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The Context

🕹️ I have won the Character Design and Concept Art contest generated by the independent game studio Guild Studio on their game “Shadow of the Guild”.

The Guild Studio launched an open-to-all Character Design contest for every creator to propose their own vision of the main character of the game : Yaràn Malak.

This contest took place on the rising community videogame platform Gamearly, which connects creators, video game studios, and their communities ensuring their independence and creative freedom.

The Game’s Community then decided by vote who should be the winning proposal. Below is the creative process I developed for the proposal that won the contest.

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Foreword about AI

Is AI replacing creativity?

If you see yourself as a doer, you will be replaced by AI.

If you see yourself as a creator, you will be served by AI.

AI doesn’t replace creativity; it complements it: it’s just another tool on the crafter’s table, just another color on the artist’s palette.

AI is no more dangerous for creativity than felt-tip pens were when they were added to charcoal, or when Photoshop gradients replaced the compressor-powered airbrush. Just because everyone has a camera in their smartphone doesn’t mean there are no more professional photographers.

Because creativity doesn’t reside in the tool; it resides in the way it is used.

Experience, artistic culture, sense of composition, symbolism of colors, pictorial narrative, the hierarchy of forms and so many other things that make an artist unique cannot be replicated by AI. And this for one reason: AI feels nothing.

Art is a subtle connection between two living beings, two backgrounds, two cultures, two universes ; each of them being unique and developed, felt, lived in a unique and organic way.

AI is nourished by all cultures and all experiences to be able to respond to all technical requests ; therefore it cannot “understand” this exclusive connection. Because it has no narrative and artistic culture of its own, then it doesn’t understand the narrative and artistic culture of the human spectator. It is as simple of that.

What makes a work of Art is not only the quality of the treatment, the accuracy of the colors, or the precision of the line…

The ultimate test of a true work of Art is how it makes you feel.

And since AI does not understand the importance of feeling—because it is incapable of this manifestation—the processed result can only be incomplete, always. AI will always need a Guide who can order it to match such subtle combination of colors, such composition, or such hierarchical ordering of shapes that will trigger an emotional reaction in the viewer.

Because AI doesn’t differentiate between a flower and a can of soda ; it doesn’t understand the symbolic implications of Blood Red and Lilac Mauve ; it doesn’t understand the difference between a gaping wound and a smiling mouth.

AI is the Disciple, and the Creator is the Master.

To be afraid of AI is to be afraid of change. And to be an Artist is to embrace the essence of Change.

Why not replace Artists with AI?

When people ask me why an Art Director, an Illustrator, or a Photographer are still necessary in the era of AI’s “perfect” (sic) images, I simply ask two questions:

“Who will write the prompt and who will appraise the relevance of the result?”

Will it be the company’s accountant? The executive secretary? The head of marketing? The CFO? The CEO? The intern? The cook?…

…or will it be someone who will understand what needs to be asked to AI to convey an emotion to a human being?

…someone like an Art Director, an Illustrator, a Photographer.

A Creator.

A New Era Begins

However, a new era of artists is dawning, because AI is an extremely powerful and interesting tool for developing new aspects of creative production: its speed allows for the rapid development of strong concepts, its flexibility allows for near-real-time reaction to any given suggestion, and its variety of styles allows for the exploration of new avenues of expression, new ideas connecting, new concepts with great economy of means.

In the future, creators will be able to instantly bring their visions to life in the real world: creating holograms, 3D models, 3D printed objects, and other means that we can’t yet imagine. Creation through words, voice, and thought! Pure creation through pure imagination.

Imagination alone will separate true Creators from non-creators.

How I work with AI

So here is my method for reconciling human creative design with the AI Tool. Because, in the following example, it wasn’t the AI that dictated its vision to me; it was Me who dictated my vision to the AI and then perfected it.

At the beginning, there is always Imagination. Always. A story. A vision.

From this vision, I create a sketch. A drawing.

From this sketch, I break down the elements into different fragments that I generate with one or more AIs, with a very precise idea of their final arrangements.

Selection is very important: I can spend some time before refining the choice of AI creations so that it is as close as possible to my initial vision. I can also refine the prompt(s) more and more to achieve this result. Being an Art Director, or simply an Artist, means making drastic choices, all the time.

The method of creation through AI is similar to the action of Alchemy : once the vision is shattered and scattered into several elements, once the Dissolution is complete, comes the moment of Coagulation.

I bring these dispersed elements together. I unify them —in this case, with Photoshop, but many other softwares are possible— to create a single, strong visual entity where each element finds its place within the narrative hierarchy. Each element complements and completes each other other into a coherent, cohesive and harmonious whole.

If manual retouching or hand brush perfecting are necessary, I do them to bring completion to this whole, as much as polishing a diamond after having cut it to its final shape grants it with its final glow.

The Transmutation is achieved and the Vision is now complete.

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The Design

Choice of Art Direction : AI and Manual Intervention

As the character is both an Assassin and a Wizard, I based my work on the principle of complementary duality, which would be reflected in the graphic charter. Namely: Black and Gold.

Black: Shadow, Night, Concealment, and therefore the Assassin.

Gold: Desert, Sand, Power, Wealth, and therefore the Wizard.

To create an efficient and fast enough concept art, I opted to Production Techniques mixing 20% Manual Design/Retouching and 80% AI based :

Production Techniques:

AI Part

• Dall.E : Wall Texturing, “Janbiya” Blades, Background
• Leonardo.AI : Main Character face and Costume

Manual Part

• Flaticon : “Rub El Hizb” PNG symbol
• Paper & Pen : Initial sketches and concept rough
• Pexels : Cracks and Fissures effects on the wall
• Photoshop : PNG Forehead’s Symbol insertion, layer masks fusion adjustements, colorimetry, hand brush corrections and Typography

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Character Design

Once the my vision of both the Character and its Narrative impact have been set, I create a conceptual rough/mockup in 10-20 minutes to set in place the elements which will help me to sort out which elements will be set as AI and which ones will be adjusted manually :

I then decompose the whole rough visual into separate -yet coherent- elements/base principles according the productions techniques needed. The whole will need to be united into a single graphic atmosphere to create an impactful visual :

Persona

The character is in his early thirties: young enough to perform physical feats but also old enough to have the wisdom and knowledge necessary to wield the Arcane magical power.

Costume

As the game is somewhat inspired by Prince of Persia, I wanted to give him a Middle Eastern clothing style, where the hood evokes both the assassin’s concealment and the wizard’s prestige. The costume would therefore be black, enhanced with embroidery and magical arabesques in gold edging on the garments’ trim.

Weaponry

The weapons depicted in the visual are two Janbiya (Arabic daggers with curved blades), also with black blades etched with gold runes, symbolizing his ability to master the dual threat of physical strength and magic.

Distinguishing Features

The symbol inlaid on his forehead also has a dual meaning:

The first meaning is the Rub El Hizb, a Middle Eastern eight-pointed star indicating his membership in the Assassin sect as a ritual scarification.

The second meaning is that of an Octogram, an eight-pointed variation of the Pentagram, indicating that magical energy is—so to speak—embedded in his mind. Hence also the yellow glow, symbolizing the magical power bubbling within him, which illuminates one of the lower branches of the Octogram.

This magical energy has also corrupted his soul, coloring his pupils with a menacing yellow whenever he calls upon this dangerous energy.

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Background and Graphic Ecosystem

Environment/Atmosphere

His face dominates a texture of ornate middle-eastern ruins, vestiges of the past and mysterious glory of a ruined civilization that he explores to make the most of. The “Old Gold” appearance of the wall inlays and the gaping cracks remain consistent with the character’s Black and Gold graphic style, unifying the whole.

In the background, the landscape on the left represents Desert Storm, the character’s ecosystem as dangerous and unpredictable as he is. Its sandy color reflects the graphic style of Gold—and therefore the power of the Mage.

The landscape on the right represents night falling on a Middle Eastern city in the heart of the desert, plunged into shadow, favorable to the assassin and his modus operandi, his preferred terrain; Compliant with the graphic charter of Black—and therefore the Assassin‘s concealment.

