Medieval House by Angelina Pronina
Hello everyone!
My name is Angelina Pronina and I am a freelance environment artist currently working on several projects. I haven’t been in gamedev for very long, but it’s already been a challenging and exciting journey.
In this article, I’ll share my process—from storytelling and texturing to optimizing workflows and working with feedback. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your craft, I hope this inspires you and offers some practical tips along the way.
Let’s dive in!
How I Chose Concept To Work On
Concept by Zhipei Fu
When I first came across this concept, I knew it was the one I wanted to work on. The environment had so many storytelling opportunities—a little market with scattered props, two distinct entrances, a laundry area, and a bell tower that hints at community life. Every detail felt alive, like it had its own story to tell. I wanted to bring out that depth in the scene and make viewers imagine the lives of the people who might live in this world.
Before starting the project, I created a detailed reference board. For me, references are key to grounding a scene in reality. I focused on:
Architectural Details: The shape of the rooftops, the texture of old stone walls, fences, and the structure of doors and windows.
Props and Everyday Items: Market carts, barrels, flower pots, laundry lines—small elements that make the space feel lived-in.
Real-World Inspiration: I used my own travel photos from Italy to capture the details typical for Mediterranean and medieval architecture.
The Witcher 3: I drew a lot of inspiration from the DLC Blood and Wine, particularly the region of Toussaint. This influenced many of my artistic decisions.
I believe choosing the right concept provides a strong foundation to build on. This concept struck the perfect balance between detail and flexibility, allowing me to add my own creative touches.
Storytelling Through Environment
A great story is the heart of any environment, but storytelling doesn’t always have to be literal. Sometimes, it’s about creating details that hint at a bigger picture. Take, for example, the uneven stone steps leading to the entrance or the weathered wooden beams holding up the structure—these elements suggest years of use and repair, hinting at a bustling place that serves as a hub for locals. Is it an inn? A market? Or perhaps a community gathering spot? These subtle details invite viewers to imagine the lives of the people who frequent this space.
For this scene, I didn’t start with a rigid, linear story. Instead, I imagined a small community going about their daily lives. There’s someone sitting by the market cart, a lady at the doorstep perhaps calling to a guest, and another feeding animals near the laundry area. Who is ringing the bell, and why? Who shops at the market? Where do the paths lead? These questions helped me make more deliberate choices about composition and set dressing, ensuring every detail felt connected to the narrative.
Having a backstory, even if it’s just in your head, is incredibly helpful for decision-making. For instance, if you imagine this as a community hub, it affects everything: the materials might be worn from heavy foot traffic, the market cart might be scattered with goods, and the props might include items like laundry baskets or tools. The details come together to tell a story of a place that’s lived in, active, and full of subtle narratives.
“To enhance this narrative, I focused on key areas that could visually communicate the story. Let me walk you through a few specific elements and their storytelling roles:”
What It Tells: The weathered texture of the stone shows the building has withstood time and weather, while the gothic windows hint at architectural ties to a church or community center. The vibrant flowers soften the aged structure, suggesting the building is cherished and maintained by its community.
Why It Matters: These details emphasize the history and importance of the building, making it feel like a meaningful part of the environment.
What It Tells: The props suggest a local market—a place for trade and daily tasks. Seasonal elements like pumpkins add context, hinting at late summer or early autumn. The weathered textures imply long-term use.
Why It Matters: Markets are the heart of any community. These elements bring functionality to the scene, showing a lively village where locals gather and trade.
What It Tells: The broken barrel hints at tools or items that were once useful but have since been forgotten, contrasting with the intact barrels still in use. The overgrown wheel, partially reclaimed by ivy, shows how nature slowly takes over what’s been left behind. At the same time, the flower pots and trimmed grass reveal that not everything has been neglected.
Why It Matters: This mix of forgotten and maintained elements paints a picture of a community where life goes on, even as some parts of the environment fade into history, adding depth to the scene.
What It Tells: The bell tower makes us wonder what kind of place it might be—perhaps an inn, a church, or a meeting place. The weathered tiles, patches of moss and creeping ivy suggest age and history, blending human craftsmanship with nature. Birds are also adding a touch of life to the scene.
Why It Matters: The bell tower stands out as a key part of the scene, drawing the viewer’s attention and highlighting its role as an important gathering place for the community.
Textures: Bringing the Story to Life
Texturing is one of my favorite stages in the workflow—it’s where the scene truly comes alive. For this project, I approached texturing as a way to add layers of storytelling and history, ensuring each surface felt as though it had a role to play in the environment.
Focusing on the Story Behind Every Texture
When working on textures, I always ask: "What has this object been through?" This mindset helps me make deliberate decisions about wear, tear, and surface details. For instance:
Wooden Elements: The door frames and beams show scuff marks where people might brush against them daily, with dirt and grime accumulating in hard-to-reach crevices.
Stone Walls: Weathering was carefully applied to show the effects of years of exposure to the elements, with cracks and moss suggesting age and natural reclamation.
