Background Exploration

For this exploration of backgrounds, I decided to design a world based on the concept of Elfland/Fairy Kingdom. I created four backgrounds that I imagined would be in a world of fairies and elves of all kinds.

This first location is known as The Pixie Forest where the mischievous, prankster, Pixies reside. I wanted my pieces to have a strong focus on lighting, mood, and colors, and most importantly, expansiveness. These attributes were considered in every piece to best illustrate the fantastical world I had in mind. For this piece in particular, I wanted to show a perfect balance between beautiful but eerie; two traits that best describe this background.

Next is the Mining Caves. In my concept, Dwarves live underground in the caves that they mine in. The caves are located right at the edge of the Pixie Forest making the Dwarves expert navigators of the forest and great traveling guides which the boys and fairy make use of. Being that the dwarves mine crystals I wanted to show the beauty of the resource that’s so essential to the land and the beauty of the caves that the Dwarves appreciate so much!

Once they have escaped the Pixie Forest,The true beauty of Elfland comes to light in the Shopping District. Here is where all of the different species of Elfland come together in harmony to shop, dine, and relax in their free time. If one follows the cobbled stone road of the district, they would be lead to the Queen’s Crystal Castle where the characters need to go. I wanted the shopping district hold the sentiment of a mixed race community hence the many colors and funky perspective style.

For our last stop I give an exclusive inside view of the Fairy Queen’s throne room! Here we see her looking out of her grand window at the mini forest that divides her castle and the rest of the royal city. My goal here was to show the luxuriousness of the castle made of crystals!