Devlog #17 - Crafting the New Key Art – Sketches, Stories & Soulstones

Greetings, Void Hunters!

We’re thrilled to pull back the curtain and show you how our new Key Art came to life—from early concepts to the final result! We asked Raphael Massarani, the amazing artist behind the scenes (check out his artstation here, its incredible) to share how he approached the creation of this image, so grab a coffee, and let’s dive into the creative journey with the artist’s own words!

Phase 1: The Birth of Three Concepts

To get started, Raphael explains:
“I usually begin by working on sketches that closely reflect my intentions for the final composition, story, and overall lighting. Sketch A features a heroic Pyromancer holding a Soulstone, confident in her victory as she blasts her enemies away. Sketch B showcases different Void Hunters, alluding to the game’s massive roster of playable characters and intense combat! Sketch C features Arcane Weaver on her journey to face a menacing challenge head-on—a boss rush, if you will.”

KeyArt_SketchA.jpg

KeyArt_SketchB.jpg

KeyArt_SketchC.jpg

“As you can see, I sometimes like to contain the focal point of my images within a simple geometric shape. This helps me guide the viewer’s eyes and keep the story engaging.”

Phase 2: Exploration and Refinements

On early experiments:
“We gave Sketch C a go first, posing Arcane Weaver facing toward us and adding secondary enemies alongside the bosses. While it could’ve been interesting, it felt too busy for a Key Art.”

“Back to the drawing board! Sketch A had great qualities, so I revamped it with a new composition and a second pass featuring the Arcane Weaver. The new version looked cool, but it leaned too close to ‘splash art.’ Ultimately, we chose version B—as it nailed the chaotic energy of the game.”

Phase 3: The Color Crucible

On finding the perfect palette:

“Again we started experimenting with a few color options. Option E felt right—it complements Arcane Weaver’s spells, her color scheme, and the Soulstones’ role in the story.”

Phase 4: The Final Polish

On refinement:

“Once composition, lighting, and colors were locked, it was time to refine, adjust, tweak, and polish. It’s my comfort zone, but it still takes ages!”

Closing Thoughts from the Artist

“Hope you love the new Key Art as much as I enjoyed working on it! Thanks to Game Smithing for the awesome opportunity :D”

We hope you found his process as interesting as we did, and while we have been a bit quiet over the last few weeks, keep an eye out as there are a few spicy sneak peeks coming soon… for example… where do you think this door leads to?? Let us know in the comments!

~ The Soulstone Survivors Team