Viking Village: The Sacred Offering - Lana Andrade

Lana

Name: Lana Andrade
Country: Canada
I have read the terms and conditions and am eligible for prizes.

Lana

Hello!

I’m excited about this challenge. I want to push myself to improve a few skills, and I believe this project will be a great opportunity for that. My main focus will be on achieving realism and quality over scale, ensuring that I can complete it effectively within the timeframe.

As I researched Viking history and Norse mythology, I noticed how significant offerings were in their religious and daily lives, so I want to incorporate that into my concept. Vikings had a strong connection with nature, which influenced their worldview and cultural practices. They performed rituals and made offerings at natural sites to honor the gods and seek protection for their communities. This not only fostered unity but also reinforced their cultural identity.

I’m also inspired by the Nordic symbols such as Yggdrasil, the World Tree, which embodied the cycles of life, death, and rebirth. I hope to reflect these themes in my work, emphasizing how the Vikings saw themselves as part of both the natural and spiritual worlds.

I have gathered a few initial references so I can start putting my ideas together

Lana

I've started blocking out a rough version of my concept to establish the overall placement and scale. I'm still experimenting with the layout and adjusting things as I go. My next step is to dive deeper into research and focus on the main piece, which is the tree—one of the key focal points in this scene. Since the tree's roots will spread out across the environment, I want to map their general flow before moving the model into ZBrush for more detailed work. That being said I also need to consider the placement of the other assets so they don't overlap with the roots.

Lana

Hello!
I've gathered some more reference images to help guide my project. While blocking out additional elements, I decided to make a few changes to the scene. I brought the meshes into Unreal to get a better feel for the composition and how everything fits together.

The mountains in the background aren’t meant to be the main focus, but I think adding them will bring more depth and make the scene feel more interesting overall.

Lana

Hi guys, unfortunately, some personal matters have come up, and I won’t be able to complete the challenge this time. I’ve enjoyed the process so far and will try to participate in the next one. Wishing everyone the best of luck with their entries!