Medieval Fantasy Character and Creature Design:

Exploring the Past to Create the Future

-

Terra Gods Project. Fantasy Concept Art for Video Games and Movies

As a concept artist with a passion for fantasy and medieval aesthetics, I naturally wanted to create a personal project about it. I'm also fond of archaeology, so I explored the bygone cultures and tribes of the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. As a Portuguese native, I'm drawn to the rich history and heritage of this region.

Through my research, I transported myself back in time to millennia ago to imagine the people who once inhabited these lands. I created concept art that depicts their clothing, armor, weapons, and tools. I also explored their culture, beliefs, and way of life.

I believe that fantasy and medieval art can help us to connect with our past and learn from the cultures that came before us. But it can also be used to fill in creative gaps and create new and exciting entertaining worlds to fuel any video game or movie project.

Deep Narrative Design

Unlocking the Emotional Resonance of Concept Art

-

Persona profiles and mind maps.

Concept art is more than just making things look good. It's about understanding the characters and the world they live in and using that knowledge to create art that is both visually appealing and emotionally resonant.

Deep narrative design is a process of exploring the characters' emotional journey, motivations, and fears. It also involves considering how the environment reflects the characters' personalities in a video game or film.

By understanding these factors, concept artists can develop a visual language that represents the characters in a way that is both believable and engaging. This can be achieved through the use of color, shape, symbology, and other visual elements.

Concept art that is created with deep narrative design in mind is more likely to resonate with viewers of video games or movies, on an emotional level. This can help to create a more immersive and engaging experience.

Creating Believable and Engaging Characters

Through Concept Art

As a concept artist for AAA Video Games and Film, I am passionate about creating compelling narratives through my work. I start by gathering ideas and collecting references, then I experiment with sketching to create characters that are both realistic and believable.

I draw inspiration from subcultures of today, such as hippies and rave culture from festivals like Burning Man and Boom Festival. These subcultures represent the closest thing we have to a tribal system today, and they provide a wealth of insights into human behavior and psychology.

It is important to strike a balance between the imaginary and the real when creating characters. My goal is to create characters that are both believable and engaging, with complex personalities and motivations.

Using Marvelous Designer

to Create Realistic Fashion Designs for Concept Art

When working on this medieval fantasy concept art project, I used Marvelous Designer to create realistic fashion design for the characters. Marvelous Designer is a software program that is specifically designed for fashion designers, and it provides a number of tools that make it easy to create realistic and accurate clothing designs.

One of the things that I like most about Marvelous Designer is that it automatically generates UV maps. UV mapping is the process of unwrapping a 3D model so that it can be textured. Automatic UV mapping can save a lot of time in production, and it can make the life of a 3D artist much easier.

Another thing that I like about Marvelous Designer is its ability to simulate realistic fabric physics. This allows me to create clothing designs that drape and move naturally. This is especially important for medieval fantasy concept art, where the clothing often needs to be both realistic and visually appealing.

By using Marvelous Designer to create the fashion design for my concept art project, I was able to achieve a high level of realism and accuracy. I was also able to save time in production, and I was able to learn more about using different workflows to improve my efficiency.

  • It's very hard to find a professional like Miguel. Very organized, prolific and effective with his workflow. Not to mention the impressive quality of ideas he brings to the table. it's an honor to have worked with him!

    João Lira, Assistant Art Director on Star Atlas

  • I am happy to have the chance to work with Miguel, an always enthusiastic and rapturous artist. He is one of the most supportive people I know, and he manages to stay humble despite his great talent and unique style. He has the capacity to come up with endless new ideas for every new project, and his solution-oriented approach (similar to that of engineers) make him a valuable team member. I honestly hope we will have many more opportunities to collaborate in the future.

    Ahmet Atıl Akar, Senior Concept Artist at NetEase Games

  • It was fantastic working with you on these (character designs for Many Notes), you're an exceptional talent with a wonderful work ethic. You had a tasteful process for creative exploration, and your balance of structure and freedom always invigorated our sessions. Looking forward to the future, Miguel.

    River Gandour, CEO of Dore

Past Clients:

Embark Studios, game studio logo, a previous client of Miguel Nogueira for Freelance Character Concept Art to partner with the game studio
Logo for Wizards of the Coast
netease games logo. the logo of a games company who sought Miguel's services as Freelance Concept Artist, providing solutions for hardsurface concepts as well as quality character designs for games
The word 'VOLTA' in bold, stylized white letters on a black background.
The DICE logo in white text on a black background.
playstation studios logotype, a well known game art studio, part of miguel nogueira's client for quality concept art services he provides as freelancer in his concept art website
AMD logo, a tech oriented company driving solutions for entertainment. Another freelance client of Miguel Nogueira where he offered his expertise as freelance concept artist and art director

The Gain:

Comprehensive Concept Art Services for Immersive and Engaging Experiences

These concept art services go beyond just creating visually appealing images. I start by understanding the storytelling and narrative needs of my video games or movie clients and then use that knowledge to develop a comprehensive design solution.

Here, I offer a variety of services, including:

  • Blocked 3D Concept Art for mock-ups of any Game or Film project

  • Fashion design in Marvelous Designer, with auto-generated UV maps to slash production time

  • A quick art bible to ensure art consistency across all designs

  • 3D bases that are efficient enough for marketing illustrations, concept art, and 3D production

Looking for a concept artist to help with your next project?

Book a discovery call to learn more about my concept art services and how I can help you bring your project to life.