Medieval: Back and Forth Challenge Award Winners and Honourable Mentions

Art by Pierre Deschamps

ArtStation’s eleventh Community Challenge, Medieval: Back and Forth, launched in April 2023 with more industry-based challenge hosts, new VFX categories and a completely redesigned challenge platform with new feedback features. Like all our community challenges, the submission process was entirely open, and close to 6,000 artists took up the challenge to imagine the middle ages as a destination for modern travellers. Submissions across all categories approached the levels of quality you’d expect in game or film projects, with hosts and fellow entrants providing the encouragement and feedback to push artists to create their best works.

An all-star judging panel took on the difficult task to sort through the very strong entries in all categories. Huge thanks to: Yekaterina Bourykina (Riot Games), Donglu Yu (Tencent Games), Amy Sharpe (Riot Games), Devon Fay (Riot Games), Sandra Duchiewicz (Freelance), Finnian MacManus (Terraform Studios), Tyler Smith (Probably Monsters), David Shovlin (Riot Games), Liz Kirby (That’s No Moon) and our amazing challenge hosts Bogna Gawrońska (CD PROJEKT RED), Rembert Montald (Lightspeed LA), Suzanne Helmigh (Ghostfire Gaming), Jeanne Plounevez (Amplitude Studios), Randall Mackey (Freelance), Marina Ortega (ZA/UM), Elodie Mondoloni (UmeshuLovers), Karen Stanley (PlayStation Visual Arts), Javier Perez (PlayStation Visual Arts), Carrie Warwick (SplicedInc), Magdalena Dadela (Framestore), Dorine Laplanche (Airborn Studios), Sang Nguyen (Freelance), Jason Keyser (VFX Apprentice), Kees Klop (VFX Apprentice) and Dmitry Parkin (Cold Symmetry).

The challenge winners each receive a virtual ArtStation Challenge trophy, designed with meticulous attention to detail by industrial designer Ivan Šantić (check out the process of designing the Awards).

We’re very pleased to present to you the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each of the categories along with the Honourable Mentions. 80 amazing artists received awards in the Medieval: Back and Forth challenge! Congratulations to everyone who entered!

Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Keyframe Design: Aurelien Rantet

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Aurelien Rantet
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Aurelien Rantet
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Aurelien Rantet
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Aurelien Rantet

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Keyframe Design: Florent Boston

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Florent Boston
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Florent Boston
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Florent Boston
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Florent Boston

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Keyframe Design: Vladimir Gerasimov

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Vladimir Gerasimov
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Vladimir Gerasimov
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Vladimir Gerasimov
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Vladimir Gerasimov

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Keyframe Design: Estevao Chromiec

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Estevao Chromiec

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Keyframe Design: Heikki Ulmanen

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Heikki Ulmanen

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Keyframe Design: Nicolas Derio

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Nicolas Derio

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Keyframe Design: Benjamin Sommeregger

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Benjamin Sommeregger

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Keyframe Design: Charlie Thorpe

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Keyframe Design: Charlie Thorpe

Medieval: Back and Forth — Character Design

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Character Design: Colombe Fretel

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Colombe Fretel
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Colombe Fretel
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Colombe Fretel
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Colombe Fretel
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Colombe Fretel
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Colombe Fretel
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Colombe Fretel
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Colombe Fretel
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Colombe Fretel

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Character Design: Xuexiang Zhang

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Xuexiang Zhang
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Xuexiang Zhang
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Xuexiang Zhang
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Xuexiang Zhang
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Xuexiang Zhang
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Xuexiang Zhang
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Xuexiang Zhang
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Xuexiang Zhang
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Xuexiang Zhang

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Character Design: Yuhong Ding

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Yuhong Ding
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Yuhong Ding
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Yuhong Ding
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Yuhong Ding
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Yuhong Ding
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Yuhong Ding
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Yuhong Ding
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Yuhong Ding
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Yuhong Ding

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Character Design: Camille Peyrebere

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Camille Peyrebere

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Character Design: Wu Shenyou

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Wu Shenyou

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Character Design: D-Chao

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: D-Chao

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Character Design: Jiayu Chen

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Jiayu Chen

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Character Design: Nicolas Tham

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Character Design: Nicolas Tham

Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Environment Design: Delphin Casado

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Delphin Casado
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Delphin Casado
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Delphin Casado
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Delphin Casado

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Environment Design: Khoa Bui

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Khoa Bui
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Khoa Bui
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Khoa Bui
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Khoa Bui

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Environment Design: Pip Loresco

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Pip Loresco
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Pip Loresco
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Pip Loresco
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Pip Loresco

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Environment Design: Maélis Levastre

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Maélis Levastre

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Environment Design: Lada Shustova

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Lada Shustova

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Environment Design: Pierre Georget

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Pierre Georget

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Environment Design: Solène Michon

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Solène Michon

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Environment Design: Black Queen

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Environment Design: Black Queen

Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Prop Design: Julie Perez

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Julie Perez
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Julie Perez
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Julie Perez
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Julie Perez

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Prop Design: Marcos Álvarez

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Marcos Álvarez
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Marcos Álvarez
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Marcos Álvarez
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Marcos Álvarez

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Prop Design: Alex Danila

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Alex Danila
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Alex Danila
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Alex Danila
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Alex Danila

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Prop Design: Junjie Yin

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Junjie Yin

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Prop Design: Ksenia Nazarova

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Ksenia Nazarova

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Prop Design: Svetlana Bulycheva

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Svetlana Bulycheva

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Prop Design: Lloyd Drake-Brockman

