Research for

Architecture (exterior)

For my exterior, I researched various types of architecture i n c l u d i n g P é r e L a c h a i s e Cemetery, Uplistsikhe, Göreme, Vardzia, Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló, Hallgrimskirkja, Petra, Jordan, and Notre Dame. I also used photos that I took while visiting Florence, Venice, Paris, London, and various cities in America to help inspire my designs. I feel I was most influenced by Göreme, Sagrada Família, and Hallgrimskirkja.

Architecture (interior)

For my interior, I initially looked at catacombs and crypts since Argia was one o f t h e ‘ D e a d ’ c i t i e s . However, after drawing some thumbnails I came to the conclusion that this idea could easily result in a bland, cliché interior shot. With this in mind, I looked at the interior of various churches and cathedrals f r o m p h o t o s I t o o k (mentioned on previous slide) and from images online. I also researched types of columns to make sure my designs matched the rest of the architecture.

Types of Rock/Rock Formations

Along with researching in to arch i tec ture , I searched on l ine for various types of rock/rock formations that would make up my buildings. I didn’t want them to look too blob-like, I preferred them looking sharper because it makes the city feel menacing. Some of the types of rock/formations I researched include d i f f e r e n t t y p e s o f volcanic rock, basalt s t r u c t u r e s , a n d formations that have been shaped by various types of erosion (water, wind).

Caves

Since my city was an underground city, I felt that it was vital that I looked at different caves from around the world. I found that the s t a l a g m i t e s a n d stalactites were one of the most important elements of my city. These structures both make up the buildings in Argia and surround/loom over the city, making researching caves, stalagmites, and s t a l a c t i t e s v e r y i m p o r t a n t f o r m y concept art.

Light Source

While drawing thumbnails for Argia, I had to figure out how the city would be lit. I looked into using crystals as a fantastical way of lighting the city, but that didn’t match the mood I was aiming for. I also considered using lava or openings in the ceiling for light. However, I remembered a creature called a ‘glowworm’ I saw while watching Planet Earth and decided that would match my city, provide light, and inspire a color scheme.

Colour SchemeThe description of Argia doesn’t lend itself to a bright, vibrant, colorful concept. However, after thinking of glowworms I decided to go for a green/blue color scheme. I researched glowworms more, other blue color schemes, and fictional cities such as Minas Morgul from Lord of the Rings. I came to the conclusion that I had to aim for a more greenish-blue to prevent the concept paintings from looking too fairy-like and fantastical which might result with more sky-blue colours. I also want to avoid using too many variations in color as it is an underground ‘dead’ city. While avoiding using too many greys and browns, I don’t want to go too overboard color as I feel it would ruin the mood.

Details

As I developed my city, I added various details such as glowworm street lamps, a statue of a goddess, and chandelier-like glowworm formations. The goddess is be l ieved to make the glowworms glow brighter if she is pleased (which is why the glow worms above her are positioned to be more decorative vs the glow worms outside). I looked at photos I took of sculptures by Auguste Rodin and statues that were on graves at Pére Lachaise Cemetery to inspire her design.