Illustrating Tamriel - Creating Key Art for The Elder Scrolls Online

Delve into the art of visual storytelling in this 2019 GDC session as ZeniMax Online Studios' Lucas Slominski unveils the secrets behind creating compelling key art for The Elder Scrolls Online. Explore compositional strategies for crafting narratives within single images, learn character-centric techniques to enhance dramatic tension, and discover methods to expand the emotional resonance of key art. Gain insights into the production process, stakeholder management, and the challenges of depicting player characters versus NPCs. Uncover the importance of narrative as cause and effect, the concept of anagnorisis, and the tools for directing viewer's gaze. Follow the journey from initial narrative requirements to greenlight approval, and understand the intricacies of assigning race and gender in key art creation for this iconic fantasy franchise.

Intro
The Elder Scrolls
PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR ESO KEY ART
KEY ART STAKEHOLDERS
DEPICTING ESO PLAYER-CHARACTERS
GOALS AND PARAMETERS OF ESO KEY ART
PLAYER CHARACTERS VS. NPCs?
NARRATIVE AS CAUSE & EFFECT
THE CHIMERA
WHAT'S THE STORY?
INITIAL NARRATIVE REQUIREMENTS
TOOLS FOR DIRECTING THE VIEWER'S GAZE
STORY BEATS IN ORDER
RECOGNITION AND REVELATION
ANAGNORISIS
GREENLIGHT APPROVAL
ASSIGNING RACE & GENDER