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Lloyd Drake-Brockman

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Prop Design: Camille Carpignano

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Prop Design: Camille Carpignano

Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Design

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
VFX Design: Benjamin Adam

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Design: Benjamin Adam
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Design: Benjamin Adam

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
VFX Design: Kirill Leshyshak

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Design: Kirill Leshyshak
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Design: Kirill Leshyshak

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
VFX Design: Nicolas Trevisan

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Design: Nicolas Trevisan
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Design: Nicolas Trevisan

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
VFX Design: Tanguy De Sousa

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Design: Tanguy De Sousa

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
VFX Design: Tianci Tan

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Design: Tianci Tan

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
VFX Design: Caleb W. Davidson

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Design: Caleb W. Davidson

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
VFX Design: Pedro Fuentes

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Design: Pedro Fuentes

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
VFX Design: Thob

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Design: Thob

PRODUCTION

Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Character (real-time)

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Character (real-time): Marat Latypov

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): Marat Latypov
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): Marat Latypov
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): Marat Latypov
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): Marat Latypov

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Character (real-time): Olya Anufrieva

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): Olya Anufrieva
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): Olya Anufrieva
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): Olya Anufrieva
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): Olya Anufrieva

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Character (real-time): David Zavala

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): David Zavala
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): David Zavala
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): David Zavala
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): David Zavala

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Character (real-time): Leon Steiner

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): Leon Steiner

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –Game Character (real-time): Natalia Melkina

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): Natalia Melkina

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –Game Character (real-time): Chiro Fujita

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): Chiro Fujita

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): Laura Peltomäki

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): Laura Peltomäki

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Character (real-time): Adam Wood

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Character (real-time): Adam Wood

Medieval Back and Forth –
Film/VFX Character (rendered)

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Film/VFX Character (rendered): Maria Anikina

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Maria Anikina
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Maria Anikina
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Maria Anikina
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Maria Anikina

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Film/VFX Character (rendered): Polina Shaman

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Polina Shaman
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Polina Shaman
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Polina Shaman
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Polina Shaman

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Film/VFX Character (rendered): Alex Gray

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Alex Gray
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Alex Gray
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Alex Gray
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Alex Gray

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Film/VFX Character (rendered): Reinaldo García

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Reinaldo García

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Film/VFX Character (rendered): RomanSI

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): RomanSI

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Film/VFX Character (rendered): Layla Viscu

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Layla Viscu

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Film/VFX Character (rendered): Davy Li

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Davy Li

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Film/VFX Character (rendered): Morgana Galvan

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Film/VFX Character (rendered): Morgana Galvan

Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Environment Art (real-time)

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): David Geraud

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): David Geraud
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): David Geraud
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): David Geraud

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Environment Art (real-time): Victoria Zavhorodnia

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Victoria Zavhorodnia
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Victoria Zavhorodnia
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Victoria Zavhorodnia
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Victoria Zavhorodnia
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Victoria Zavhorodnia

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Tim Burroughs

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Tim Burroughs
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Tim Burroughs
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Tim Burroughs
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Tim Burroughs

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time):
Kate Blackshear

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Kate Blackshear

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Paul Avgeris

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Paul Avgeris
Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Paul Avgeris

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Sean Giampietro

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Sean Giampietro
Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Sean Giampietro

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): 追风

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): 追风
Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): 追风

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Gary Roberts Bocardo

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Gary Roberts Bocardo
Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Environment Art (real-time): Gary Roberts Bocardo

Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Prop Art (real-time)

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Prop Art (real-time): Clément Massol

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Prop Art (real-time): Clément Massol
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Prop Art (real-time): Clément Massol
1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Prop Art (real-time): Clément Massol

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Prop Art (real-time): So Mira

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Prop Art (real-time): So Mira
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Prop Art (real-time): So Mira
2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Prop Art (real-time): So Mira

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Prop Art (real-time): Evgeny Mashin

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Prop Art (real-time): Evgeny Mashin
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Prop Art (real-time): Evgeny Mashin
3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Prop Art (real-time): Evgeny Mashin

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Prop Art (real-time): Kateryna Babych

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Prop Art (real-time): Kateryna Babych

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Prop Art (real-time): Robert Redecki

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Prop Art (real-time): Robert Redecki

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Prop Art (real-time): Neil Smith

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Prop Art (real-time): Neil Smith

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Prop Art (real-time): Anton Fomenko

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Prop Art (real-time): Anton Fomenko

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth –
Game Prop Art (real-time): Iker Unanua

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – Game Prop Art (real-time): Iker Unanua

Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Art (real-time)

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
VFX Art (real-time): Tanguy De Sousa

1st Place Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Art (real-time): Tanguy De Sousa

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
VFX Art (real-time): Nicolas Trevisan

2nd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Art (real-time): Nicolas Trevisan

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth –
VFX Art (real-time): Jack Anderson

3rd Place Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Art (real-time): Jack Anderson

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Art (real-time): Aleksei Shcherbina

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Art (real-time): Aleksei Shcherbina

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Art (real-time): Sam Corbridge

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Art (real-time): Sam Corbridge

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Art (real-time): Claire Monaghan

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Art (real-time): Claire Monaghan

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Art (real-time): Emmanuel Blanc

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Art (real-time): Emmanuel Blanc

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Art (real-time): Arklan

Honourable Mention Medieval: Back and Forth – VFX Art (real-time): Arklan

Check out the submissions!

You can see all of the entries for the Medieval: Back and Forth Challenge here:

Huge thanks to Pierre Deschamps for his Lancore And Chroma Line challenge banner.


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About the author

Daniel is the Industry Manager for ArtStation.