How to create colourful worlds that tell a story

Imagined scenes that leave you with a sense of wonder make you want to find out more and see what’s just around the corner. Good world building is all about gathering up enough information for you to discover the story inside a composition, and become immersed in it.

When drawing and painting a world, ask yourself how the world functions, the relationships between characters in it, and the overall mood and feel you want to set. This allows you to logically and organically develop the story and design. How does the air taste? What can you hear? How do characters get around? Defining your image with subtle rules gives it some authenticity and life.

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Anna is a concept and environment artist at Climax Studios, specialising in designing for VR, low poly modelling, talking about mental health in games, and excessive whimsy.