Last week, we clarified our task planning, and Ben and Lucy helped us establish a detailed plan in Mirror. As a result, everyone had a clear objective for this week. My task was to complete the full production process of the gargoyle.
This is the task allocation table we created in the first week, but in reality, our team members and tasks have undergone some changes. For example, we didn’t strictly stick to the listed responsibilities. Therefore, the specific contributions of each person will be summarized after the final project is completed.
Asset Creation: Gargoyle
Here is the process of creating the gargoyle asset, which I have uploaded to YouTube.
It contains the entire creation process, including low-poly modeling, high-poly modeling, UV mapping, texturing, rigging, and weight painting.
I started by using the default human model in ZBrush for the initial sculpting. After researching reference images, I found that most gargoyles are associated with bats or demons—they typically have thick, muscular limbs, horns, and large, bat-like noses. I wanted to emphasize these features in my sculpt.
Looking at gargoyle designs in games like Elden Ring, I noticed that their head-to-body ratio is still relatively human-like, moving away from the traditional small demon aesthetic. In architectural designs, gargoyles often have more compact proportions, making them appear tighter and more cohesive as purely static decorations. However, in our dungeon, the gargoyle is not just decorative—it will take flight in the third layer. So, I aimed to create a balanced design that incorporates both aspects.
Modeling：
When sculpting the head, I wanted to introduce some variations to differentiate it from traditional gargoyles.
We all experimented with different early-stage designs (Since the team member responsible for the early-stage concepts disappeared—she was a classmate from the 2D animation online course—we had to create the designs ourselves.). Although some ideas were not adopted after discussion, the process of exploration was still valuable and meaningful.
First-Layer Environment Design:
I sketched some pillars, possibly entwined with gargoyles, along with a statue representing “See No Evil.” During our discussions, we initially planned to use three sets of statues to connect the dungeon’s layers, symbolizing “See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil.”
Although this design was ultimately not adopted, I believe Ben’s concept for these statues was excellent. “See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil” can serve as a moral code, representing the avoidance of evil, or as a form of satire, criticizing willful ignorance of reality.
However, we needed to reduce our workload, and Lucy felt that overly open spaces might make the overall scene feel empty. We would either have to spend a lot of time decorating it with assets or risk making the scene look sparse.
Since we discussed the idea of an unattainable treasure, I sketched a small creature design.
Environmental Creatures Concept (connect to Gothic cemeteries and treasures): First floor
Shell man：They were explorers who strayed into the dungeons, perhaps motivated by the desire for wealth or simply by curiosity. However, deep darkness and endless loss have turned them into what they are today. To avoid confronting their own desires, they retreated into their cold shells. However, the darkness within brought no salvation. Their legs have long since withered, leaving only hands to drag their bodies. Now, driven by instinct, they wander in search of golden shards to fill the void within.
Shell gold Shard：The shards of gold that had fallen from the Shell were covered with deep cracks and radiated a faint, warm glow. “The weight of gold will eventually bring down everything, including the soul.”
I wanted to design a tragic fate for outsiders like the knight—lost wanderers who unintentionally stumbled into this place but, driven by greed, never managed to leave. Over time, they retreated into their shells, their bodies deteriorating into skeletal remains.
In the end, this creature wasn’t created because we needed more representative monsters. Additionally, since the first layer is quite dark, adding shell man might go unnoticed by the audience while increasing our workload.
Story Setting
So we all discussed how to connect the story, which helped us a lot in building the scene. In the end, we decided to make the protagonist a knight who encounters an adorable furry creature in the darkness. At first, the knight doesn’t realize that the creature is actually part of this environment and tries to rescue it. However, as the story progresses, when the knight sees the surrounding plants attempting to capture the creature—and when the creature reveals its sharp fangs—he finally realizes that it belongs here.
In the final moment, the protagonist faces a crucial choice, one that determines whether he can successfully escape.
Weekly Conclusion:
In the second week, we clarified our goals, including the story logic, the protagonist’s objectives, and the assets we needed to create. Despite changes in team members leading to role adjustments, everyone adapted smoothly and adjusted their responsibilities accordingly.
For example, Anis took charge of storyboarding, acting like a director to oversee the overall pacing and coordinate the team. Lucy, although primarily responsible for character animation and rigging, also contributed to storyboarding and designed the knight’s concept. Since the team member responsible for early concept design disappeared, Qi Ji and I, who were in charge of asset creation, had to design some environmental creatures ourselves. Meanwhile, Ben collaborated with Anis on post-production and developed a method for team collaboration in UE5 without requiring the same WiFi connection.
