How I combine Unreal Engine 5 and Photoshop to create digital art to push creative boundaries

How to
By published

Game artist Xingkong outlines his process for creating an atmospheric scene.

My creative process usually begins with an image that flashes in my mind, often inspired by a scene from a movie or a game that I find particularly striking. To bring this particular piece to life, I first used the game development software Unreal Engine 5 to build the scene.

I arranged the bamboo forest to form a pathway and placed a procession of riders at specific directions and intervals. I then experimented with composition and lighting within UE5, adjusting until I found the most compelling setup.

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My approach is to keep pushing creative boundaries at every stage. If the image doesn’t feel right, I keep refining it until it does.

How I created riders in a dark forest

01. Establish key words

I first select a few key words, such as bamboo forest, horse-riding warriors, and flower field. I believe these words can form an interesting scene. Then I use 3D assets to build the general effect.

This first step is mainly about determining the composition relationship. It’s the foundation of the scene and determines its characteristics.

02. Light and composition

Next, I design the lighting for the scene. I don’t want an ordinary bamboo forest, so I changed the original lighting to create an effect where the plants on the ground are the main light source.

When the flower field shimmers at night, and a group of warriors ride by with their horses’ bellies illuminated, it seems as if time has stood still.

03. Focus on details

The third step is to add some falling bamboo leaves to create a dynamic feeling. The light reflector at the bottom of the bamboo pole and leaves unifies the light, while the soldiers also undergo some detail processing.

The spatial relationship, hierarchy, and simple outline of the picture all help to make the details rich.

This article originally appeared in ImagineFX. Subscribe to ImagineFX to never miss an issue. Print and digital subscriptions are available.

Xingkong
Xingkong

Xingkong works in game development and has contributed to titles such as Tencent’s Honor of Kings and Monster Hunter Now. The most important aspects of an image for him are story and composition.

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