I thought it would be fun to share some original concept art (never before seen) from a popular video game project I worked on in the mid 1990s. As a 3D modeler/Surface Artist - It was my job to take hand drawn sketches and turn them into photoreal 3D sets. Softimage was used for all the 3D and Photoshop was used for all texture work. Richard Vander Wende (www.vanderwende.com) and Robyn Miller (www.tinselman.com) were the main designers on the game. Was really the first and last job I had where the goal was to make it look right, no matter how long it took. Well, it took 10 artists almost 4 years to complete all the artwork for the game. As one of those artists, I get asked a lot about the game play - lots of "Myst-Heads" out there. The truth is that I am and have never been much of a video gamer - I have never actually played Riven and don't hold the answers to any of the puzzles. I am letting my 10 year son work all that out - playing Myst on my iPhone and waiting for someone to release the Riven app. It is cool that people still contact me with an interest in what we did - techniques, concepts & technical. Awesome that the game still resonates 15 years later.
So a recent move uncovered a box of sketches and work stuff from my time at Cyan Worlds. There are hundreds of pages of sketches and notes. I randomly grabbed a handful for the first posting. I will post more in the future. Enjoy!
*All images are copyright of Cyan Worlds and should not be used without their consent.
PROJECT OVERVIEW/MAPS
CONCEPT ART/SKETCHES
STUDIO - CYAN WORLDS 1994 - 1997 - Studio layout
Michael Bostick's "Riven" Demo Reel (1994-1997)
Some of my 3D modeling/animation work from the game. All work created with Softimage, Photoshop and Painter.This reel also includes a few personal pieces from the time frame.
Wow, very very interesting stuff. Never seen those particular maps and concepts.
By the way, do you have any idea about the copyright status of these images? The Wikipedia article on Riven could need some images to illustrate the development process...
hi great work, i have fond memories of playing riven all those years ago. i am trying to find some decent reference for gehns timepiece, the silver sphere, all i can find is some low rez images and im trying to make the thing for real, is there an unwrapped image of the thing somewhere of if you know who had modeled and textured the thing any info would be amazing.
Hey man! Great post. I wish you'd post again with more images. As a Myst universe fan, this is an amazing find for me. I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for working on the game and making it apart of what it is today. A wonderful world and story to explore!
I've spent a number of happy hours lost in the world of computer gaming since the '80s, and it's still a favorite way to spend time. No game universe has ever captured my imagination the way Myst has, and I was ecstatic to finally be able to play realMyst after being deprived for so many years. Still hoping for realRiven, etc.
Thank you so much for sharing your work. To be honest, I find the graphics just as gorgeous, detailed, and well-rendered in 2016 as they were originally. Perhaps the technology has advanced, but the ability to afford software doesn't make one an artist. :-)
Wow, very very interesting stuff. Never seen those particular maps and concepts.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, do you have any idea about the copyright status of these images? The Wikipedia article on Riven could need some images to illustrate the development process...
Awsume!!! Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing these. Even after all these years, Riven is my favourite game of all time. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is still a great game for sure.
ReplyDeleteThe art is phenomenal!
hi
ReplyDeletegreat work, i have fond memories of playing riven all those years ago.
i am trying to find some decent reference for gehns timepiece, the silver sphere, all i can find is some low rez images and im trying to make the thing for real, is there an unwrapped image of the thing somewhere of if you know who had modeled and textured the thing any info would be amazing.
many thanks
simon
Hey man! Great post. I wish you'd post again with more images. As a Myst universe fan, this is an amazing find for me. I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for working on the game and making it apart of what it is today. A wonderful world and story to explore!
ReplyDeleteI've spent a number of happy hours lost in the world of computer gaming since the '80s, and it's still a favorite way to spend time. No game universe has ever captured my imagination the way Myst has, and I was ecstatic to finally be able to play realMyst after being deprived for so many years. Still hoping for realRiven, etc.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your work. To be honest, I find the graphics just as gorgeous, detailed, and well-rendered in 2016 as they were originally. Perhaps the technology has advanced, but the ability to afford software doesn't make one an artist. :-)