Community Spotlight: Fan Art by Leonardo a.C.
In light of what’s in store in the upcoming Patch 5.4, it seemed fitting that we discovered digital artist Leonardo a.C. and his detailed creation titled “Orgrimmar: Horde Territory.” We were immediately taken by the size and complexity of this impressive piece, and reached out to Leonardo to learn a bit more about his background and work.
Crithto: How long have you been an artist?
Leonardo a.C.: Thank you for calling me an artist! I don’t have any formal training in art. I’m just very passionate about what I do. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been playing with various mediums such as Play-Doh, clay, cardboard, pencils, acrylic, oil painting, et cetera. Thanks to a twist of fate, I’ve been happily working in the CG industry for about 7 years now, mainly focusing on architectural visualization. So finally, after walking this long road, the time I’ve invested has granted me the knowledge and experience to make great things. :D
Crithto: The “Orgrimmar: Horde Territory” piece is beautifully detailed and looks like you put in a lot of time to create it. What inspired you?
Leonardo a.C.: You are right, I have invested a lot of time in creating this piece, and it was worth every second! I think the inspiration came from many of the movies I love such as The Lord of the Rings, A Nightmare Before Christmas, Brave, Rango, Star Wars, and many more, as well as from CG cinematics in video games—especially made by Blizzard. They are so good! Actually, I’m still amazed by the Warcraft III cinematics. I remember thinking at the time that they were the greatest things I had ever seen. So every time I fly over Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms, Pandaria, Northrend, or Outland, I lose myself contemplating all those beautiful structures and environments. I find myself wondering, “How would they look if they were real?”
Crithto: How long did it take you to create it?
Leonardo a.C.: All told, it took me about 20 days to create this piece, working an average of 4 to 6 hours a day.
Crithto: What was your biggest challenge?
Leonardo a.C.: Actually, I don’t have a super computer, so my biggest challenge was trying not to run out of memory while keeping all of the details in the scene. I used an Intel Core i7 with 6GB of RAM.
Crithto: Are you working on any other World of Warcraft–themed art that we can look forward to?
Leonardo a.C.: Absolutely! My head is full of cool ideas I’d love to create. Right now, I’m working on a 3D rendering of “The Court of the Sun,” which is found in Silvermoon City. It’s gonna be awesome! I’m also working on a short illustrated tale of the Culling of Stratholme, so please stay tuned. ;)
You can find more of Leonardo’s work on deviantART, and you’re welcome to follow him on Twitter and Facebook.