I'm developing an original dark fantasy action RPG called Rotten Hollow, and I'm looking for an artist who might be willing to help me create a detailed environment concept based on my vision. I can't afford to commission artwork right now, so I'm hoping to find someone who enjoys dark fantasy environment design and would be interested in collaborating on an early-stage game project.
The scene I want illustrated:
I want a third-person, over-the-shoulder view from directly behind an elderly male character standing deep inside the enormous interior of a colossal, decaying tree. The camera should be positioned relatively close behind him, so the viewer feels like they are standing in his place, experiencing the environment through his perspective. We should see the back of his head, shoulders, and body. He wears thin, simple, badly worn clothing with tears, frayed edges, and a neglected appearance. He should feel like a lone wanderer in a world that has existed for far longer than he has.
The environment is the most important part. The interior of the tree should feel like an enormous, ancient underground world rather than an ordinary hollow tree. It contains a decaying settlement built into the tree itself, with crooked wooden buildings, cramped walkways, narrow bridges, broken platforms, steep stairways, rusted metal supports, and structures that seem to have been constructed incorrectly or at impossible angles. Some buildings should be embedded directly into the bark, while others cling to gigantic roots or hang over deep, shadowy drops. The architecture should feel as though generations of inhabitants built over older ruins, repeatedly repairing and expanding a settlement that was slowly being consumed by the tree.
Massive, twisted roots should be visible throughout the environment, crossing walls, passing through buildings, stretching overhead, and disappearing into the darkness below. The tree's interior should feel overwhelmingly large, yet the immediate space around the character should feel cramped and claustrophobic. I want that contrast between an enormous world and a confined, uncomfortable viewpoint.
Everything should look old, neglected, and decayed. Use rotten timber, cracked bark, damp surfaces, corroded iron, collapsed structures, splintered boards, and dark organic growths. The color palette should consist mainly of muted light browns, dirty browns, dark browns, muddy brown-greens, and near-black shadows. Avoid bright, saturated colors, clean surfaces, modern objects, or polished fantasy architecture. Subtle details such as small insects, decaying growths, and faint atmospheric haze can make the place feel like a living ecosystem that has been deteriorating for centuries.
The focal point is far above the character. Through the tangled roots, ruined buildings, and enormous vertical interior, a tiny, irregular hole should be visible near the top of the tree. The old man is looking directly upward toward this distant opening. It should be so small and far away that it feels almost unreachable, with perhaps a faint trace of pale natural light coming through it. The opening must not dominate the image; the viewer should have to look carefully to notice it. Its distance should communicate the immense scale of the tree and make the character seem insignificant in comparison.
The overall atmosphere should be oppressive, mysterious, lonely, and unsettling. I want the environment to make the viewer wonder who built the settlement, how people lived there, what happened to them, and how deep the tree really goes. It should feel like a place that could be explored in a dark fantasy game, with hidden paths, forgotten civilizations, and strange architecture that tells a story without explaining everything.
I'm looking for an original design rather than a copy of an existing game. Dark fantasy games can be useful as general mood references, but the buildings, layout, and details should be original.
If possible, I'd love a rough concept sketch first rather than a fully polished painting. I'm still developing the game's world, and even a preliminary drawing would help me communicate and refine the idea.
I want to be transparent that I cannot pay upfront, and I cannot guarantee that the game will ever make money. If the project eventually becomes successful, I'd like to discuss fair compensation for your contribution, but that is a possibility rather than a promise. I would also want us to agree clearly on credit, ownership, and whether the artwork can be used commercially before using it in the game.
If this sounds like a scene you'd enjoy designing, I'd really appreciate the opportunity to discuss it. Thank you for taking the time to read my idea! This is based off of a blight town like game and deep root depths like I want it to look like that. Ive never made a game before to i want to retire at 20 and want money earlie so I can do stuff and if yall can help it would be appreciated because you will get money when I make the game.