Lock Down

Work has me bogged down at the moment.  Next champ will be later this week or the next -- depends on when my hours let up :)

Champion Concept: Mort

Concept Lore

Bilgewater is a busy place.  Between trade, thievery, bounty-hunting, and other shenanigans -- occasionally a story is told about Mort, the great Water Sage.  The stories vary from traveler to drunkard; How Mort uses the ocean itself to crush pirates, or calms the currents to provide safe passage for ships.  Everything said about Mort has been just a story.  Few believed Mort even existed.  Until the old sage himself rowed into Bilgewater from the ocean.

When he appeared -- the only thing Mort would say is "must warn the two of the danger," and then proceeded to hobble toward the League.

Concept Game-Play

Mort is a Bilgewater Mage and Support that specializes in titanic ocean spells that shield, slow, and crush.  Some of his abilities are meant to be terrain altering or terrain creating.  He's meant to be a little more tanky than typical Mages and Supports too.

Art Direction

This is my first approach at painting the champion without being reliant on outlines and sketches (looking for feedback about that).  Mort is super old to provide a change of pace from the typical hyper-athletic champions we already have.  He also fills the old hermit/sage archetype.  He houses this really colorful shell on his back, which is about as big as he is.  I wanted players to think "what's under that thing?".  One of Mort's eyes are missing and he has a crab claw for an arm -- which suggests that Mort may not be human at all.  He's also missing a leg, which is why he has a staff -- it's for walking and magic!

Champion Concept: Millia

Concept Lore

In Bilgewater, thieves are commonplace.  But no thief has a reputation as Millia does. As a master thief; Millia is one of the most wanted criminals in all of the world -- not because of her crimes, but because she is a thief for hire.  Looking for more of a challenge Millia has sought to test her abilities against the champions of the League... and perhaps make a little coin doing so.

Concept Game-Play

Millia is a Bilgewater support that scales off of Attack Damage and Critical Chance.  She manipulates gold gain both to the advantage of her allies and to the detriment of her opponents. She is quick and agile with abilities that reflect her cunning.  She is supposed to fit a role focused on speed and gold manipulation that is currently absent from support archetypes.

Art Direction

Millia has been one of the most difficult champions I've had to design -- mostly in part because I didn't quite know in which direction to go in for a Bilgewater champion.  Eventually I decided to make another thief type champion, and I started putting a pirate take on rogue tropes.  I put her in leathers for armor as it was more appropriate considering her thematics, and added a lot of yellows and golds to represent her obsessions as a thief. She came out a little too bland, so I had to pop her with a violet tint in her leather and a magenta tattoo on her arm.  Afterwards, I added just a little bit of silver to contrast the leather more so.

Revision: Castor/Pollux

Art Direction

The long awaited Castor/Pollux revision is here! Going off of the feedback I received from the original versions -- this Champion is now a mirror of the Summoner's Rift minions.  This all ties back to an attempt at duality -- and as such, Castor and Pollux both represent two different kinds of minions.  Of course, they're their own champion, so they're a little more "beefed up" than the minions.  I think they share enough resemblance to get the idea across.  Also, Castor and Pollux are different enough from each other to dictate how they play differently depending on which one you are playing.  One's a hero, one's a villain -- and they're both very childish about it.  Hope you enjoy the revision![

Champion Concept: Nadine

Concept Lore

Nadine remembers her king, who accepted her into his family when she lost her own. She remembers her training -- bending the fabrics of magic with swordsmanship. She remembers becoming a paladin and taking up her charge to uphold the law of the Isles -- and to protect her king.

What Nadine doesn't remember, is when she died. Attracted by the dimly pulsing magics of her former king, Nadine has stumbled upon the League -- where her training will serve her well.

Concept Game-Play

Nadine is a Shadow Isles fighter meant for top lane. She is a spell sword champion that specializes in mana absorbing, mana scaling, and skills shots. She is the fighter version of Ezreal. She is supposed to be a high risk high reward AP based champion.

