Visualization of concept art for a first-person dark fantasy video game. We play as a headless knight whose existence is sustained by necrotic magic.
Link to the previous project: https://portfolio.hse.ru/Project/134883#
Cover Prompt: «This is a fantasy game poster made with watercolor and oil paints in broad strokes. The colors are purple and grey and black. All the shapes are sketchy with fuzzy edges and low details. A lot of broad brush strokes. In the center the knights helmet with a blue crest is floating. Under the helmet there is an arm in metal glove in profile with her palm wide open. We see only the hand, the figure moves out of the frame. The background is dark black.»
An old cover image was also provided as a reference for the neural network, exerting an influence strength of 0.5 on the final image.
Screenshots from an old project.
Monster and Enemy Concept Art
For the old project, only one type of enemy was conceived, but with the help of a neural network, it was possible to develop complex mystical creatures, among which was a strange mix of a griffin and a mummy, presented to the neural network as a Manticore with a human face.
Prompt: «A manticore with black feathers and long horns stares angrily at the viewer. Its head resembles a withered human skull, and bloody saliva drips from its mouth. It is surrounded by the gray stone of a medieval castle and candles in which human faces are frozen.»
«The gloomy sorceress. Surrounded by a magical purple mist, she raises her hand to conjure a curse. Her expression is stern, her eyes burning with intensity.»
From the initial concept, the image of a red crusader was taken and rendered in the prompt as follows: «A militant crusader in black armor with red, bloody veins. His helmet is curved in an unnatural manner, the visor closed, a red glow emanating from it.»
No neural network allows such graphic content in the prompt, so the word «blood» was replaced with «crystal.» Yet, it still generated blood.
A headless rider in knight’s armor wielding a magic rune sword. The horse rears up, shrouded in ominous smoke. The background is a burning dark fantasy forest.
A headless rider in knight’s armor, appearing villainous. The horse is enveloped by ominous smoke. In the background is a burning dark fantasy forest.
Additionally, a common prompt was used for lighting, composition, character, and brushstroke style across all enemy generations: «Dark Arts Style», «PhotoReal», «Cinematic», «Wide Oil Brush Stroke», «High Rendered», «Chiaroscuro Effect», «Intense Atmosphere"—subtle film grain and meticulous shading add depth and texture, emphasizing the emotional gravity of the scene.
Enemy Palette.
Locations
For all locations, the prompt parts for composition and lighting remained consistent: «Bare location view, interior only,» «The dim light reflects,» and «Sense of mystery and danger.» Otherwise, only the narrative themes varied, and these are detailed in the captions for each location.
The ruined library of the royal palace: massive cabinets filled with books in expensive bindings. Dust hangs in the air, illuminated by moonlight filtering through a broken window. In the darkest corner of the upper left, the outline of a huge spider with orange eyes and webs dangling from its paws.
Bare location view, interior only. A bar in a dark fantasy gothic tavern at night, illuminated by numerous candles and a fireplace. A collection of terrifying bottles holding witch-crafted drinks and potions.
Identity and Touchpoints
Generated game logo
A cinematic, high-contrast photograph of a medieval-inspired logo for a knight-themed video game, centered on a dark, muted background, featuring the title «Don’t Lose Your Head» emblazoned in a distressed, gothic script font. The crisp white letters resemble twisted, thorny vines, evoking a sense of eeriness and foreboding, with subtle organic texture and grain, as if etched onto worn, ancient parchment. A shallow depth of field creates a feeling of intimacy and drama.
Game logo color palette.
Game Studio Logo
Prompt: «An engraving logo for a video game studio creating indie games. The logo features bold lines and high contrast, inspired by traditional engraving art. The logo is colored with rich hues of black, white, and red tones blending seamlessly. The low-detailed, juggling Jester is hopping out of a box, depicted in exquisite detail, with textures that evoke a sense of artisanal craftsmanship. The overall composition exudes a mischievous gameplay experience, provided by the studio 'Jester’s Forge'.»
Space and Promotion
The video game environment was generated using the ImageFX neural network.
Prompt: «The background is a comic con festival with cosplay and people. It is blurred a little. Foreground is a stand with a video game: there is a computer and keyboard, the logo appears on the screen. Logo description: a cinematic, high-contrast photograph of a medieval-inspired logo for a knight-themed video game, centered on a dark, muted background, with the title 'Don’t Lose Your Head' emblazoned in a distressed, gothic script font. The crisp white letters resemble twisted, thorny vines, evoking a sense of eeriness and foreboding, with subtle organic texture and grain, as if etched onto a worn, ancient parchment.»
Since the goal was to generate a logo motif similar to the one on the screen, part of the text was inserted from the brand identity creation brief.
