sidomj

[sidomj]

Blog 21

I’ve been spending more time fleshing out the main characters and refining some of the lore and background information related to the deliverables. In addition, I’ve organized and cleaned up key details to make the world more coherent and easier to build upon. I also spent time collecting more images and visual references to strengthen the art direction and help guide the next stages of design.

This process is helping me sharpen the project's focus and get a clearer sense of the overall vision.

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Blog 20

Scavenger Reigns

Another recent inspiration for me has been the show Scavenger Reigns on Netflix. It reminded me of Wayne Barlowe’s work and his series on alien life that I had seen years ago on the Discovery Channel. It’s always fascinating and inspiring to see how creative and mesmerizing alien biology can be portrayed. The flora and fauna in Scavenger Reigns were amazing and deeply imaginative.

However, I also found it difficult to finish the show because the story itself wasn’t very engaging. This experience made me realize that even the most beautiful designs can fall flat without a strong narrative. It reinforced the idea that my project — or any project — shouldn’t just feel like a catalogue of designs, but should be anchored by a compelling story that gives the world meaning and life.

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Blog 19

Astartes

Recently, I came across the online series Astartes by Syama Pedersen, and it has had a huge impact on me. The project is incredibly high-quality, engaging, professional, and polished — and the fact that it was created independently by a single person is deeply inspiring.

Seeing Astartes has given me more motivation and confidence to be more ambitious with my own project and seriously consider making it an animation. It also made me realize that the tools available today for creating independent games or animations are more accessible and powerful than ever before. Because of this, I feel strongly that I shouldn’t hold back creatively, and that I should push myself to aim as high as possible.

[sidomj]

Blog 18

Medium

Initially, I had planned for this project to take the form of a game — specifically an RPG, similar to Fallout: New Vegas or Cyberpunk 2077. I envisioned a rich, immersive world filled with diverse factions, vehicles, weapons, and layered motivations.

However, as the project has developed, I find myself increasingly fascinated by the less technical aspects, rather than focusing heavily on gameplay mechanics or systems. Recent feedback from a class session also confirmed something I had been considering from the start: perhaps this project would be better suited as a film or animation rather than a game.

I would like to keep this possibility in mind and continue reflecting on it as I move forward.

[sidomj]

Blog 17

Inspirations

While reflecting on the world I’m creating, I began thinking about other influences that have shaped this project. I noticed some clear parallels to the Dune universe — particularly in the presence of multiple factions, the futuristic setting, and the grounded, realistic tone. Although it wasn’t my intention to draw from Dune, it seems that it has influenced me subconsciously. Recognizing this, I would like to keep it in mind moving forward, so I can be more intentional about how these influences shape the final project.

[sidomj]

Blog 16

Gantt Chart Plan

I have divided my workflow for the next few months into five key sections:

Sketching Explorations

Colors and Materials

Designing

Painting and Coloring

Presentation and Graphics

At the beginning, I will spend less time on character sketching, since I have already produced a large number of silhouettes and preliminary sketches. Instead, I will shift my focus more towards art direction and branding, refining the overall visual identity of the project.

Later in the schedule, I plan to dedicate more time to environments, as I haven't explored them as much yet and they require additional development. This adjusted pacing will help me balance areas that are more established with those that still need significant creative work.

[sidomj]

Blog 15

Deliverables

I have been spending time deciding on my final deliverables. It has been challenging to choose which characters and designs to finalize, but I have now created a clear list. For the most part, I have selected the factions I originally envisioned early in the project. However, I have also kept a few additional factions and ideas on a "wishlist", hoping that I will have time to develop them as well.

This approach allows me to stay focused while leaving room for extra creative exploration if time permits.

[sidomj]

Blog 14

More Factions

As I continue developing the project, I’ve been overwhelmed—in a good way—with ideas for all kinds of new factions and characters. The world is really coming to life for me now. I’m spending time creating and organizing these factions into a giant mind map in PureRef, which has been an incredibly useful tool for keeping everything connected and visual.

Some of the faction ideas I've come up with include:

Worshipers of the Old Earth — a group devoted to preserving the memory and ideals of Earth's original ecosystems.

A religious order dedicated to maintaining the "harmony of the human body," resisting extreme modifications.

A ragtag group of mercenaries — opportunistic survivors who work for whoever pays the most.

An eccentric prophet, wandering the world spreading strange, cryptic messages.

The bureaucracy — a sprawling, rigid administrative machine that governs daily life.

A police force — enforcers of order, potentially using biological surveillance methods.

A royal house — descendants of an ancient bloodline, perhaps seen as divine or merely political rulers.

A mycelium network — a vast, organic forest that acts as a global communication system, like a biological internet.

While it won't be possible to fully design and flesh out every faction within the scope of this project, having them in place is extremely valuable. They help me generate new ideas, enrich the world-building, and situate my concepts within a larger, interconnected setting. It makes the world feel bigger, more lived-in, and full of opportunities for storytelling and design.

[sidomj]

Blog 13

Character Silhouettes

I’m currently focusing on creating as many character silhouettes and sketches as possible. This stage is all about quickly exploring ideas, experimenting with different shapes, proportions, and forms to find interesting visual directions. I’m not worrying about the details just yet—it's more important right now to capture the overall feel and energy of each character.

This process is helping me discover new ideas and refine the distinct looks for each faction, making sure their designs reflect their culture, technology, and way of life. It's a really exciting and freeing part of the project, allowing me to keep the creativity flowing without being bogged down by specifics too early.

[sidomj]

Blog 12

Characters

Building the world to this extent has been incredibly helpful in allowing me to better situate the characters and societies within it. With a clearer sense of the environment and technology, it’s becoming much easier to imagine the people who would inhabit this world and how they might interact with it.