Metal Details: Rust patterns were painted to mimic moisture exposure, while polished areas suggest frequent handling.
By anchoring my texturing work in these stories, I was able to create surfaces that felt both realistic and meaningful.
Techniques That Shaped My Workflow
“In the Albedo map, you can see how slight variations in hue create visual depth, making the wood and metal bands feel natural and believable. ”
“The Roughness map emphasizes areas of wear, such as where the metal bands have been corroded or the wood shows signs of handling and exposure to moisture. ”
Detailed Roughness Variations:
I believe roughness maps are one of the most powerful tools for achieving realism. Subtle changes in roughness can make a surface look aged, damp, or well-used.
To illustrate this approach, here’s an example of a barrel texture from my project:Custom Decals:
Decals played a significant role in breaking up the repetition of tileable textures and adding unique storytelling elements. One of my favorite additions was the wagon trail decal, sculpted in ZBrush and detailed with height, color, and roughness maps. These subtle additions helped ground the scene and provide visual interest.Tileable Textures with Vertex Painting:
For modular elements like walls and floors, I combined tileable textures with vertex painting to introduce natural variations, such as dirt buildup and subtle stains. This method ensured the assets felt cohesive while adding flexibility for adjustments.Handcrafted Textures for Hero Assets:
While tileable and scanned materials were essential for efficiency, hero assets required a more personal touch. I used Substance Painter to create textures for focal objects, layering hand-painted details to emphasize their importance in the scene.
Creative Problem-Solving in Texturing
One challenge I encountered was balancing detail with performance. To address this, I reused and repurposed smart materials I had built in previous projects, fine-tuning them to fit the scene. This saved time while maintaining consistency. For symmetrical models, I mirrored UVs to optimize texel density without sacrificing detail.
Additionally, I experimented with lighting during texturing to ensure the materials responded well under different conditions. This iterative approach helped me refine roughness maps and make sure every surface interacted realistically with the environment.
What Helped Me Work Faster
Achieving high-quality results doesn’t always mean spending endless hours. Here are some of the techniques that sped up my workflow:
Scans Are Your Friends: Using scanned data as a base is a game-changer for realistic environments. While Megascans provides a great base, I rarely use assets straight out of the library. To ensure they fit the style and storytelling of my scene, I modify materials in Substance Painter, adjusting them layer by layer. I start by adding color and roughness variations to break up uniformity and make the materials feel more natural.
Reuse and Mirror: To save time, I only sculpted half of some elements in Zbrush and mirrored the rest. Overlapping UVs also helped maintain a consistent texel density.
Custom Smart Materials for Substance Painter: I reused smart materials I created in previous projects, like wood and metal, and just fine-tuned them for this scene.
Focus on Feedback: Feedback saved me time by pointing out areas for improvement early on. This way, I could fix things before moving too far ahead.
Working with Feedback
Feedback is one of the most powerful tools for improving your work. Here’s what I learned about making the most of it:
Start Early: Don’t wait until the end of your project to ask for feedback. The earlier, the better.
Ask Questions: If you don’t understand a critique, ask for clarification. It’s better to ask than to guess.
Separate Yourself from Your Work: Remember, people are critiquing the art, not you. Detaching your ego makes it easier to process feedback constructively.
Be Specific: When asking for feedback, mention what you’re struggling with or what’s working for you. This helps others provide more targeted advice.
I also recommend sharing your work with multiple groups or communities. Different perspectives can highlight things you might not notice on your own.
For example, one piece of feedback I received helped me realize that the market area in my scene felt almost unfinished and needed more detail. I added existing props to extend the area and gave the cloth a dirtier, more weathered look. This simple solution not only enhanced the overall composition but also highlighted the sculpted barrels, making the scene look much more interesting and polished.
Advices for Beginner Artists
If you’re just starting out, here’s what I’ve learned along the way:
Step Back: If you’re stuck or feeling frustrated, step away from your work for a day or two. Coming back with fresh eyes makes a world of difference.
Practice and Patience: Improvement takes time. It’s a journey, so don’t rush the process.
Ask for Feedback: This is the fastest way to grow. Don’t be afraid to put your work out there and learn from others.
Embrace Challenges: If something feels difficult, it means you’re growing. Keep pushing, and you’ll see results.
Conclusion
This project was a journey of learning and experimenting. It taught me the importance of storytelling, texture work, and iteration—not just for this particular scene but as essential skills that can be applied to any project. Whether you’re creating environments, props, or characters, the principles of storytelling and attention to detail can elevate your work and make it more interesting. Remember, every project is an opportunity to learn and grow. Even small adjustments, like refining textures or adding narrative depth, can have a significant impact.
Thank you for joining me on this journey through my creative process. If you have any thoughts, feedback, or questions, feel free to reach out—I’d love to hear from you. Thanks again for reading!
Angelina Pronina
Environment and Prop Artist
