Dark Castles Materials

This kit was a variation of the Castle Generic, originally built by Max Kutsenko and Thibaut Reimel, Roofs and Interiors were shared between castle kits so I focused on the outside. The goal was to create a counterpart to the Daimyo mansion within the house kit range, a castle that exudes luxury and higher social prestige while still maintaining its fortified character.

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The most specific part of that kit were the plasters, inspired by Matsumoto castle and other black castle. I went with a black shikkui and a red one with a glossy finish to contrast with the broken parts and dust on top. This reduce color palette with gold as an accent was extend to the woods, trims and decorative paints to create a coherent kit.
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The doors were probably my favorite part to work on. For the upper balcony doors, I wanted something a bit more intricate, inspired by what we saw in Japan. I developed a simple trim and panel recipe, using a wood, paint, and dust approach in three colors, which provided enough variety while maintaining a cohesive, reduced palette.

To finalize the doors, I baked simple elements like nails, hinges, handles, and other metallic parts, then kitbashed them onto my door base to create the final assets.
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Hugo Lamarre was the 3D Artist in charge of all the castles, and spread those recipes when needed.
As always, this was a team effort, and I'm grateful to everyone involved in the creation process.
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Art Direction, Thierry Dansereau
Lead Architecture, Dominic Gladu-Despatis
Lead Texture, Dimitri Alexis
Lead Props, Antoine Barbot