Right now, I’m thinking in terms of three distinct factions, each with their own character designs and worldviews:

A tribal nomadic faction, who live closely with the bioengineered world, using tamed organisms and living technologies in harmony with nature.

A highly advanced transhumanist faction, who push bioengineering to its limits, modifying themselves extensively to transcend natural human limitations.

A dark, forbidden-tech faction, who delve into unstable, dangerous forms of bioengineering—manipulating life in grotesque and reckless ways to achieve power.

Starting with these rough outlines is giving me a strong foundation to develop individual characters, costumes, and gear that reflect their environments and ideologies. I’m excited to keep building on this and see how the designs for these groups evolve.

[sidomj]

Blog 11

Computers

It’s very difficult to imagine advanced technology without incorporating some form of computer. This proved to be a particularly challenging aspect of my world-building. Although the obvious answer at first was to use a biological brain or networks of neurons, the real challenge came in figuring out how such a computer would interact with the user—what would its interface look like?

Initially, I thought about giving it something simple, like a mouth and an ear for verbal communication. However, that approach made it feel more like a living creature rather than a machine, which doesn’t quite align with the feeling I want for the technology.

A more fitting solution that came to mind was creating a "screen" inspired by the skin of a cuttlefish. Cuttlefish skin can display patterns and colors by controlling individual pigment cells, and I imagined adapting this idea—where each tiny pore could act like a pixel—to create images, symbols, or even written language on the surface of the bio-computer. This concept keeps the technology rooted in biology while maintaining a clear function as a communication device rather than a sentient being.

This idea is something I plan to explore and flesh out more fully during the design phase.

[sidomj]

Blog 10

Building the Project

Looking over all my research and early sketches, I feel like I’m starting to get a clear sense of what I want my deliverables to be. At this point, I’m planning to design two automatons, two vehicles, some pieces of architecture or environmental settings, mechs and suits, and a few examples of bio-machines.

Another idea that’s really exciting me—and one that I would love to design—is a factory where these creations are made. Imagining a production space in this world opens up so many possibilities for storytelling and visual exploration, and it would tie the world-building together in a really compelling way. I'm excited to move into this next phase, bringing these elements to life visually.

[sidomj]

Blog 9

More Research and World-Building

The initial round of sketching helped me get some strong ideas onto paper, but now I’m taking a step back to ensure that my visuals are firmly grounded in the world’s concept. To bridge the gap between imagery and narrative, I decided to dive back into more research and refine the world-building.

I've spent additional time thinking about the technology and materials that would realistically exist in this setting. Ideas like bioplastics, coral-based structures, and other organically derived materials have emerged as key components of the world’s construction and design.

However, I’m also mindful that world-building can become an endless process if left unchecked. At this point, I’m working toward wrapping up the bulk of the conceptual work so I can move forward to the next stage of the project—developing more refined designs based on this rich foundation.

[sidomj]

Blog 8

Initial sketching

The world is now fleshed out enough for me to start sketching and making visuals. I an spending time making as many sketches as possible without much regard for function. Just trying to get all kinds of shapes and forms out there to articulate what I would like to see what not

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Blog 7

Research 3

I've been diving deeper into the technology of this world, and I've realized that, despite the society being highly advanced, there must be an overlap between high-tech and low-tech, much like in our own world. Even in a world filled with bio-engineering and advanced genetic modifications, simpler technologies will still exist, such as the domestication and taming of animals. This balance of tech levels is inspiring many ideas for different factions and designs, allowing for a diverse range of approaches within the world.

Additionally, I’ve considered how some technologies might appear banal or unremarkable at first glance, yet they are still very commonplace in this world. Much like everyday items in our own society, there will be technologies that don’t immediately stand out but are essential to daily life. For example, cement made from ground-up bones could be a widely used construction material, commonplace in buildings, roads, and infrastructure.

I’ve also been mindful of drawing parallels to how animals are used in our world, whether for labor, resources, or other practical purposes. This connection helps ground the technology in something familiar, yet with a unique, bio-engineered twist that aligns with the overall theme of the project.

[sidomj]

Blog 6

Research 2

I’m continuing to build on my research to further flesh out the world. One idea I started to explore is the aesthetic preferences of the people in this organic, bio-engineered society. Since the world is so full of natural, living things, I considered that the inhabitants might have a unique appreciation for geometric shapes, like cubes and pyramids. These shapes, being rare in their environment, could be seen as beautiful or significant due to their contrast with the organic, fluid forms around them.

On the other hand, I also thought it’s possible that some people in this world might find such shapes repulsive, viewing them as unnatural or invasive to their harmonious, living environment. This contrast in perspectives—between those who appreciate geometry and those who reject it—could add a layer of complexity to the cultural dynamics in the world I’m designing.

Thinking through these details is helping me refine the design and aesthetics of the project. It gives me more elements to consider as I continue to develop the look and feel of the world, ensuring that every design choice feels deliberate and rooted in the underlying concepts of the setting.

[sidomj]

Blog 5

Reflections

One of the most intriguing aspects of working on this project was realizing how something once considered alien or strange can become banal and mechanical once it’s integrated into everyday life. At first, the concept of bio-engineering and genetic modification felt very foreign to me, but it soon struck me that this is not so different from the practices we see in factory farming, which is deeply embedded in our daily lives.

This realization led me to reconsider how the visual development of the project should unfold. I began to understand that the aesthetic doesn’t need to overemphasize the grotesque or “biological.” The world I’m creating can indeed be organic in nature, but it can manifest in many different ways, some of which may appear surprisingly ordinary or even functional. By approaching the design in this manner, I can avoid the temptation to rely too heavily on familiar tropes and instead explore how bio-technology can blend seamlessly into the environment, just as industrial practices have done in our world.