled with care, because we would have a lot of different artists involved in the whole process.

Also, Loot Studios was always known for its outstanding art and 3D models, as well as the high amount of details, so we figured people would already be expecting high-quality art.

It all started with a lot of research, so we could define the main factions’ visuals. Symbols, architecture, color palette… All of this was extremely important so that each faction in our universe could have its own iconic identity.

After that, we started developing the first characters and their skills. With this set, we drew the first sketches of our world, exploring different ideas until reaching a satisfying final result. We took our time working on these concepts, for they would guide all illustrations and final sculptures of those characters in the future.

Then illustrations followed. First, we’ve analyzed a lot of portfolios and started selecting artists. Although most of them had produced wonderful and mesmerizing illustrations, some were a bit too cartoonish or abstract, and thus far from the realism we had envisioned for the cards in Relics Untold. Because of that, we had to stick to the more realistic ones in order to keep us on track.

After this first selection, we got the right people to work with us, but of course they still had among them slightly different art styles. We understand that there is a “range” of what is acceptable for us, especially because drawing is such an individual process. It’s like everyone’s artistic fingerprint, and it can be affected by subjectivity, mood, background, culture, and so on.

And we actually appreciate that, because it’s something that makes our cards actually unique, adding personality to them, making them feel alive and memorable, rather than something you would forget easily. Some of them evoke an oil-painting style, others are more sketchy – although still highly detailed -, others explore more light and shadow instead of lines, or use a watercolor approach. In all cases, they are exactly what we need them to be.

Bob Ross, the American painter, said that “There are no mistakes, just happy little accidents”, a perfect translation for how beauty is found in the imperfections. In our case, how beauty is found in style differences, and how it defines our art and makes it unique.

We believe that the best way to create something truly remarkable is to allow these amazing artists to self-express within our briefing. It’s a bit like a sword lesson: they hold the sword, but we have to guide them through swinging it. And that is a huge challenge for us, giving them enough freedom but still keeping everyone on the right path.

Also, all of these artists become organic promoters of our game, and an artistic game such as Relics Untold needs artists to share it with the world.

Check our Art Gallery to see the outstanding work we’ve done so far, and prepare to be amazed, because more is coming.