Ever since I started playing Blade & Soul back in 2019, I was fascinated with the art and style of the game. The concept art and in-game renderings were breathtaking, and I am especially fond of the unique style the game had during its Unreal Engine 3 days. (I am still not very into UE4 B&S) Even though I’m not an active player anymore, I still log on sometimes just to look at the scenery and design of the game. I’ve scrolled through hundreds of Blade & Soul concept art, fan art, and other artworks for the game.
Recently, I actually came across the work of the lead artist who made most of the original art for Blade & Soul, Kim Hyung-Tae. I saw one of his pieces, non Blade & Soul art, yet his style instantly clicked with me. It gave me that B&S vibe, which then lead me to realize he was the man behind the game I love so much. So now, I decided to make a study of one of his works, and I am so glad I did. I feel like there is a lot I can learn from Hyung-Tae’s unique style. I love how he combines traditional anime style with exaggerated proportions and mixes it with a semi-realistic rendering style that has signature characteristics of its own. His color palettes are intentional and a perfect combination of warm and cold tones. He makes use of intricate details that contrast with larger pieces of simpler fabrics. All of these characteristics create such a pleasing art style to me, and I’d love to incorporate some of it into my own. So, here’s my first attempt :3 It’s not a 1:1 replica, but I tried to get as close to the original as I could.
I wasn’t sure which of these were the original artwork, but I believe it’s the one on the right. However, I really loved the color contrast in the left one.
