Mechs are a versatile subject for design and world-building for science fiction and fantasy genres. More than being merely ”cool robots”, they provide a way for concept and game artists to tell creative stories that transport us to imaginary worlds. They're also great showcases for an artist's skill.
We often think of the inspiration for mechs as coming from other kinds of machinery and vehicles, both from real-world and other fantasy art. But concept artist Longque Chen says one of the best places to find inspiration for mech designs is in nature.
Longque Chen is a senior concept artist with more than seven years of experience, including at Striking Distance Studio. He loves drawing subjects with hard surfaces such as weapons, vehicles, machines and mechs.
This piece of personal concept art above was inspired by a tick.
“I like how real-life ticks feed on a creature’s skin, so I wanted to imply that in the design of this TICK mech taking energy from the land,” Longque explains.
“I started with a drawing study where I figured out the proportions, head details and body forms of ticks. Then I worked on an ideation sketch where I made these into functional parts of the mech.
“Finally, I added huge metal pipes to the body so the whole mech looks like a complicated piece of walking equipment that’s sucking energy from the surface.”
The resulting creation feels balanced and totally believable in its fantasy setting.
You can see more of Longque's work on his ArtStation profile.
Inspired to create your own pieces? See our guides to the best digital art software and the best drawing tablets.
For more inspiration, see our feature on what is concept art? and our character design tips.
This article originally appeared in ImagineFX. Subscribe to ImagineFX to never miss an issue. Print and digital subscriptions are available.
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