Ptolus Art Gallery: The Forge Studios

In this installment of our Ptolus preview online art galleries, we'd like to show you some work from The Forge Studios, the first interior artists we brought in on the Ptolus project back in 2004. As the illustrators of all the architectural pieces in Ptolus, they are responsible for designing much of the city's visual look and feel. In this gallery you can see an example of how the artists of The Forge take a piece from concept to final, as well as sample a variety of their architectural artwork.

Read more about this process (and see more illustrations of it) in The Forge's Production Closeup interview. Click on the pieces below to see larger versions.

Step by Step

See the development of the Entropy Sphere and the Gates of Delirium—a magical portal hidden in the Spire—from rough sketch to final.

Step 1: Initial rough	Step 2: Sketch
Step 3: Black-and-white version	Step 4: Final colors

The Look of the City

These Ptolus buildings and other local landmarks give you a good impression of the city's overall look and feel.

The Blessed Bridge over the King's River leads to the Temple District's Street of a Million Gods.	The estate of House Dallimothan in the Nobles' Quarter features a tower that rises and lowers to admit visitors.
Delver's Square in the heart of Midtown is the hub of activity for delvers in the city.	The Dockmaster's Tower was a favorite illustration for Maciek of the Forge, as he was inspired by his own previous docks-oriented games.
The Imperial University in Oldtown started out as a simple manor house, but its impressive features demanded a more high-profile role in the city.	Iridithil's Home in Midtown is a haven for the elves of Ptolus.

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