As a result, everyone had a clear focus for the week, ensuring steady project progress.
This week, we received a variety of topics, including NHS patient care, causality in animation, and physical objects. I chose the theme of dark fantasy and gothic and joined Anis’s group. After discussion, we decided to create a three-layer dungeon. We will use Unreal Engine for the final composition and rendering.
Initially, we explored ideas related to religion and the underworld. We wanted each dungeon layer to have a distinct theme while maintaining an overarching connection. The first layer features a gothic aesthetic, the second is filled with mycelium and plant life, and the third is shaped by molten lava. This progression symbolizes a descent into the depths of the self and the subconscious—where the deeper one goes, the more chaotic and uncontrollable it becomes, ultimately reaching the core of human primal chaos.
In the first week, we experimented with different styles. I gathered a large number of reference images and uploaded them to Mirror. I’m particularly drawn to dark fantasy works like Dark Souls and Bloodborne, especially the way they depict the struggles of survivors in a ruined world. This theme resonates with me deeply, making me feel truly passionate about this project.
We only have two months, so designing the layout and ecosystem of all three dungeon layers is an incredibly challenging task. Since the dungeons need to be logically connected, this involves some level design knowledge.
The creatures within the dungeon may function as producers, consumers, and decomposers, forming a self-sustaining food cycle in the absence of external interference. Their characteristics must align with the design style of each layer, and some may even undergo periodic growth and developmental changes. For example, mimetic plants might have distinct transformations from seed to maturity, which we need to carefully consider.
With all these elements to integrate, we have a massive task ahead of us.
Later, I suggested incorporating gargoyles into each layer, as they are a quintessential element of the gothic style. Since our project is set in a dungeon, we couldn’t express gothic aesthetics through architecture. Instead, we explored the possibility of using gargoyles as a unifying visual motif.
After discussion, we decided that the gargoyles in each layer would have distinct eye colors to reflect their environment. The gothic-themed first layer features gargoyles with blue eyes, the second layer, dominated by plants and mycelium, has gargoyles with green eyes, and the lava-infused third layer features gargoyles with red eyes. This color progression reinforces the thematic evolution of the dungeon.
ref of gargoyles:
The gargoyle design was relatively convenient for us because gargoyles don’t require a growth cycle and can seamlessly adapt to the dungeon environment. This meant we didn’t have to spend too much time developing complex lore or justifying their existence within the setting.
This week, we visited the Tate Modern and captured a lot of reference materials. It was my first time using Reality Capture to process model data, which was very interesting. Meanwhile, I was also keeping up with the progress of my group project (rigging).
‘Untitled‘, Ibrahim El-Salahi, 1967 – Tate: Oil paint and enamel paint on hardboard
“El-Salahi combines African and Arab cultural motifs with elements of Arabic calligraphy. Here, strange animal and plant-like forms, faces, and skeletons emerge from the broken calligraphic lines and morph into mask-like, totemic figures. In the wake of Sudan’s independence from colonialism, El-Salahi looked to his local environment for inspiration. He developed a distinctive visual language later identified as the ‘Khartoum School. He stated, ‘I wrote letters and words that did not mean a thing. Then … I had to break down the bone of the letter.”(from Tate Modern)
Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002 – Born and worked France) Tirage 1961 Shooting Picture Plaster, paint, string, polythene and wire on wood
“To make her Shooting Pictures, Saint Phalle filled polythene bags with paint and enclosed them within layers of plaster and chicken wire that created a textured white surface. She invited spectators to shoot at these constructions, releasing the paint. Saint Phalle considered these shootings to be performances, or ‘happenings, which she saw as integral parts of the work just as much as the finished product. This one was shot by North American artists Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. Saint Phalle stopped making these works in 1970, explaining ‘ had become addicted to shooting, like one becomes addicted to a drug.'”(from Tate Modern)
Salem Arif Quadri 1949 – Born India, works India and UK Landscape of Longing 1997-9 7 works on wood, muslin, acrylic paint and oil paint
“Landscape of Longing refers to Arif Quadri’s interest in spiritual quests and journeys. It evokes a map seen from above. Arif Quadri describes the work as ‘a celebration of life with all its inexplicable mysteries’. He relates the painted forms to the sinvous strokes of Islamic calligraphy. The shapes between and around each form are important to the artist. They suggest figurative elements such as female and male figures, or pods and birds. Arif Quadri is influenced by texts ranging from Sufi writings to work by Dante, the 13th century Italian poet.”(from Tate Modern)
