Adapting Visual References in Concept Art For Monster Design

(This is a short version of one of my academic articles that you can find here).

There is efficacy in adapting visual references (3D renders and photos) to concept art for high-budget game development and film production.

For example, embedding visual references into an artwork for time efficiency, correct use of perspective and establishment of believable textures is significant in a video game triple-A development. The search for realism enhanced by the use of visual references also shows to be advantageous in designing uncanny monsters. 

Visual references can be manipulated in software such as Photoshop to prepare not only the blueprints for the 3D modelling/sculpting stage but also to design the special effects makeup for live-action monsters and animatronics. 

There is a gap between our current understanding of the uncanny valley, as it is defined in robotics, and the process of designing characters. Investigating this subject is important for a dual reason:

1. It moves knowledge forward in the field of the uncanny valley’s applications to concept art, since this has not been investigated in depth.
2. It helps professional concept artists in shaping and controlling the uncanniness of antagonistic characters.

Analyses on industrial practice showed that:

• The use of photorealistic references to be implanted directly into concept art is not a mandatory request for all game developments and digital effects film productions but it is increasingly encouraged for certain products such as triple-A games because it reduces hiccups in the workflow: indeed, this practice spares the artist from hand painting texture details through brush strokes and minimizes perspective mistakes.

• When it comes to designing uncanny monsters, the use of these references pushes the design towards realism facilitating the triggering of the uncanny valley phenomenon at a design level – as highlighted by the current literature on the subject. The horror genre often favours rich textures (e.g., organic material such as blood, filth, rustiness, etc.) not only in characters but environments too – this adds to the subtle subversion of the concept of affinity which is at the centre of the uncanny valley and it is commonly used in horrors to make the viewer feel vulnerable. 

In the light of this, the adaptation of photorealistic visual references might represent a strong starting point for concept artists who aim to trigger the "uncanniness" through character design. This type of reference should be directly inserted into the work and then transformed through deformation tools, photo bashing and minimal painting. The use of "previs", in collaboration with the animation department, can implement the monster’s movements, since these contribute to the uncanniness of the creature. 

A study on the finalisation of the sculpting and modelling work which analyses how to convey the texture of the uncanny monster in a three-dimensional environment (e.g., UV mapping) would represent a natural development for a research which aims to formalise a specific industrial pipeline. 

Furthermore, an investigation into the role of scriptwriting and sound on making uncanny monsters for films and games would be a valuable supplement because it could make clearer how the integration of visuals, narrative and audio influences the design of the uncanny monster. Study on sound in particular would offer significant insight that can be applied in robotics.

Generative AI – like Midjourney, Stable Diffusion and OpenAI’s DALL-E – might bring a significant change to contemporary practice. In fact, the use of AI has already demonstrated to be powerful in testing ideas, establishing colour palettes and producing suggestive photographic references with a high degree of realism. Because of this and their impact on the concept art practice, generative AI applied to this subject requires further investigations.

Photo by Pavel Danilyukyuk: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-shot-of-white-robot-toy-8294606/Photo by Pavel Danilyuk: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-shot-of-white-robot-toy-8294606/