Art Direction

So Nadine's design was founded on the idea that not everything that comes out of the Shadow Isles is evil. So I came up with this idea of this order of paladins, who upheld the law, that existed on the Isles. From there, I used typical white and blues to cover her palette. I wanted her to be distinct though, and instead of solid white -- I made her this marble color with organic protrusions. I also wanted to avoid the overly "sexy" approach, so I covered Nadine with armor and gave her a helm that covered her eyes -- which is still impractical; Covering the eyes I think adds to the idea of her being an apparition and well versed in magic, it is also intimidating. She sports a partial cloak that is solid -- to differentiate her from Fiora.

Riot Penguin Stops By

Riot Penguin stopped by the thread today to share a few words!

Riot Penguin

Ahhh! I feel so bad - I don't know how I missed your reply!! Sorry about the absurdly long delay.... :'( 

(lovin' the new art btw!) 

So regarding in games -- What I do for skins, is when I have a design I like the look of, I just snap a screenshot of the character in game - and then just paint directly on the screenshot -- that way I have all the perspective, proportions, and posing done for me!  

This will give you a really good sense of the strengths and weaknesses of the design. In general, you'll find that the head and shoulders are your biggest areas of interest, and you don't really see as much of anything else (so no super decorative belt buckles!).

As far as designing new champions in game -- you can try finding an existing champion with similar proportions to get you started, and then make alterations to better suit the personality of your character.
Hope that helps, and sorry again for taking so long to find this thread again!! 

(ps, in general if I'm not replying to your replies in a timely manner, you can always just hit me up on twitter, which i check regularly - @riotpenguin)

Skin Concept: Death Blossom Zyra

Art Direction

I know that Riot has a new Zyra skin somewhere in the pipeline (my luck is it will be a Death Blossom skin) -- but I had to make this. So there were a few goals fleshing this skin out. 1; It had to share the base palette of Death Blossom Elise. 2; I wanted to include Spring colors. 3; It had to be different enough, that if you had Zyra and Elise rocking Death Blossom skins -- you can tell them apart on the field. Unlike Zyra's current models, Death Blossom makes her asymmetrical; the blooms on one shoulder/leg are larger than the other. For contrast and pop, I added a high saturation magenta color to areas; mostly in petals. Zyra also now has only 1 vine circulating her arm as I thought this would help pop her silhouette in game more, and distinguish the skin.

Revision: Elle

Art Direction

Not to toot my own horn -- but it's amazing how far along I've come being able to draw the figure. I was never happy with how Elle turned out -- the themes I wanted to convey worked against me. I had to bring her more in line with a traditional woodland elf. At the same time, I needed to add a little more League flavor to her. There are more vibrant colors used in Elle's design now, so that she stands out and conveys "Elf" to the player. Disregarding the conflicting concepts, Elle's mechanical arm is now a mangled growth of roots that acts as her new arm. This affects her lore a bit -- but like all the concepts, nothing is set in stone.

Champion Concept: Ardok

Concept Lore

A juggernaut of magma and flesh, bone and steel, Ardok is a punishing foe. In their arrogance, Noxian spell weavers once sought to control the forces of Earth and Fire by creating an abomination; a dual Elemental. The ceremony went horribly wrong and Ardok came into the world -- slaying the sorcerers with his explosive birth. Ardok possessed key attributes of the elements Earth and Fire, but was not the dual elemental his creators had hoped for. Ardok would not be calmed and Earth and Fire gave rise to his strength and recklessness. It took Noxian's best magicians and fighters to eventually subdue Ardok after weeks of effort. Impressed by their ability to hinder him, Ardok joined his Noxian creators in pursuit of more strength. His new path of has led him to the League.

Concept Game-Play

Ardok is a tank that excels at absorbing and redirecting damage. His kit would revolve around dual abilities, both for defense and for offense. Defensive attributes would scale off of Armor, Health, and Attack Damage; Offensive attributes would scale off Magic Resist, Health, and Ability Power.

I toyed with the idea of Ardok being able to shield himself while exploding at the same time, causing AoE knockbacks and damage. Absorbing magic attacks to regurgitate magma covered weapons. Deflecting physical attacks while increasing his strength. Everything he does is a quake and torrent of fire and rock.

