Legend has it that deep within a hidden mountain lies a forgotten ancient tomb. This tomb belonged to an ancient sorcerer who fed on human souls, forging an “Evil Essence” capable of controlling life and death and altering the fabric of reality. To prevent the malevolent spirit from wreaking havoc, the imperial court dispatched an elite battalion, joining forces with Taoist masters to seal the evil spirit within the tomb. They placed numerous traps and enchantments to secure the seal. For centuries, no one has dared to set foot in this accursed place.
Art concept
My initial concept inspiration came from the underwater tomb of King Wu, where he was buried alongside his most cherished 3,000 swords. Among them, the most renowned, the Fish Intestine Sword, is revered as the supreme of all swords. Eternally sealed within ancient vines, it rests alongside King Wu in his eternal slumber.
However, in the subsequent design process, I am dissatisfied with the sword elements. I created several different sword models, but none of them yielded satisfactory results. This led me to reconsider whether I should replace the sword with other elements.
I want to replace the sealed object from a sword to particle effects, which are referred to as “Essences” in the story. The narrative revolves around these Essences, telling the tale of an ancient sorcerer who crafted a power capable of controlling life and death and altering the balance of the world. To prevent the evil spirit from wreaking havoc, the imperial court sealed it within an ancient tomb hidden deep in the mountains.
The container that seals the “Essence” is designed with bird feathers. This is because its power to control life and death, and alter the natural order, reminded me of the ancient Chinese phoenix, which also symbolizes the ability to reverse life and death and achieve rebirth through nirvana. Therefore, the overall design of the container draws inspiration from the phoenix’s wings and feathers.
- Camera concept
Preliminary layout
After completing the concept art, I used simple block models in Maya to lay out the basic structure of the scene.
Next, I set up the basic lighting, fog, and camera angles in Unreal Engine 5 (UE5). I also replaced some of the block models with assets to give the scene a more refined and immersive look.
Modeling
I modeled the container. The process involved creating a rough model in Maya, then importing it into ZBrush for sculpting, adding forms, cracks, and other details to enhance material texture and realism.
The effect of the container in the scene.
The effect of the container with lighting in the scene.