A Taste of the Free “Art of Arkane” Digital Artbook
To celebrate Arkane’s 20th anniversary, we’re giving away a free copy of The Art of Arkane digital artbook!
Take a look back at some of the incredible art that inspired the worlds of Dishonored 2 and Prey, plus get a sneak peek at Arkane Lyon’s latest beauty: DEATHLOOP, coming this holiday season. We’ve got a handful of select DEATHLOOP images below to give you a taste, plus commentary from DEATHLOOP’s Art Director, Sebastien Mitton. For more on how Mitton and the rest of the art team at Arkane Lyon and Arkane Austin develop each game’s artistic voice and style, check out our Art of Arkane feature.
Here’s how you can receive The Art of Arkane digital artbook and get a look at the concept art behind DEATHLOOP:
- Visit Arkane20.com
- Click “Join Arkane Outsiders” at the top of the page (this will take you to the sign-up module)
- Create/log into your Bethesda.net account (a Bethesda.net account is required to access The Art of Arkane artbook)
- To receive The Art of Arkane digital artbook: Visit your transaction history here and you’ll find the artbook in your “Product Codes” list
If you’ve already gone through the process and gotten your digital copy of The Art of Arkane, then congratulations! All you have to do now is download the new version that has all of the brand new DEATHLOOP concept art. Just like when you found it the first time, it will be in your transaction history in your “Product Codes” list.
The Art of Arkane
These two posters are part of a series that we had the great pleasure of producing with Sergei Kolesov. We feel these pieces give a great look at the personalities of our protagonist and antagonist: Colt is determined and bold, while Julianna is cool and confident, with a touch of mischief. Their outfits give clues to their history and their background, because as you know, we pay a lot of attention to detail in all elements of our approach to art and style, and fashion is a huge part of that.
Here, our artist Basile Moulin, who was an intern at the time, synthesized our research of clothes from the late 60s in order to create a distinct style through a varied lineup of interesting outfits that our NPCs can appropriate by decorating as an expression of themselves as they live in eternal revelry and chaos.
Here we see a very small sampling of Blackreef’s inhabitants as they will appear in the game. Our main focus – besides working on clothes, lines, silhouettes and accessories – was to find different methods to apply paints, powder and metal flakes to their designs. Indeed, when we create, we put ourselves in the shoes of the characters. They are the ones who have applied these pigments on themselves in different ways, reflecting their state of mind. Applying this concept to all our NPCs’ fashion choices is what guarantees us consistency and visual variety.
I have to confess the masks gave us a lot of trouble during preproduction. Too common at first, too stylized afterwards, too scary, too comical… Until we came across showcase plastic mannequins from the 60s, each with their own style. Next, we analyzed the haircuts of the famous designer Vidal Sassoon, makeup photos of Twiggy, backstage photos of the Beatles, and more iconic images from the 60s. We had the starting momentum to create our own range of masks, while communicating a twisted version of the 60s with the famous Arkane secret sauce.
This board shows our desire to create an original visual juxtaposition. The action takes place on Blackreef, an isolated northern island, surrounded by a frigid sea. Blackreef is inspired by the Faroe Islands and Irish/Scottish architecture. The island has been molded by harsh climate conditions. The impressive cliffs and colorful grasslands make the setting unique.
For decades, various events and experiments shaped the look of the island. Radars and antennas, bunkers, security and communication devices… All these elements give a new flavor to this place – an air of mystery. What a perfect place to set up an eternal party in our own version of the 60s. There’s a certain degree of visual madness – a wide spectrum of situations and a distinct visual style.
Once again, we are innovating to create interesting spaces – a source of excitement for players who like to explore and discover the secrets hidden in our worlds. And what a pleasure to create our own lines and develop new materials while keeping everything easy to read and allowing for different styles of play. We can't wait to see how you take ownership of Blackreef!
