STRIVE: Ruby Temple
Featured from “SYNDICATE XVI” 2025 Illustration MFA Visual Thesis Exhibition, FIT
Ruby Temple really embodies one of the deeper concepts touched on by the gameplay: the corrupting influence of greed, power and the cyclical nature of history. The game takes place after the fall of humankind and the players being the survivors given a second chance. Ruby Temple holds a special place in this narrative, as the planet in which survivors are "starting over" with seems to show signs that it isn't the first time...
This was featured in the “SYNDICATE XVI” 2025 Illustration MFA Visual Thesis Exhibition.
Medium: Digital, Photoshop.
Process: The early planning involved laying out the scene in Blender with rudimentary cylinders to make sure the camera angle and perspective made sense. The final digital piece came together from a digital sketch into a loose render in grayscale which gets multiple layers of gradient maps and overlays to get a sense of mood and color. Everything gets merged into one layer before focusing on the final render pass.
Sketch
Card