This scene was rendered in Unreal Engine 5.
Additional credits: The character is a Metahuman that was retargeted to Unreal's Quinn and posed by me. I used the free "Good Sky" blueprint from the Epic Games marketplace.
I created the llama robots, all of the foliage, the stones, and the ground materials.
Overview
This is one of my favorite shots, as it reminds me of the game "Alto's Adventure".
Additional credits: The mountains in the background are the "Gigantic Sandstone Terrain" megascans.
Initial Concept
Final low- and high-poly models. I set up one texture set for the llama robot and one for all of the add-ons.
The idea behind the design:
The llama robot can be charged using the power outlet located on its front side. It offers multiple features, including various add-ons like hooks and containers to carry things like plants, water, or tools.
Solar cells on the back ensure the emergency battery stays charged, making it easier to locate the robot if it gets stuck or lost. The movable head with antennas (ears) allows it to scan the environment and communicate with its home base.
This is Henry. Although he's a bit older than the other robots, that doesn't make him any less a part of the family.
Progress GIF
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For this project, I used a lot of the assets that I have created for my two recent Baldur's Gate 3 fanart projects (linked below if you haven't seen them yet) like the linden tree, grass patches, dandelions, lavender, wood anemone and tiling ground materials. Additionally, I created the robots based on my concept, strawberry plants, and stones.
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/EvrJwq
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/3ElaaY
The story behind this project:
The topic for the monthly art challenge of the DiNusty community was "Solarpunk Utopia". It's a theme that resonated with me, as I prefer a highly technical and utopian future over a dystopian one. It also gave me a chance to combine two of the things I have a soft spot for: animals and robots.
When I noticed that the plants on my balcony were struggling due to insufficient sunlight, I got the idea for this project: Wouldn't it be great to be able to bring the plants to the sunlight instead? And what better animal would there be for this job than the llama? Known for its reliability as a working animal and ideal for carrying loads, the llama seemed like the perfect fit. With sustainable and almost infinite energy resources, the idea for a llama helper robot took shape.
The inspiration for the design came from robots like the pet robot "Aibo", Boston Dynamic's "Spot", "Eve" from the movie "Wall-E" and "Chappie" from the eponymous movie. It was important to me to create a robot design that is lovable rather than intimidating, to tell a story of a possible symbiosis between machines and organic life.
As always, a big thank you goes out to the people from the XYZ and the DiNusty discord! Without your feedback and support, none of this would have been possible! If you would like to participate in an art community challenge yourself, check out the challenges here: https://empirecmd.com/empire-monthly-challenge
Additional credits: The character is a metahuman that was retargeted to Unreal's Quinn and posed by me. The mountains in the background are the "Gigantic Sandstone Terrain" Megascans and I used the free "Good Sky" blueprint from the Epic Games marketplace for the sky.
