Did you dig The Witness? Did you especially love the game’s setting, how the island looked like it was made from fairy floss and dreams? Then this showcase of the game’s art might be for you.
Artist Luis Antonio (also working on Twelve Minutes) has written a fantastic post on his site going into the creation process behind The Witness’ look, and how he not only worked with his colleagues Eric Anderson and Orsi Spanyol, but also Architect studio Fourm Design and Landscape Architects Fletcher Studio to get the design of the buildings and the island’s natural formations just right.
For lovers of video game art it’s a rare treat; this kind of deep dive on the process is normally reserved for an expensive hardcover book, so to be able to read through it all for free is awesome.
To get the full picture, you’ll want to start here, then follow the links to the individual chapters, on stuff like making the poster (which was built using in-game assets) and rundowns on individual sections of the island.
A particularly cool story is that of the game’s original opening, which was to have taken place in a very swish little “bunker” that had been designed by Forum and Jon Blow. Looking like something out of a feature on compact Scandinavian homes, it would have had a small bedroom and workshop.
Note that the images shown in this post are all spoiler-free.
To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big enough, so you can save them as wallpaper), click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner.
Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists, showcasing the best of both their professional and personal portfolios. If you’re in the business and have some concept, environment, promotional or character art you’d like to share, drop us a line!