Art Direction

I wanted to avoid traditional cyclops -- and make Ardok a bit of a wrecking ball. I borrowed from some God of War elements, and started meshing in my own interpretation of the creature. I covered more of his hide and made it a bite more gravel and scale -- instead of rough skin. I also enjoyed the idea of Ardok being this juggernaut sort of creature that couldn't be stopped; So I thought it would be interesting to have him carrying these wounds from weapons that could not stop him. Because Ardok is supposed to be this failed attempt at Earth and Fire combined, his colors are reds, browns, and tans; also adding to the idea that he is a sort of tank.

Adding a bit of mystery to his lore though, Ardok also has this huge scar across his belly -- a wound he suffered at the hands of another champion. A champion I'll be exploring soon.

Skin Concept: Prehistoric Trundle

Art Direction

Trundle needs skins. So I made this one. I really like the Jurassic skin theme that's been given to monster champions, and I thought branching from that theme would make for a cool contrast (like Crimson Elite/Commando contrasts). Anyways, Trundle seemed the perfect choice given his abilities and weapon choice. I gave Trundle more untamed hair (including a flashy new beard) and some tusks. His skin is an off ochre color with white war paint -- to bring him more in line of "clay" colors to emphasize age in the theme.

Champion Concept: Loz

Concept Lore

Every now and again, you will hear a story -- in Ionia. Noxus. Zaun. Or anywhere, really -- about Goblins causing mayhem.  Goblins pop up from time to time in tales and are considered to be manifestations of misfortune and malice.  Very recently, to everyone's horror, Goblins have stepped into the light and out of the darkness of myth and story.  A Goblin nation -- consisting of numerous specialized casts -- has emerged.  Though their nation is by no means large by any standard, the thought of organized Goblins is reason enough for panic.

To solidify their reputation on the world stage, the Goblins have sent forth their first representative into the League of Legends.  Loz comes from the Insect Cast of Goblins who specialize in breeding and controlling insects for pets and food.  Loz has shaped his breeds of insects to cause dismay, illness, and injury to enemies of the Goblins.

Concept Game-Play

Loz is a support champion with a focus on brush control, area control, and debuffs.  There isn't a champion yet that really has a focus on helping deny brush use, so Loz has a great void to fill.  His insects do various things to enemies but I wanted there to be more focus on what Loz can do with the insect.  Loz can make hives -- hives produce insects which hinder enemy champions in a large area.  The hives can be destroyed.  Hives, when placed in brush, not only cover their area of effect, but additionally infect the entire brush with the effect of the insects.  Additionally, Loz can create hives that only trigger and infect enemy champions when they come too close to the hive.

As a way to make Loz a little more fun of a concept, game-play wise, I've made 12 insects.  I don't know what these insects do -- I think it would be fun if the community were able to make up their own uses for the insects' abilities.  I created 12 of them so that anyone wanting to theory craft Loz's insect uses have a wide selection in which to choose from.  Here are the names; 1. Obsidian Beetle, 2. Snot Grub, 3. Mana Leech, 4. Vertigo Moth, 5. Corpse Worm, 6. Blood Ant, 7. Smog Roach, 8. Volatile Mosquito, 9. Plague Wasp, 10. Pus Slug, 11. Blinding Butterfly, 12. Spinal Centipede

Art Direction

So Loz is my first jab at a Goblin trope and I wanted him to be small and sneaky. And not green.  His main focus as a character is to sneak around the battlefield and construct hives and traps -- utilizing a lot of brush.  So he needed to be a little stealthy.  I put him in a cloak weighed heavy with the appeal of common thief archetypes.  To display his origins, Loz has his Cast's emblem on his back.  This is also to set apart his silhouette from other smaller champions.  He also needed these glass jars with him, for insects of course.

Revision: Shiori

Art Direction

I updated Shiori's outfit a tad bit -- very small revision.  She now has a pattern in her garb and it also make her stand out a bit more color-wise without toning down her feminine aspects.  This was a quick fix to make (as it was actually supposed to be the original) but I wasn't sure if it made her to visually busy.  I like the change, and hopefully you do too.

