Pablander
I worked as a concept artist with Archetype Entertainment on Exodus, designing creatures, characters, and other bits for the game. Working closely with Art Director Jeremy Cook, I explored visual ideas guided by strong world building and clear artistic direction, while still having plenty of room to experiment. A particularly inspiring part of the process was receiving short descriptive excerpts from Peter F Hamilton, which provided a rich narrative foundation for imagining the beings that inhabit this universe. It was a deeply creative experience where storytelling and design went hand in hand.
Designing the Arkavir was about exploring a being shaped entirely by survival. A creature forged by extreme environments… heavy, resilient, and built to endure conditions no other species could tolerate.
The brief gave me a strong sense of physicality and presence. I focused on that weight and harshness, thinking about how a lifeform engineered to survive acid rains, crushing cold, and burning atmospheres might actually feel and move.
“A species of bioengineered Changelings, the Arkavir were designed to survive where others perish… Acid rains that melt flesh. Heat so searing it ignites air. Cold so deep it shatters bone. They are shapeshifters of necessity, survivors by design.”
— From Exodus
This concept was an interesting exercise in translating harsh world-building into visual form while staying faithful to the narrative foundation provided.
I explored around a dozen quick sketch variations early on, experimenting with different directions for the reptile-like skin and tough, armor-style surfaces before we settled on the final approach.
Here's the ‘near final’ version before posing
If you’re interested in learning more about my workflow and creature design process, check out The Extra Mile.
