Developing Skills

The Tree in the Cave — Light and Shadow

Introduction

The Tree in the Cave is an atmospheric environment project created in Unreal Engine 5. The aim of this project was to explore environmental storytelling through lighting, composition and atmosphere. The scene focuses on creating a sense of mystery and discovery using volumetric lighting, natural focal points and environmental detail.

Project Goal

The primary goal of this project was to create a visually engaging cave environment that demonstrates an understanding of environmental composition, lighting and mood. A secondary goal was to develop my own assets and integrate them into the environment to strengthen the originality of the project.

Inspiration

Amit Das – The Tree in the Cave

I was particularly inspired by Amit Das's use of atmospheric lighting, volumetric light rays and strong visual composition. The way light was used to guide the viewer's attention towards a central focal point influenced my own approach to lighting and scene composition throughout this project.

Source: Amit Das-Magnet VFX

Production Process

The production of “The Tree in the Cave” was carried out entirely in Unreal Engine, with a strong focus on lighting, composition, and atmosphere rather than complex asset creation. The process was developed step by step as follows:

Custom Asset Creation – Stone Cross

Reference and Planning

To introduce additional storytelling elements into the environment, I created a weathered stone cross asset using Blender. The intention was to make the cave feel older and historically significant while supporting the mysterious atmosphere of the scene.

Modelling Process

Old Crack - Stone Edge

The cross was modelled using basic geometric forms and refined through sculpting techniques. Surface imperfections and edge damage were added to create the appearance of an aged stone structure.

Material Development

A stone material was developed using image textures and node-based shading techniques. Material adjustments were made to create subtle surface variation and improve realism within the environment.

Reflection on Asset Creation

Creating this asset improved my understanding of Blender's sculpting and material workflows. One challenge was making the surface appear naturally aged rather than artificially damaged. Through experimentation with sculpting techniques and texture adjustments, I was able to create a more believable stone material. This process strengthened my confidence in creating custom environmental assets rather than relying entirely on downloaded content.

What I Learned

Technical Skills

Procedural Material Development

Blender Sculpting Workflow

UV Mapping and Texturing

Environment Composition

Volumetric Lighting

Real-Time Environment Development in Unreal Engine 5

Artistic Skills

Environmental Storytelling

Mood Creation Through Lighting

Scene Composition

Visual Hierarchy

Final Render

Conclusion

Urban Alley — Environment Model

Introduction

The Urban Alley Environment is a real-time environment project created using Unreal Engine 5. The aim of this project was to create a believable urban back alley that demonstrates environmental storytelling, realistic prop placement and atmospheric lighting. The project focused on combining custom assets with environmental composition techniques to create a visually engaging scene.

Project Goal

The primary goal of this project was to create a realistic urban environment inspired by contemporary city alleyways. A secondary goal was to improve my understanding of environment art workflows by creating and integrating my own assets into the scene rather than relying entirely on downloaded content.

Inspiration

Joel Westman, a Senior Environment Artist at Dead Astronauts, inspired me with his work in urban alley environments. His project City Back Alley (UE4) especially influenced my approach to this environmental project. It showcased great lighting, realistic details, and strong atmosphere in Unreal Engine.

Source: Joel Westman / ArtStation

Jeff Leung, a senior artist with a passion for creating stunning 3D environment art for games, inspired me with his work in urban alley environments. His project Alleyway, in particular, greatly influenced my approach to this environmental project.

Source: Jeff Leung / ArtStation

Source: Magnet VFX youtube channel

Production Process

The production process began with a clear plan to create a realistic urban alley environment from scratch in Unreal Engine. I followed a structured workflow to ensure that every step, from modeling to final lighting, was clean, efficient, and visually appealing.

Environment Planning

Before beginning production, I collected reference images of urban alleyways to study architecture, prop placement and environmental storytelling. These references helped establish the overall visual direction and mood of the project.

Blockout & Layout Using Unreal Engine, I created a simple blockout to set the scale, proportions, and camera angles of the alley. This allowed me to view the overall composition before adding any details. It ensured that the spaces felt immersive and believable.

Asset Creation

Dumpster Asset

The dumpster was modelled in Blender using a hard-surface modelling workflow. The asset was designed to act as a primary environmental prop and contribute to the realism of the alley scene.

Modelling Process

The dumpster was modelled in Blender using hard-surface modelling techniques. Particular attention was given to maintaining correct proportions and creating structural details such as the lid, side supports and wheel assemblies.

Reflection

Creating this asset improved my understanding of hard-surface modelling techniques and object proportion. I also gained experience in creating believable environmental props that support storytelling within a scene.

Traffic Cone Asset

The traffic cone was modelled using simple geometric forms and refined to match real-world proportions. The asset was used to add variation and visual interest throughout the environment.

Modelling Process

The traffic cone was modelled using simple geometric forms and refined to achieve accurate proportions.

UV Mapping

The model was unwrapped to create an efficient UV layout suitable for texture application and future material development.

Reflection

Although the asset was relatively simple, it reinforced the importance of scale, proportion and optimisation when creating props for real-time environments.

Cardboard Box Asset

The cardboard box was created to provide environmental clutter and increase the sense of realism within the alley. Basic texturing and material adjustments were applied to simulate a used shipping box.

UV Mapping

A custom UV layout was created to maximise texture efficiency and ensure clean texture placement.

Texture Development

Custom texture details were painted directly onto the asset, including shipping labels, wear marks and subtle surface imperfections.

Reflection

This asset helped me better understand UV mapping and material application while also demonstrating how small props can contribute significantly to environmental storytelling.

Garbage Bag Asset

The garbage bag was created using sculpting and material techniques to achieve a more natural shape. The asset was designed to complement other environmental props and strengthen the visual narrative of the alley.

Material Development

Procedural shading techniques were used to create the appearance of plastic material. Noise textures and bump information were incorporated to introduce subtle surface variation.

Reflection

Creating this asset improved my understanding of organic forms and material behaviour. It also highlighted how surface detail and silhouette contribute to realism.

What I Learned

Through the development of these custom assets, I gained practical experience in:

Hard-surface modelling workflows

Organic sculpting techniques

UV mapping and optimisation

Texture painting workflows

Procedural material development

Real-time asset creation for Unreal Engine 5

These skills contributed directly to the overall quality and authenticity of the final Urban Alley Environment.

Final Render

The final environment demonstrates the integration of custom assets, environmental storytelling and real-time lighting techniques. The scene successfully communicates the atmosphere of a realistic urban alley while showcasing the skills developed throughout the project.

Conclusion

Introduction

This weekly exercise focused on responding to a live-style creative brief through the Kinetic Rush Competition. The aim was to develop and present a concept within a limited timeframe, emphasising speed, motion, and energy while working within the constraints of a competition setting.

Concept

The concept was developed to visually communicate a sense of kinetic energy and momentum. Rather than focusing on detailed realism, the project prioritised movement, rhythm, and impact, aligning with the competition’s theme of speed and dynamic motion.

Reference

Process

I began by analysing the competition brief to identify key themes and constraints. Rapid idea generation and visual experimentation were used to explore multiple directions before refining a single concept. The process required quick decision-making and adaptation, balancing creativity with time limitations.

Outcome

The final outcome reflects a focused response to the competition brief, communicating energy and motion through visual design. Working within a competitive framework encouraged efficiency and clarity, helping refine the concept within a short development window.

Reflection

This exercise improved my ability to work under pressure and respond effectively to external briefs. I learned the importance of prioritising core ideas and making confident creative decisions when time and resources are limited. The experience strengthened my understanding of professional workflows within competitive creative environments.

Learning

Responding to competition briefs

Time management and rapid ideation

Communicating motion and energy visually

Toy Duck

Introduction

This exercise focused on creating a simple toy duck model in Blender and preparing it for 3D printing. The project was designed to develop my understanding of modelling workflows, topology management and the relationship between digital assets and physical production.

Reference and Planning

I began by gathering visual references of rubber ducks. I analysed their proportions, silhouette and overall shape before creating the model.

Why this reference?

Rather than creating a complex object, I selected a simple form that allowed me to focus on modelling accuracy, clean geometry and preparation for 3D printing.

Modelling Process

Key modelling considerations:

Maintaining a clean and readable silhouette

Keeping topology simple and organised

Avoiding unnecessary geometry

Ensuring the model remained suitable for 3D printing

Throughout the modelling process I continuously checked the mesh structure to ensure smooth surface transitions and an even polygon distribution.

Material Development

Once modelling was complete, basic materials were applied to represent the appearance of a traditional toy duck.

The shader setup used Blender's Principled BSDF material system, allowing simple colour control and surface adjustments while maintaining a lightweight workflow.

Reflection

Although the material setup was relatively simple, it introduced me to Blender's node-based shading workflow and helped me understand how materials influence the final presentation of a model.

Render

Side View

This view highlights the overall silhouette and body proportions.

Top View

The top view was used to evaluate the overall volume and balance of the model.

Front View

The front render demonstrates facial readability and symmetry.

3D Printing Considerations

One of the primary goals of this exercise was understanding how digital models translate into physical objects.

Several adjustments were made to ensure:

Smooth geometry

Stable proportions

Printable forms without fragile elements

A watertight mesh suitable for export

This stage helped me understand how modelling decisions directly affect manufacturing outcomes.

What I Learned

Through this project I developed practical experience in:

Polygon modelling in Blender

Topology management

Creating clean meshes for 3D printing

Basic material creation

Evaluating forms from multiple viewpoints

Preparing assets for physical production

Conclusion

Introduction

This weekly exercise focused on exploring light and shadow as primary visual and narrative tools. The project was inspired by the dramatic lighting conditions found in Indian railway stations and the atmospheric use of light and shadow in the game INSIDE by Playdead.

Inspiration

Indian railway stations often feature strong directional light entering through large openings, creating high contrast between illuminated areas and deep shadows. This creates a dynamic visual rhythm and a sense of scale and movement.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikram-chourasia-a10206293/

Similarly, INSIDE uses minimal environments and controlled lighting to guide attention, evoke emotion, and suggest narrative without explicit storytelling. These references influenced my approach to lighting, contrast, and composition.

Outcome

The resulting visuals emphasise contrast and mood rather than detail. Light directs the viewer’s focus, while shadow creates mystery and emotional weight. The scene feels quiet and contemplative, encouraging interpretation rather than explanation.

Reflection

This exercise helped me understand how light and shadow can function as storytelling elements. I learned that strong contrast and controlled lighting can communicate scale, emotion, and narrative even within minimal environments. This approach later influenced my development project The Tree in the Cave.

Learning

Using light as a narrative tool

Importance of contrast and silhouette

Inspiration from real-world spaces and games

Indian Village Memories

Introduction

This weekly exercise explored the theme of Nostalgia & Memory through visual research and concept development. Rather than recreating a specific location, the project focused on understanding how everyday experiences and familiar environments contribute to personal and cultural memories.

The aim was to investigate how environmental details can evoke emotional responses and communicate a sense of place without requiring a fully developed 3D environment.

Project Goal

The goal of this exercise was to explore how nostalgia can be represented through environmental storytelling. Instead of focusing on architecture or realism, I wanted to identify common elements that many people associate with memories of village life and understand how these visual cues contribute to emotional connection.

Research and Visual References

To begin the project, I collected a range of visual references related to Indian village life. These references included traditional markets, tea stalls, family gatherings, village houses, children's games, and community spaces.

While studying these images, I noticed that memories are often connected to activities rather than physical locations. People tend to remember moments such as playing with friends, sitting with family members, visiting local shops, or gathering in public spaces. These observations became the foundation of the project.

Key Themes Identified

Community and social interaction

Childhood experiences and play

Everyday village routines

Family gatherings and shared spaces

Warm and familiar environments

Concept Development

The concept focused on creating an environment that represents memory rather than reality.

Instead of designing a single accurate village location, the project explored how different nostalgic elements could be combined to suggest a remembered experience. The intention was to create an emotional representation of village life using visual storytelling techniques.

Objects such as tea glasses, market stalls, seating areas, traditional houses, and children's play spaces were identified as strong visual symbols of nostalgia. These elements help communicate memories without directly showing specific events or characters.

Analysis

One important observation from this exercise was that nostalgia is often created through atmosphere rather than detailed realism.

Many of the reference images used warm lighting, natural materials, and signs of everyday human activity. This suggests that emotional connection is influenced by familiar visual patterns rather than architectural accuracy.

The project also highlighted how environmental storytelling can communicate culture and identity through small details and ordinary objects.

Reflection

This exercise encouraged me to think beyond physical environment design and focus on emotional storytelling. Through the research process, I learned that memories are often connected to experiences, routines, and social interactions rather than specific locations.

The project helped me understand how visual references can be analysed to identify recurring themes and emotional qualities. This approach later influenced how I think about atmosphere, narrative, and environmental storytelling within my development projects.

What I Learned

Researching environments through cultural and emotional themes

Understanding nostalgia as a design tool

Identifying storytelling opportunities through everyday objects

Analysing visual references rather than simply collecting them

Exploring memory and atmosphere through environmental concepts

Future Development

If this concept were developed further, it could be expanded into a complete 3D environment using Blender and Unreal Engine. Environmental props, lighting design, ambient audio, and interactive storytelling elements could be used to strengthen the nostalgic atmosphere and create a more immersive experience.

References and Credits

Tuan, Y. F. (1977).Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. University of Minnesota Press.

Relph, E. (1976).Place and Placelessness. Pion. Lynch, K. (1960).The Image of the City. MIT Press.

Cultural references collected from photographs of:

Indian village markets

Traditional tea stalls

Childhood outdoor games

Rural family gatherings

When Humans Switch Places with Animals

Introduction

This weekly exercise explored the theme Places of Mind through a speculative scenario where humans and animals exchange roles within society. Rather than focusing on a physical environment, the project investigated how perspective, power, empathy and identity might change if humans experienced the world from an animal's point of view.

The aim was to develop conceptual thinking and visual storytelling skills while exploring how "place" can exist as a psychological and emotional experience rather than a physical location.

Concept

The core idea imagines a world where animals occupy positions traditionally held by humans, while humans become the observed species.

This role reversal challenges human-centred thinking and encourages reflection on how animals are treated in everyday life. By placing humans in vulnerable situations normally experienced by animals, the concept invites viewers to reconsider relationships between species and question accepted social behaviours.

The project focused on symbolism, empathy and perspective rather than realism.

Visual References

To develop the concept further, I gathered a range of visual references showing:

Animals occupying human environments

Human figures placed in vulnerable situations

Symbolic role reversal

Social and environmental commentary

Narrative-driven illustrations

These references helped establish the emotional tone of the project and provided inspiration for composition, storytelling and thematic development.

Reflection

This exercise encouraged me to think beyond physical environment design and focus on conceptual storytelling. By working only with ideas and references, I learned how strong concepts can exist without fully realised visuals. This way of thinking later influenced how I approached symbolic environments and emotional storytelling in my development projects.

Conclusion

This project explored how changing perspective can transform the meaning of a place. By imagining a world where humans and animals exchange roles, I investigated themes of empathy, identity and social behaviour. The exercise strengthened my conceptual thinking skills and demonstrated how visual storytelling can communicate powerful ideas without relying on complex production techniques.

References

Steve Cutts – When Humans Switch Places with Animals

Introduction

This weekly exercise explored how colour can be used to communicate opposing themes and narrative ideas. The task focused on developing two contrasting villages using red and blue colour palettes to represent conflict and peace within a fictional war setting.

AI Generator Image

Concept

The project presents two villages at war, each defined primarily through colour and atmosphere rather than characters.

Red Village represents destruction, conflict, and force. Its powers include:

Territorial intimidation

Elevated command

Aura of decay

Rapid armament

The red colour palette reinforces aggression, dominance, and instability, making the environment feel hostile and threatening.

Blue Village represents creation, peace, and goodness. Its powers include:

Harmonic creation

Restorative aura

Innate diplomacy

The blue palette creates a calm and balanced atmosphere, suggesting harmony, protection, and cooperation.

Process

I developed two visual variations of the same village structure, altering only colour, lighting, and atmosphere. This allowed me to directly compare how red and blue lighting influence emotional response and narrative perception. Composition and layout remained consistent to ensure that colour was the primary storytelling element.

AI Generator Image

Outcome

The final outcomes clearly demonstrate how colour alone can define identity, intention, and power within an environment. The red village feels aggressive and unstable, while the blue village appears calm and protective, despite sharing similar structural forms.

AI Generator Image

Learning

Colour as narrative language

Emotional impact of red vs blue palettes

Consistency in composition for comparative studies