Typography

The typeface of the Character’s name is Ondine. It’s a cursive-style font with a Middle Eastern calligraphic soul without the excess of a “Fantasy” font, to maintain the seriousness of the game’s spirit. It is consistent with the character’s spirit while maintaining excellent readability.

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About…

WHAT IS GAMEARLY ?

Translated from the Gamearly official description

Gamearly is the ultimate gaming ecosystem platform for game development. It aims to onboard gamers in the video game creation adventure to gather feedbacks and engagement, therefore improving both game curation and discoverability while maximizing gamers retention.

It helps game creators by monetizing their game from prototyping to post-launch, hereby gamers can support the game creation adventure. This platform is also giving a space where creators can distribute their creations and improve their visibility.

It is connecting indie devs & studios to artists in order to optimize game production. Also refering publishers with data on live creation Gamearly game projects.

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WHAT IS “THE SHADOW OF THE GUILD” GAME ?

Translated from the Shadow of the Guild Studio official description

Inspired by the world of the Rain Merchants’ Guild novels, Shadow of the Guild is a platformer, combining beat’em up and stealth. You’ll deploy your skills as a warrior, mage, and assassin through spectacular combos, devastating spells, and stealthy assassinations to defeat your enemies!

Features

RPG

3 skill trees to choose from: Warrior / Mage / Assassin
Beat’em up: Dynamic combat where you can combine combos with your mastery of lightning
Infiltration: Want to stay in the shadows? Stealthily assassinate your enemies and enjoy the animated cutscenes we’ve created especially for you!

Items

Consumables, throwing weapons, and a whole host of runes to give you new skills
Story: A beautifully crafted story, created by the writer of the “The Rain Merchants’ Guild” books
Exploration: Side quests, special items, secret passages

Shadow of the Guild is

• 5 story-driven levels with their own visual identity, enemies, and cutscenes
• Combos and 10 devastating spells to take down your enemies
• Different assassination cutscenes for each enemy depending on your positioning
• 4 to 5 hours (on average) to complete the game
• A unique graphic style
• A tribute to Prince of Persia

Story

Aridia is an arid planet where water is a rare commodity… Where magic is omnipresent… Where the blacksmith is a pyromancer and the builder a telekinetic… On the planet, the different kingdoms call upon the The Rain Merchants Guild, the most powerful trading organization in the world, to provide their population with water.

From its flying fortress, the Guild sends hundreds of flying ships to capture clouds and resell them to the highest bidder. Their mastery of the skies is complete despite regular attacks by the Pirates Guild.

Faced with this hegemony, the Eastern Empire refuses to employ the Guild’s services, building its own fleet of flying ships and attempting to revolutionize the water trade on the planet. The empire is led by Emperor Gethro III. Investing heavily in scientific research, Gethro III fears that his discoveries will attract covetousness. The emperor then decides to close his borders and impose drastic controls there…

Ten years later, a discovery, made at the cost of immense sacrifices by the Informers’ Guild, suggests that the emperor has managed to create clouds using a new technology, freeing himself from the laws of nature and the Rain Merchants’ Guild’s monopoly.

The Guild cannot stand by and decides to send its best personnel into the empire to discover this new technology… without forgetting to wipe out all traces of its existence and all those who worked on its creation. This is where your story begins…

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This post belongs to the Category :

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Check my latest posts!

• “The 4M” : Designing Superheroes for Public HealthJuly 24, 2026
• Site Update : World Architect OffersNovember 27, 2025
• Interview with a Compeer #1.1 : Desfragmentations – “The Alchemical Vision”June 11, 2025
• Using AI creatively : Character Design – Yaràn MalakMay 12, 2025
• Article Header Design: “How to use AI for Weak Signals – Trump, the International Revolutionary?”March 28, 2025

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Check the latest comments!

1. 

   Thank you very much for your comment coming from an IT expert, Nouha!

2. 

   Very interesting article and excellent choice for th Sphinx!!

