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Graduates
Yuqian Wu
BFA in Illustration - Entertainment Arts — IllustrationCourse:
personal project
Faculty:
Yi Zhu & Paul Rogers
Term:
2025 Fall
Harbor of Blades
A medieval coastal trade city hums with a thousand lives—salt on the air, banners snapping in harbor winds, and the endless rhythm of ships arriving and leaving. Overlooking the market is a weathered valkyrie statue, her blade still at rest; her quiet presence lends the place a steady, old courage. The market’s colors wash like tidewater—muted pastels melting into richer tones—while merchants and travelers weave stories beneath her watch. This piece explores the way a single, stoic guardian can shape a city’s spirit: sea-borne memory, commerce, and the gentle gravity of history.
Process:
For this project, I began by creating quick b&w photobash sketches to establish the atmosphere and overall direction. Once the mood was defined, I moved into Blender, where I built the primary architecture, experimented with materials, lighting, and composition, and refined the scene using the compositor’s filters. After locking down the 3D foundation, I exported the render to Photoshop for the final stage: photobashing, paintover, and surface detailing. This step softened the rigidity of the 3D models and allowed me to integrate photographic textures, bringing the overall world into a more cohesive and immersive visual state.
Project Website: