Hi, I’m Storm, 3D artist at Wix Games and today we’ll be diving into the 3D world of our feathered friends, two flippers at a time! Trying to find a style that matches Sam’s 2D art has been an evolving process of trial and error, where the ultimate goal has been to give the game a slightly drawn appearance that matches the ducks whilst still taking advantage of the 3D space. [h2]It's a duck's life[/h2] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44193778/0a7d103fd7113a860f890b9d753b39ebf83d6bad.png[/img] There’s a lot to explore duderinos and it’s not just on Featherhaven Island! (cue ominous music) The trainers will push your duck friends to their limits - the trials gruelling and challenges numerous (but on the plus side there’s a nice view from here!) Don’t worry, we want it to be fun - not painful. Trials are set in all kinds of different locations, each place is something special that fits with the gameplay and is unique enough to hopefully make you want to see more of what’s beyond the next hurdle. We want them to feel like Wipeout obstacle courses. Throughout all of them there are banners and colourful signs that have been set up by the trainers so you feel motivated to keep going and maybe even have a chance to sell out to McDuckalds for that sweet brand deal(!) [h2]It's alive![/h2] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44193778/c651da77c9ec49e1c8976ecec85d7add33960d38.png[/img] It may be early days but the world is already coming together! Much of my time has been spent making lots and lots aaaand lots of models! Since there are so many different places to go, we want to make sure everything is unique and interesting to look at (plus it makes our lives more fun!) Getting to work on everything from deep ocean floors to towering buildings weathered by time ensures you and I get to explore somewhere new every day! [h2]Cel shading[/h2] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44193778/a7254d747982c89621f81e334b58170fde2e84ed.png[/img] Cel shading is a great way to give a 3D object a cartoony appearance. When used right, everything will pop out with bright colours that help bring the world to life. Less is more and that’s what we’ve tried to do, many of the models use a simple gradient to help give a subtle bit of depth whilst the shadows are key to giving us our lighting. Using the shadows right gives us lovely shapes that can turn a simple flat surface into a fluffy meadow worthy of lying in under the stars! [h2]It's in the details[/h2] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44193778/018aa55a6b8be784a7ae5546e8f4fd740d7bf8c9.png[/img] Sometimes it’s the little things that can really bring the world to life, the visual effects (VFX) are a big part of that but it’s surprisingly easy to make them look realistic. Game dev tools are often made nowadays to do realism really well. The art is giving the game its character! The VFX are a language of their own and help make Duck Life 9 feel special. The glints on the water are more than just dots which give it a magical look. The waterfall itself spits out comicbook style shapes that help to distance the look of the game from many other games. [h2]Inspiration[/h2] Coming up with this stuff is no easy feat, it takes time and iteration to figure out what looks good and what’s different! A lot of art is inspired by different things we see in our own lives and the places around us. For one training game we went for tall buildings with plenty of graffiti and overhanging plants; much of the inspiration for this was my love of India and the tall plant covered balconies of flats in Greece. In other cases I’m flicking through art books or finding flowers outside the office (no joke, I picked them for SCIENCE!)... They looked pretty That’s everything for now, but come back soon for more dev logs! We’ll be posting here every two weeks. Join our [url=https://discord.gg/NcBDJPutAP]Discord channel[/url] to keep updated and to join the discussion. We’ll also be posting trailers and updates on our [url=https://www.youtube.com/@WixGames?view_as=subscriber?sub_confirmation=1]YouTube channel[/url], and if you’d like to wishlist the game you can do so now on the official [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2416880/Duck_Life_9/]Steam page[/url]