Middle-Earth Online Developer Diary

[GameBanshee News]

Turbine's official Middle-Earth Online website has been updated with a new developer diary, this time penned by concept artist Jeff Murchie. In it, Jeff talks about how he comes up with the design for the artwork and he reveals a few of his nicer pieces for the game. Here's a taste:

Tolkien’s works are a tricky subject in terms of design, especially for a video game. Needless to say, it’s challenging to design in a world that has been established, studied and revered for fifty years and has such a devoted fan base. It’s so exciting to re-create Tolkien’s world, as well as being able to add new material that is congruent with the lore while introducing never-before-seen creatures from Middle-earth.

I’d like to explain briefly how I design and work on a specific concept, from the original idea to the sometimes revised and final concept. I always begin with a simple, loose sketch establishing the major shapes that are unique to a specific character. I also think about the given character’s culture, mentality, demeanor, and physical attributes while I’m sketching. I build my way up from loose sketch to quick color comp, and finally finish by laying in the details and textures.