GET HIGH-QUALITY ART DONE FASTER,

EVEN ON A TIGHT DEADLINE

Client: Frictional Games.

Project: Amnesia Rebirth.

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A first-person horror adventure video game. Uncover your past and survive the Algerian desert. Fear is your enemy; stay calm to not succumb to an illness threatening you and your loved one. Avoid darkness, hide from monsters and solve puzzles. Adventure Mode available for a less scary experience.

Here’s how we achieved a 300% speed boost in Frictional Games’ Amnesia Rebirth pre-production.

  • Each day, an average of four polished AAA concept designs were submitted, complete with callouts and 3D base meshes. This helped make the pipeline faster.

  • Each idea aimed to expand the current style guide while trying out new, original concepts that still matched the existing IP look.

  • Our art quality improved by about 65% by combining 3D rendering with digital painting and graphic design. This approach produced realistic results that our vendor partners and internal team can easily create.

During the pre-production of the video game project, I was the main concept artist and designer. I helped create a library of symbols and designs to shape the look and feel of different environments. I worked on many visual elements, including level design, user interface, environments, characters, and props. My main focus was on set dressing, which is crucial for making the game visually engaging.

The Prop Designs of The Dark World

concept art prop design for the dark world, of a functional and aesthethically pleasing door, signaling brutalist motifs and damage variations. horror game art mood present on this game prop, in a realistic style to aid 3d modelling and game studio p
prop concept art of a brutalist bed with egyptian influence, realistic concept style for the dark world's horror environment design. Making this an almost game-ready prop concept
concept art of alien flora, with callouts, showing organic designs by freelance concept artist Miguel Nogueira, invoking horror game art mood which was pivotal in game development for this project
concept art of alien plant design. another addition of a plant design for this concept artist website and his freelance concept art portfolio on high quality prop design
horror alien plant concept art with white and neutral tones, boosting the mood of this game prop to an horror game art setting
gate prop concept art and set dressing element with game design functionality expressed through the concept drawing. Gameplay sketches included to show how the gate works in the environment design of amnesia rebirth
a concept art of a shelf in alienesque design, brutalist influence as it was the ever so present style in amnesia rebirth and throughout the game development in the game art of dark world. Realistic style additions by Miguel Nogueira and his freelanc
concept art prop of a openable box, another game play item that was provided to support game mechanics of the game studio and their needs from freelance concept artist miguel nogueira
concept art prop of a chair in brutalist style, round in design, supporting a lazy kind of seating. This concept art solution served as a portfolio piece to this concept artist website.
prop concept art of a brutalist design chair, in a 3d style to aid game development in a game-ready prop concept fashion.
moody prop concept art of a alienesque chair in brutalist style, adorning magnetic patterns and several trims and done in a tanned wood, this game prop supported the project and is yet another horror game art piece for amnesia rebirth.
horror prop design of a lovecraftian style jar with a hand inside in grunge yellow colors. the grunge appeal and nature is a signature and style of miguel nogueira, as freelance concept artist working in games and film
brutalist religious statue concept art, for amnesia rebirth dark world. this environmental design piece is done to support the game art with suggestive and creepy motifs.
concept art of a fountain for an horror game, both set dressing and gameplay prop. the ghoul foundation is adorned with obsidian stones and jade and serves as a central interactive prop in the game.
prop concept art of a door, showcasing the ornaments of the dark world and their creepy energy through muted greens and oranges in its color choices. Mood development as well as function was explored in this concept art

How I Helped Design Fast, Remain Creative, and Stay on Track.

To portray a alternate, imposing and superior alien culture, I was inspired by the same art that would carry the same feeling and also be designed to transport us to the same feelings.

I selected artistic movements that were designed to awe in oppressive ways, and therefore designed the visual language by influences of Mesopotamia, Brutalism and Voodoo culture. Having these pillars set, allowed production to expand on a array of ideas while still knowing the limits of what was possible, reducing decision fatigue and leading to faster, original and outcomes that were more faithful to what we wanted.

By making sure these key terms were check-listed, we always had new content that’d fit as long as these guardrails were ensured.

Speeding Up Your Workflow while Ensuring Quality.

At first, using Keyshot to create new materials for our project took about 10-30 minutes. However, these materials could be reused for any other props we needed to make. This allowed me to save each material to a project library, so I could use them again whenever a new request came in.

This process ensured the same render quality for any new assets, except now I can re-apply them with a few clicks. This sped up the final Photoshop rendering process from concept art to marketing quality. We could then use these for promotions or make the assets easy for any 3D artist to understand, whether they were part of our team or outsourced.

Turning Old Assets into a Kitbash Library.

Using 3D in concept art is very powerful because it allows us to see objects from different angles. This helps us understand how they will fit into the game. But there’s more! We can also break down these 3D objects and reuse parts of them to create new items.

This allows us to have a library that you can use like LEGO, and multiply the number of assets you already have into new ones, in under a day.

Get Level Design and Environment Concept Art in One Sprint

When designing places in games, it’s important not just to make them look nice, but also to think about how players will use them.

After reading Atomic Habits by James Clear, I started to think more like an architect and consider how people move through spaces. For example, if I'm creating a town, I might ask, "Should the water well be in the center of the square so people can socialize and take care of other needs at the same time?"

The most important part is level design, which means making sure the space is fun to play in repeatedly. I focus on building layouts first, then adding realism, and finally the visual details.

While working on the game Amnesia: Rebirth, I learned that using empty spaces between doors and tunnels encourages players to be curious and explore more. It feels like a game of hide and seek in their minds. I helped design about 3 out of every 10 parts of the game's levels and created 80% of the art, including props, lighting tests, and objects you can interact with, as well as some characters.

Design concept for an in-game environment called Amnesia Rebirth - fort courtyard, showing 3D schematic and images of the courtyard, interior rooms, and environmental features such as open arches, sand-blocked cistern, and camping spots.
Design board for a video game level called 'Amnesia Rebirth,' featuring diagrams, a 3D map, concept art, environment sketches, and a photograph of a dimly lit cave with columns and ornate design elements.
An illustration of a destroyed, old city with crumbling walls, debris, and broken structures, under a cloudy sky with bats flying overhead.
Sketch of a prison cell with notes about its features, including rock bricks, decay, and cave reinforcements. It shows a guard's corridor with boxed items, death piles, dirt, bones, and debris inside the cell.
Diagram of an excavation site in an underground cavern showing blocked pathway to a cistern, fortified surroundings, and scattered debris, with schematic notes and an inset photograph of chains holding rubble.
Dark, abandoned underground mine with tunnels, scattered debris, and old wooden ladders and barrels.

How we made Concepts fit and Elevate the Gameplay

All of these ideas are inspired by real-life solutions. For example, I once saw someone using a car wheel to create a DIY reel for their garden hose; a clever way to store and swing the hose while providing a resting place. This inspired me to think that a chain moves in a similar way to a hose, and it could serve as a solution to enhance the storytelling and functionality of these props; and so I designed the elevator below with a car wheel as well.

The results are in:

Client Testimonials

  • 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

Would you like me to do the same for your production?

Let's Talk!