DONGLU YU
WHITE CHERRY
Cherry blossoms
among wafts of mist
help create the
atmosphere in Far Cry
4’s fictional Himalayan
kingdom of Kyrat, as
painted by Donglu.DONGLU YU
Garrick Webster talks to the concept artist about her
work on games such as Assassin’s Creed, her creative
heritage, and helping the next generation of artists
ARTIST PORTFOLIO
Players around the world certainly
have her to thank for the atmosphere
generated in titles like Assassin’s Creed:
Brotherhood (2010), set in a richly
envisaged late-15th century, or
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flagfranchise – arguably the most visually
appealing and immersive video game
series of all time.
“The video games industry is
becoming more and more competitive,
both in terms of becoming a concept
artist and making successful, triple-A
products,” says Donglu. “Concept art
has never just been about creating
beautiful paintings. It’s about finding
design ideas, exploring visual and
thematic variety in order to enhance
the player’s experience. And for me,
that’s really the fun and challenging
part of my job.”W Donglu Yu
LOCATION: Canada
FAVOURITE ARTISTS: Claude Monet,
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, John Singer Sargent
SOFTWARE USED: Photoshop
WEB: http://www.artstation.com/donglu
Artist
PROFILE
hat makes a great
computer game? For
some it’s the cut and
thrust of the action, while
for others it’s the problem-solving and
interactivity involved.
However, for a game to go down in
legend these days it’s really about
developing a truly immersive
environment. That’s why the skills of
hugely talented concept artists like
Donglu Yu are so valuable to the
gaming industry. Based at Ubisoft in
Montréal, Canada, Donglu’s creativity
has helped shape the Assassin’s Creed