Influence Maps

As we had an hour or so to ourselves today I decided to take a look at some influential images based around the Idea of architecture from different sources of fantasy and animated media. Mainly because I feel that physical buildings, although breathtaking at times, fail to push the boundaries that artists and animators can reach. From developing cities resting on tree tops, to huge underground mining colonies and other worlds filled with vast alien technology.

Influence Map 1: My first influence map is based on the Architecture in the MMO "World of Warcraft". I chose to look at this world first because it has been the most influential in my artwork and my life itself. I've been playing for almost 10 years now so I feel at home in the concept art and the characters of the world.

Every environment is different ranging from desert cities with arachnid based architecture and designs to massive elven cities atop a world tree. Giant citadel's encased in ice and a floating bastion of magic and wizardry.

The artists of Warcraft have achieved the ultimate fantasy design and are continuing to evolve their ideas with future expansions.

Influence Map 2: My second lot of research focused on the bizarre world of Terry Pratchett's disc world. A world where everything rests on the back of a giant turtle floating through space and time. Cities resting on the back of huge six legged reptiles and human bastions representing the roman empire and the humanitarian side of fantasy archetypes.

Pratchett has managed to create a truly bizarre world that oozes charm and feels like it has an organic nature too it. His cities feel alive and in m cases like the turtle and the giant reptiles, they are.