Taking a Breather

Currently taking a breather. I am sick, and I have a wake and funeral to attend this week -- so there will be no new champion on Monday, February 25th. Regular updates resume the following Monday. I will continue to bump the forum thread and answer questions though, so feel free to post inquiries there.

Champion Concept: Shiori

Concept Lore

Ionia suffered greatly during the Noxian invasion. After Ionia wrought back their lands and became part of the League -- an order was made in secret. It was clear that the path of balance would not defend them from such a hostile invasion, and the League can only settle so many matters. The secret order began taking youths and training them to be weapons -- assassins of the greatest skill.

Katsumi is often recognized as the most gifted of these assassins. But her sister, Shiori follows close behind her. Always being in the shadow of Katsumi has made Shiori a permanent rival, and through that rivalry -- Shiori has become overly excessive in her violence. Where Katsumi chose the katana, Shiori chose dance. Channeling her energy, Shiori produces violent wakes of eviscerating magics through quick, graceful dances on the battlefield. The only thing more feared than Shiori's dances, is her temper. She has been sent to the League with her sister to test her ability to battle, and execute, legends.

Concept Game-Play

Shiori is a AD/AP hybrid stance-dance (lol) fighter who functions like Udyr. Shiori has a high focus on heavy AoE damage, high movement speed, and quick attacks. I picture her as using her arm ribbons much like Kratos (God of War) uses his blades. She would also be in constant motion as a dancer, the effect being amplified by her stance-dance abilities.

Art Direction

Shiori is the response to the community need for a Dancer-class champion, of which it has been agreed Orianna does not fit. With a viewpoint found in League, I knew that the most dynamic movements for a Dancer would be spins. Working off of that, I wanted Shiori to have a means other than her body to cause damage. So I took influence from ribbon dancers and combined it into Shiori's sleeves as her primary weapon (also fulfilling the use of cloth as a primary weapon). I chose pink tones for Shiori's appearance to convey elegance as a dancer, and to reinforce the archetype of dancers being girls/girly. At the same time, I motioned to make Shiori's sleeves much darker and aglow with energy to denote the violence in her -- the sleeves are her weapon, that's what players need to fear. Dancers are often linked to a sense of sexuality -- so I used this as an opportunity to actually make a female concept more in line of 'sexy female'.

Revision: Warin

Art Direction

So, a big problem I had with Warin was that at the time I made him, I was still really bad at textures. I still don't consider myself great at them, but I've gotten better. To reiterate Warin, I moved his design from heavy reds and steel because -- as someone mentioned -- he shared too much of a similarity with Darius. This time around, I've made Warin a creature with more exposed bone plating. I also thinned his frame a bit and expanded his shell. This was to give him more of a heroic silhouette. The bone plating helps adjust his color too, so he no longer reminds us of Darius. At the same time, I took care to make sure that he didn't remind people of Malphite either. This is why the shell forms a hard V shape.

Champion Concept: Algus Shade

Concept Lore

Algus doesn't remember much leading up to, during, or after the calamity -- What he does remember is that he was once some sort of nobility, was a praised tracker, and that his family had an affinity for wolves.  Whatever the calamity was, Algus woke up on the shores of Noxus in what seemed to him to be another time.  Another curious note Algus made was that he was in fact already dead -- but still somehow bound to the physical world.  Apathetic toward his plight, Algus sought a new medium for his skills in order to acquire fame.  His arrogance has led him straight to the League.

Concept Game-Play

Algus is a Shadow Isles AP jungler who can track and trap enemies.  There aren't too many champions that have traps available to them, but there is certainly no champion that specializes in them.  Algus turns into a wolf, or releases wolves, in accordance to whatever his kit would call for (ie: a gap closer would animate his lunge as a quick transformation; traps might release wolves; etc etc).

Art Direction

With Algus, I worked a bit backwards.  I came up with a conceptual lore on the basis that I wanted a proud tracking character.  I started tying Algus to the Shadow Isles, and I thought it'd be a fun way to play on the Black Dog ghost tales.  Instead of a dog though, I wanted to make Algus more vicious -- so dog became wolf.  To stand apart from other Shadow Isles champions, and other champions in general due to his time displacement, Algus has more black and silver integrated into his design -- something of which other champions don't have as a distinction.  Algus is thin of frame to denote that he is not a tank, and wears fur and pauldrons to denote that his key role is in the jungle.