3. 

   Splendid as always! And also this showcase the very broad scope of your design skills!

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Related Themes :

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Related Links :

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The Context

🐲 This illustration has been commissioned by a French roleplaying game magazine. This is the fourth adventure of the parody of a roleplaying party described in Episode 1. During the previous episode, the adventurers negotiated at length to NOT cross the cursed portal which led to the cursed vegetable garden to collect cursed vegetables, but they failed the negotiation. This time, they have no choice: they will have to face the guardians of the vegetable garden: giant snails (which are also cursed…).

The Illustration

After having announced a great danger beyond the portal in the previous illustration, I had to represent an epic fighting scene between the four adventurers and the giant snails… I was inspired by historical medieval illuminations which represented this kind of fights between knights and peasants against giant snails during the European middle-age; as depicted in the two images below (click to expand) :

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However, in order to keep the same pictorial style as the previous episodes – and considering the large number of protagonists – I decided to decompose the image and the action into foreground scene, intermediate scene and background scene, in order to include four independent sketches in the same illustration. Narratively and pictorially speaking, it was more interesting to represent four “duels” animating the page than a pitched battle split into two monolithic camps: the snails against the adventurers. This way, the eye can better wander around the page and appreciate the temperament of each character immersed in their own battle.

Each of the snail shells also bears an individual inscription which has a double purpose: First, it allows to personalize each of the snails by giving it a form of personality, posing like the innkeeper’s “cattle” where each animal would have its own nickname, like a pet. And Second, each inscription has “added value” in the way it evokes either a pop-culture “meme” or a pun made out with the word “Escargot” (“Snail” in French).

In the foreground, I chose to focus on the Barbarian‘s victory against his own giant snail; the animal nature of the Barbarian is finally revealed as he literally devours the snail alive, like a succulent dish. I also chose to give a “cartoonish” appearance to the snails, so that they become characters in their own right – and no longer just animals – so that they can also express emotions that can serve the interaction dynamic they have with the adventurers. The pun on its shell is “Chubby-Niggurath”, an allusion to “Shub-Niggurath”, an iconic deity from H.P. Lovecraft‘s cosmogony; and it is also an allusion to the succulent texture of the snail which the Barbarian feasts on.

On the intermediate level, the Wizard enchants a cabbage by levitation in order to delay the assault of his snail, the time someone else comes to help him… or to lure the gastropod towards a possible precipice. His snail bears the inscription “Naute” to form the pun “Escargot-Naute” and therefore “Argonaut”, as if this vegetable harvest were a mythological feat…

Behind the Wizard, the Priest is in difficulty facing his own snail, which is very aggressive – even demonic – which explains the surge of faith of the Priest who tries to do a “Vade Retro” gesture by crossing two leeks to form a crucifix. His snail bears the inscription “de Nuit” to form the pun “Escargot de Nuit” (“Night Snail”), an allusion to a famous French song from the 80’s by Axel Bauer : “Cargo de Nuit”.

In the extreme background, the silhouettes of the Thief scrapping with his snail at the top of a cliff stand out, in the purest style of a swashbuckling film. This scene also allowed me to extend the perspective and the dimension of the vegetable garden as if it were an immense and infinite valley, even a magical country in its own right, which would extend beyond the portal – a strong homage to the World of Narnia. The shell of his snail bears the inscription “Norrhea” to form the pun “Escargot-Norrhea” and therefore “Gonorrhea”, which is a sexually transmitted infection… this snail being particularly infected, it is better that our thief dispose of it as quickly as possible! Note that the position of the off-hand of the Thief and the tip of the snail’s tail are mirroring each other, typical of an “En Garde” fencing position.

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This post belongs to the Category :

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Check my latest posts!

• “The 4M” : Designing Superheroes for Public HealthJuly 24, 2026
• Site Update : World Architect OffersNovember 27, 2025
• Interview with a Compeer #1.1 : Desfragmentations – “The Alchemical Vision”June 11, 2025
• Using AI creatively : Character Design – Yaràn MalakMay 12, 2025
• Article Header Design: “How to use AI for Weak Signals – Trump, the International Revolutionary?”March 28, 2025

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Check the latest comments!

