redraw studies

Title: Fan Concept Study – Black Myth: Wu Kong (Art Direction Study Inspired by Yang Qi)
Medium: Photoshop, Cintiq 16"
Time: 3–4 Hours Each
Artist: Chandra Kusuma

This is a personal exercise and tribute to the visual brilliance of Yang Qi, the art director behind Black Myth: Wu Kong. Each painting is a reference-based concept study, created entirely through eyeballing, with no tracing and no eyedropper tool used—focusing purely on observation, brush control, and color memory.

The first character study features a dual-headed rat warrior, showcasing gritty armor and primal aggression. The second is a mystical elder rat swordsman, wielding a blazing blade and embodying wisdom and authority. Both are rendered with attention to shape language, texture, and silhouette—respecting the narrative depth of the original designs.

This exercise was meant to understand foundational art direction, especially in stylized realism and Chinese mythological storytelling through character design.