Matthew Shen
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Drawing

Work from outside the games — character design, creature studies, weapons, augments and environments. Most of it started as a way to learn digital art properly, and a lot of it is just the habit of drawing dragons and swords until they look right.

“LETS GO” — Matthew's signed composition of every creature he has drawn
“LETS GO” — the whole cast in one frame. Signed, and the closest thing here to a self-portrait.

01

Character design

Most characters go the same way: a loose sketch to find the silhouette, then a sheet of studies, then a render once the shape stops changing.

Character design sheet — line art with expression and head studies.
Character design sheet — line art with expression and head studies.
Cloaked character, colour pass.
Cloaked character, colour pass.
Final render of a separate character, built around a cybernetic arm.
Final render of a separate character, built around a cybernetic arm.
A blob character — the first flat sketch.
A blob character — the first flat sketch.
The same character rendered, with its special ability noted in the margin.
The same character rendered, with its special ability noted in the margin.

02

Augments

A newer series: powered limbs and gear, each given a name and a wordmark, placed on a body to show how it is worn, then taken through colourways until one holds up. The latest is a full arm, carried from flat colour through to brushed steel.

His newest piece: a full arm, shoulder to fist, in flat colour — the flame-and-fist mark sits on the shoulder plate.
His newest piece: a full arm, shoulder to fist, in flat colour — the flame-and-fist mark sits on the shoulder plate.
The same arm after the texture pass — brushed steel across every plate, and the power lines warmed through.
The same arm after the texture pass — brushed steel across every plate, and the power lines warmed through.
Thunder Claws — eight colourways, and the placement study that fixes the silhouette.
Thunder Claws — eight colourways, and the placement study that fixes the silhouette.
Fire Fist — worked from line art through to a finished palette.
Fire Fist — worked from line art through to a finished palette.
Cinder Palm — a shoulder-mounted arm; the mount is the hard part of the drawing.
Cinder Palm — a shoulder-mounted arm; the mount is the hard part of the drawing.
Gale Vortex — the widest colour range in the set.
Gale Vortex — the widest colour range in the set.
Riptide — the only leg in the series, so the joints had to be resolved differently.
Riptide — the only leg in the series, so the joints had to be resolved differently.
Frost Dark — a helmet, drawn front and three-quarter so the shape reads from both.
Frost Dark — a helmet, drawn front and three-quarter so the shape reads from both.

03

Weapons

Weapon design is where I practise materials — the same object drawn as line, then as value, then in colour, to see what each pass actually adds.

Weapon design, line art.
Weapon design, line art.
The same weapon after the colour and material pass.
The same weapon after the colour and material pass.
Concepts for a transformable sword, numbered for comparison.
Concepts for a transformable sword, numbered for comparison.
Greyscale value pass over the underdrawing.
Greyscale value pass over the underdrawing.
The finished sword in colour.
The finished sword in colour.

04

Creatures & dragons

Drawing dragons is the hobby that got me into this. The rest are creature designs made for practice rather than for any particular game.

Dragon study, pen line.
Dragon study, pen line.
Beast design — flat colour with a cast shadow.
Beast design — flat colour with a cast shadow.
Pixel-art fire demon.
Pixel-art fire demon.

05

Environments & pixel art

Level design drawn as a side-on map first, annotated with what goes where, and only then built in pixels.

Level design draft. Blue points are grappling points and interactable objects; orange stripes are zones the player can't reach until they unlock that area.
Level design draft. Blue points are grappling points and interactable objects; orange stripes are zones the player can't reach until they unlock that area.
Second draft, with the earlier pass kept underneath in grey.
Second draft, with the earlier pass kept underneath in grey.
The final level design, in colour.
The final level design, in colour.
Pixel map art, made for school.
Pixel map art, made for school.
Pixel-art title screen.
Pixel-art title screen.
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