The young Australian concept artist Mel Mo shows how traditional art influences can be mixed with contemporary popular culture to great effect. She says she was inspired by the cosy vibes of Animal Crossing and the modern animation style of movies like the Spider-Verse films and Bad Guys but also by the dreamy palettes of impressionist painters of the past.
Mel likes to start her work in Blender and then move to Photoshop (see our picks of the best digital art software and the best 3D modelling software). Below, she talks us through four choice pieces.
LUMA – Robot Maintenance
“Designed as marketing art for LUMA, a collaborative project, this piece was made to reflect the world’s subtle technology paired with its rustic charm.”
Limehouse Chinatown – establishing shot
The Eye and The Eye is a concept for an animated world inspired by the webnovel by the same name by Ogiwara Saki. It presents a magical take on Victorian London where East and West collide. “East meets West as I imagine what London’s first Chinatown might have looked like in a magical context,” Mel says.
Limehouse Chinatown – storefronts
“It was important to me to pay homage to my cultural heritage, mainly through the couplets, the lanterns and the colours. I wanted to evoke a certain kind of nostalgia.”
Xijiang's Teahouse
“The approach for this one was to create an exterior that felt local and lived-in, while also echoing the story’s thematic symbol of the peach.”
You can see more of Mel's work at her profile on ArtStation
For more inspiration, see how artist Alexander “Minze” Thümler experimented with a different style for his graphic novel. You might also want to see our roundup of other digital artists' work.
This article originally appeared in ImagineFX. Subscribe to ImagineFX to never miss an issue. Print and digital subscriptions available.
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