Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Breakaway - Portobello Characters: A Look at the First Art Direction

Before its first major pivot, Breakaway had a very different tone and scope. The early version of the game, known internally as Portobello, was built around a more casual and accessible experience, and visually, I wanted that to come through in every corner of the design.

The goal was to develop a lighthearted and cartoony aesthetic: no straight lines, bright and punchy colors, soft forms, and non-aggressive silhouettes. While the game still relied on a PBR (Physically Based Rendering) pipeline, the visual intent leaned more toward an illustrative, stylized finish.

During this period, I was serving as both Art Director and the sole character concept artist, which meant shaping the world while simultaneously designing its cast. It was a fast-paced but creatively rich time, and I had a lot of fun developing characters that embraced the visual playfulness we were after.

These early designs reflect a version of Breakaway that was more whimsical and expressive, a foundation that helped us define and evolve the game's identity over time.

Special thanks to Peter Han and Michael Anderson for their fantastic work translating these characters into 3D.

#Breakaway #Portobello #CharacterDesign #ConceptArt #AmazonGameStudios #StylizedArt #VisualDevelopment #SimonLocheArt


Breakaway character art, early Breakaway development, Portobello art direction, cartoony game visuals, stylized PBR character design, concept art for casual games

Breakaway character art, early Breakaway development, Portobello art direction, cartoony game visuals, stylized PBR character design, concept art for casual games

Breakaway character art, early Breakaway development, Portobello art direction, cartoony game visuals, stylized PBR character design, concept art for casual games

Breakaway character art, early Breakaway development, Portobello art direction, cartoony game visuals, stylized PBR character design, concept art for casual games

Breakaway character art, early Breakaway development, Portobello art direction, cartoony game visuals, stylized PBR character design, concept art for casual games

Breakaway character art, early Breakaway development, Portobello art direction, cartoony game visuals, stylized PBR character design, concept art for casual games

Breakaway character art, early Breakaway development, Portobello art direction, cartoony game visuals, stylized PBR character design, concept art for casual games

Breakaway character art, early Breakaway development, Portobello art direction, cartoony game visuals, stylized PBR character design, concept art for casual games

Breakaway character art, early Breakaway development, Portobello art direction, cartoony game visuals, stylized PBR character design, concept art for casual games

Breakaway character art, early Breakaway development, Portobello art direction, cartoony game visuals, stylized PBR character design, concept art for casual games

Breakaway character art, early Breakaway development, Portobello art direction, cartoony game visuals, stylized PBR character design, concept art for casual games

No comments:

Post a Comment

ShareThis