Skin Concept: Dawn Break Leona

Dawn Break Leona is a skin I've been thinking of for a while. She takes on some futuristic elements without being akin to pulsefire or battlecast. At the same time, she represents more closely to the common theme of League in crystals. The crystals also give a magic type quality, so I decided they needed to be included. Leona also sports black and silver as opposed to gold and maroon for a more slick look. Silver helps aid the theme of light while the black helps push the contrast of Leona overall. Her equipment also is made of light, and would be visually transparent in game -- this is to emphasize Leona's full control over light in this form. Her visor is also a nod to wanting Leona to have a full helm -- while at the same time not necessarily giving her one.

1000 Upvotes

I just wanted to take a moment to thank the community for their support.  When I made this thread I didn't think it would receive the amount of attention it has, let alone the support and good wishes.  Imagine my amusement when the whole Quinn thing happened!  I have been incredibly humbled and I will continue to work to improve my craft so that I may have the best chance of joining the Riot team -- and in return, shoot for getting you guys more champions that appeal to you.  Once again; thank you community for your continued support and feedback.

Because the community was awesome enough to get me to 1000 upvotes, I'll be posting a concept "map" for League of Legends. And from here on out, I'll also make Concept Skins between champion releases.

Champion Concept: Bile

Concept Lore

Zaun has unleashed many horrors upon the world, but their only regret is Barton Shaw -- or better known now as Bile.  Barton was a madman bent on emulating his idol, Shaco.  His spree of murders were responded with a team consisting of specialty soldiers from Ionia, Noxus, Demacia, and Zaun assembled to work together to track and eliminate Barton.  They instead succeeded in making an already notorious murderer into some sort of nightmarish monster.  During their encounter, Barton fell into a vat of chemicals -- as he was presumed to be dead, he emerged as some sort of elemental of acid and poison.  The specialty team was later found partially liquidated.  Since then, Barton has taken up the name Bile -- and written in the liquidated remains of his most recent victims, he has promised to surpass his idol.

Concept Game-Play

Bile is a response to some community need for a blob-like/liquid-esque champion.  Bile plays as an AP jungler/assassin/mage that focuses on poisons, area control, and quiet approaches.  He attacks at range and his body is always "flowing" and "spilling" into movements and weapons.  Spitting, puking, shooting, and becoming poison and acid would be staples of his skill palette.  His dance would most certainly have to be modeled after wacky waving inflatable arm flailng tube man.

Art Direction

Bile, as a community response, was relatively easy to pull inspiration for.  I've wanted to make this character for some time, but it hasn't been until recently that I thought I had the artistic know-how to pull him off.  The biggest inspiration for Bile, to begin, is Spider-Man's villain, Carnage.  Moving from that influence, I knew how Bile would move and look.  The main differences between the two though would be that Bile plays and looks more like liquid and is as such, despite being able to form solid objects -- he doesn't wear a suit.  Bile is also purely poisons and acids.  Playing upon his toxic themes, I chose Bile's colors as purple and yellow-green to push the read as poisonous.  Included in his design are various forms his arms can make -- creating weapons for his deadly purpose.  This is much like his influences, but it plays nicely into the character.

Revision: Waitomo

Did you feel that Waitomo was too cute? I did.  So I creepy'd him up a lot.  This revision was a little overdue -- and I wanted to really really push Waitomo into an appropriately awesome League-worthy appearance.

So Waitomo's body has been slightly elongated to play further upon his "skittery" nature.  His luminous tails have been sharpened so that you know from looking at him; this character is an assassin.  His color palette has been switched up -- and this was to give him a more sickly look.  His eye changed from a high reflection to an empty pupil.  I also opened his jaw and revealed his disgustingly mucous-filled mouth.  So now Waitomo is still this highly exotic magical creature, but he's still something from the dark that plays upon being something of a stalking character.  The main influence for this rework was X-Men's Toad.