1. 

   Thank you very much for your comment coming from an IT expert, Nouha!

2. 

   Very interesting article and excellent choice for th Sphinx!!

3. 

   Splendid as always! And also this showcase the very broad scope of your design skills!

---

Related Themes :

---

Related Links :

---

The Context

🐲 This illustration has been commissioned by a French roleplaying game magazine. This is the second adventure of a parodic roleplaying party described in the Episode 1. Since our wannabee adventurers had not enough money to pay their mere meal, they had been forced by the Innkeeper to wash the insane amount of dirty dishes and plates which rest in the kitchen…

The Illustration

Originally, the article was simply presenting a scene of arguing and bickering between the adventurers where everyone asserted their right to NOT wash the dishes, notably the Wizard who thought that an “Unseen Servant” spell would be enough to finish quickly their chore in their stead.

But since we were in a magical world where unreal excess could serve the comic and absurd tone of the writing which was supposed to come through in the article, I decided to go well beyond what was written. And I literally created a “monster” made of dirty dishes and plates that would extend almost to the infinite. So I created a titanic “Dish Golem” that would epically depict the challenge faced by the adventurers.

The horizontal curves of the stacks of plates help create the mass of the golem’s body, while I chose cooking pots, marmites, chaldrons and rounded dishes to form the mouth, hands and fingers, because their rounder shapes were more suitable for the representation of complex organs, a bit like Giuseppe Arcimboldo did with his pareidolia portraits with vegetables and fruits.

A large fork forms the golem’s tongue to evoke his “evil” intention, as well as his glowing, smoldering eyes that come from the embers of the ovens. However, I added a skimmer and a spoon on his head, forming a sort of “antennae” to give him a comical appearance in order to “de-dramatize” the creature: the illustration had to remain light and not frightening. Sometimes it can just be down to a detail.

I transformed the “Unseen Servant” into a fairy-like “French Maid” who – literally – returns her apron and leaves the Wizard’s service, refusing to work overtime in the face of the enormity of the task… and anyway, she was definitely too low level!

In an Illustration, it is necessary to propose concrete alternatives that effectively serve the “spirit” of the article without ever contradicting it. This makes it possible to establish a “style” which will nourish the graphic trend of the series while creating a narrative which the writer can use later. The illustrator is not just a simple performer : he is the co-author of the story in a collaborative and reciprocal dynamic.

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This post belongs to the Category :

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Check my latest posts!

• “The 4M” : Designing Superheroes for Public HealthJuly 24, 2026
• Site Update : World Architect OffersNovember 27, 2025
• Interview with a Compeer #1.1 : Desfragmentations – “The Alchemical Vision”June 11, 2025
• Using AI creatively : Character Design – Yaràn MalakMay 12, 2025
• Article Header Design: “How to use AI for Weak Signals – Trump, the International Revolutionary?”March 28, 2025

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Check the latest comments!

1. 

   Thank you very much for your comment coming from an IT expert, Nouha!

2. 

   Very interesting article and excellent choice for th Sphinx!!

3. 

   Splendid as always! And also this showcase the very broad scope of your design skills!

---

Related Themes :

---

Related Links :

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The Context

🐲 A famous French roleplaying game magazine commissioned several illustrations from me. Through several episodes, they were representing the adventures and setbacks of a group of adventurous characters (typically Dungeons & Dragons) unable to escape the inn of their first adventure.

Art Direction, Style and Synergy of the Commission

The tone of the article was resolutely comical and satirical, as were the situations represented. However, the illustrations also had to have a certain realistic density so that readers/roleplayers could identify with them, through memories of game experiences shared by all roleplayers.

I therefore chose to make a synthesis of styles oscillating between a form of cartoon, semi-realism and caricature in order to be able to induce certain allusions specific to the storytelling of tabletop roleplaying games, such as certain “memes”, “tropes” or “easter eggs” throughout the episodes that I had to illustrate.

