Prop Design Winners Interview — Dragon’s Rise: The Forgotten Realms
1st place Dragon’s Rise: The Forgotten Realms – Prop Design: Valeria Ivanova
Artists entering the Prop Design category of the Dragon’s Rise ArtStation Challenge were tasked with creating tools, weapons, or structures that told the story of the “Forgotten Realms”. For this interview we spoke with the top three Prop Design category winners Valeria Ivanova, Jenny Brozek, and Lara D’Adda about how they created props that each tell their own story about this fantasy environment.
2nd place Dragon’s Rise: The Forgotten Realms – Prop Design: Jenny Brozek
Why Did You Decide To Enter the Dragon’s Rise Challenge?
Valeria: I love taking part in the ArtStation Challenges! They are a great way to improve your skills, get inspired by your favorite artists, grow in a supportive community, and learn to work with time constraints! Everyone is so nice! So anytime I have the occasion, I try my best here! Also, it feels great to finish some personal work for the portfolio and meet great new artists!
Jenny: Challenges are always a great way to get to know other artists, and have actually led to some online friendships that I treasure a lot. Also having a set theme and timeframe really motivates me to finish a project.
Lara: I was always looking at the amazing and inspiring results from the previous Challenges, and I wanted to finally be able to take part as well. I also really loved the theme and its possibilities.
3rd place Dragon’s Rise: The Forgotten Realms – Prop Design: Lara D’Adda
What Was the Inspiration Behind Your Submission?
Valeria: I loved the theme of this Challenge but wasn’t too excited to work with the traditional idea we usually have of them (dragons). I wanted to go for something more carefree and warm instead of intimidating or epic. Then, the idea of baking dough dragons instantly came to me! Just as in Bao (Pixar)! I also got inspired by Ghibli movies and their detailed, magical worlds, as well as the art of Elodie Mondoloni, whose work I adore and admire. Moreover, the culture I based my assets in was the Moroccan one, to honor my grandma and her delicious dishes!
Jenny: I had the idea of flower dragons in my head for some time now, and thought it could be interesting since it’s a mix of themes that I haven’t seen before too much. The idea of having tiny dragons and gnomes just stuck with me, since I always love to paint something whimsical or nature-inspired.
Lara: My main inspirations were from our reality, natural elements, animals, and totem symbolism, mixed of course with dragons and fantasy. But I also got inspired a lot by Dark Crystal, while thinking of this civilization living in underground tunnels.
1st place Dragon’s Rise: The Forgotten Realms – Prop Design: Valeria Ivanova
What Was the Most Difficult Part of the Challenge for You?
Valeria: Time constraints are the most difficult part for sure. You have to take creative decisions even if you are not sure they work in order to continue. You learn to stop working on a piece to start the next step and have to deal that not everything has to be perfect. So learning balance is a must. Comparing yourself to others doesn’t help either, it may be a great boost to want to improve and give your best but sometimes it may get overwhelming. That is why learning to take your time is also important!
Jenny: The timeframe, as always. There was no time for polishing at the end, but I am glad I finished it up after the Challenge ended.
Lara: The most difficult part was planning the work during the time of the Challenge which seems like a lot, but in the end, moves so fast. Considering that I also personally went on a trip for half of the time with no internet, working was a bit more tricky. But I am happy that I stuck to the plan and finished it. I also found coming up with the initial idea for the concepts difficult. As I had a lot of ideas and a lot of creative freedom, I needed to find a specific world I wanted to create without getting lost, starting from a solid idea.
2nd place Dragon’s Rise: The Forgotten Realms – Prop Design: Jenny Brozek
What Advice Do You Have for Future Challenge Participants?
Valeria: Join in and do art! Don’t overthink, time flies! Have fun! Don’t stress! It should be a learning experience, not a punishing one. Plan ahead and get milestones. If you get behind, don’t worry, you can always try for one good rendered prop or some flat rendered but diverse assets. Every experience matters! Also, 3D art helped me a lot, especially for the turnarounds! So if you have some spare time, this is the perfect occasion to practice some!
Jenny: Just try it! It is a fun way to engage with other artists and push yourself out of your comfort zone, be it the time limit or the theme.
Lara: I personally think the hardest part is the beginning, to come up with a nice idea. So I would start rather soon in the Challenge with that, and leave the other parts for later. This would give you more time to ask around for feedback, and get a feeling for if you are going the right way, without discovering that too late. I would also say to have fun, as this is what I did. I enjoyed working on something for myself and doing exactly what I wanted to do.
3rd place Dragon’s Rise: The Forgotten Realms – Prop Design: Lara D’Adda
