Ignis Lake - Source SDK map concept

All the assets in the above screenshot are taken from Valve's game 'Half-Life 2'

I've got quite a bit of experience with Valve's source SDK 'Hammer' map editor (some of my previous work). So I decided quite early on that it would be fun to do some concept level design for the game. Creating these environments gave us a rough idea on what the town of Ignis Lake would look like. We took a lot of inspiration from the silent hill franchise. I wanted very dim light, grit and fog. This would help the town feel more isolated and claustrophobic. I find little exercises like this very important, grounding yourself with a game engine allows you to get a good idea of what your capabilities are. Often concept can be too optimistic on the artist's side. If I know what goes into creating an actual level or character; then I can do all of my designing around these boundaries.