A non-roleplayer could therefore completely understand the illustrated situation, but, in addition, a roleplayer would perceive “added value” thanks to all the details and “private jokes” perceived with a second reading.

Technique

The technique chosen is that of the pencil to adhere to a relaxed and immediate style, specific to press drawings. Also it symbolically embodies the pencil used by all roleplayers during their roleplaying sessions.

Character Design and Narrative Design

The adventure involved a Barbarian, a Wizard, a Priest and a Thief. From the first episode, I had the idea of portraying the four adventurers in the guise of four renowned Heroic-Fantasy writers, each of whom remaining a famous reference among all roleplayers:

Clive Staples Lewis as The Priest

Clive Staples Lewis, the author of the “Chronicles of Narnia” series, has frequently questioned religious faith and has instilled numerous references to Christianity in his works. This made him a wise choice for the Priest. But to keep the light and caricatured spirit of the article, I modified the Christian cross of his prayer rosary into a mathematical “plus” sign of arithmetic, and I added the symbols “minus”, “multiply” and “divide”.

Robert Ervin Howard as The Barbarian

The Barbarian had to be represented by the author who most represented this archetype in Pop Culture: Robert Ervin Howard, the author of the famous “Conan the Barbarian”. Especially since his physical appearance as a boxer made him suitable for this role. Arguing to be an outrageous stereotype of the Barbarian, this character constantly carries a whole eccentric arsenal of weapons on his person in order to demonstrate his aggressive, bellicose and not very subtle nature.

This also allowed me to change the weapons from one illustration to another, to create visual interest from one illustration to the other; and also to make other references to pop culture or Heroic-Fantasy classics through famous weapons such as Starwars’ lightsabers, the Singing Sword of Irish legends or even a giant pocketknife!

Howard Phillips Lovecraft as The Wizard

The mysterious and enigmatic Howard Phillips Lovecraft created a colossal work by inventing the cosmogony of the “Call of Cthulhu” myth. I portrayed him as a Wizard, or more precisely, a Necromancer; his work having always been perceived as very dark, fatalistic and peppered with references to death.

I wanted to give him almost vampiric features, in line with his role ; he always carries the “Necronomicon” like a spellbook and his familiar perched on his shoulder is a small “Cthulhu”, constantly squealing the famous “Ftaghn” from the the injunction of “Call of Cthulhu”.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien as The Thief

Finally, the Thief took on the features of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, author of the “Lord of the Rings” saga, in reference to the “Hobbits” of his works who, most of the time, correspond to the archetype of the Thief. I wanted a “rebel” character, completely at odds with the academic personality of the author towards the end of his life. I therefore represented him young and with a mustache, as he appeared during his engagement during World War I, which profoundly influenced his work. He wears “The One Ring” as an earring and several thieves’ tools at his belt, along with several purses containing anachronistic currencies.

The Illustration

In this episode, these adventurers are faced with a forced chore of washing dishes. I symbolized their confusion and summarized the story arc of the episode by an object called “Bucket of Plonge” which is a “Franglais” barbarism that could be translated into English slang as “Bucket for Washing Dishes”.

To symbolize the anxiety of the situation, I gave this object an aura of danger by representing the sponge in the bucket having multiple predatory mouths and a creature is hidden in the broom brush.

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This post belongs to the Category :

---

Check my latest posts!

• “The 4M” : Designing Superheroes for Public HealthJuly 24, 2026
• Site Update : World Architect OffersNovember 27, 2025
• Interview with a Compeer #1.1 : Desfragmentations – “The Alchemical Vision”June 11, 2025
• Using AI creatively : Character Design – Yaràn MalakMay 12, 2025
• Article Header Design: “How to use AI for Weak Signals – Trump, the International Revolutionary?”March 28, 2025

---

Check the latest comments!

1. 

   Thank you very much for your comment coming from an IT expert, Nouha!

2. 

   Very interesting article and excellent choice for th Sphinx!!

3. 

   Splendid as always! And also this showcase the very broad scope of your design skills!

---

Related Themes :

---

Related Links :