Monument to Mycelia
A concept piece exploring atmosphere and storytelling through environmental design.
Concept Art
2025-06-14
Software Used: Photoshop, Blender
A 3D + Photoshop concept piece created for the 2D Graphics course at DAE, Howest. For this course we had to create an entire storytelling world for an imaginary game, doing our own extensive research, market analysis, style guide, and finally working that all out together in one final monumental piece of our civilization/world. Honestly, this was a sick course, and I am genuinely happy with my result. The context of the world I created lies within a large, and complex cave-system that a group of exiled pagans had gotten stuck in. Over generation they evolved to withstand the harsh conditions of the caves, developing their own rituals too.
Final Concept Art for Monument to Mycelia
One of the core contributors to their survival was the presence of edible and illuminating fungi (believed to be provided by Goddess Mycelia), guiding the pagans through the initial, and darker periods. My monument includes a ritual site where the fungi merges with the cave. Pagans (especially ill ones) sit down in one of the crystal chairs to have the poison sucked out of their bodies.
The trisquel symbol, also present in the Pagan culture, is a symbol for the three levels of existance: body, mind, and soul. Which is why I wanted to incorporate it by having three crytal chairs. Offerings for Mycelia could be provided on the wooden sticks next to the chairs.
Top-Down View of the Monument to Mycelia
Monument to Mycelia after its used
After the ritual, when the fungi have taken the poison out of the bodies, the water turns slightly red and the stones surrounding the site glow a red color. The pagans then leave the site while it regenerates for the next person to use it.
Here I tried making it a bit more evil, using a dark red crimson pallette. I like this one too, but the original one follows a more neutral pallette.
Variation 1: Red Crimson Pallette
Variation 2: Watermelon Pallette
Here I tried going a little more lush and vibrant, using a watermelon pallette. Not my favorite.
I unexpectedly really liked this one, it somehow fits very well with the teeth on the teeth-like stones on the sides and veins around the chairs.
Variation 3: Dentist Pallette