Fan art is key.
One of my passions in the entertainment industry is key art. Whilst it currently isn’t something I do in my current professional role, it’s something I like to work on in my spare time to reflect on games and franchises I’m passionate about.
Timelapse/layer breakdowns are available on my design instagram, @jdossarydesign.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - Film Style Key Art
I created this piece in the build up to the release of the latest Ratchet & Clank. This was achieved using a mixture of promotional material, stock images & released gameplay/trailer footage.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet - Steelbook Key Art
When Naughty Dog announced their first new IP in years at the Game Awards, I was ecstatic. As the studio behind my favourite game of all time, I can’t wait to see what they have in store in a new sci-fi themed world. With only 1 trailer and 1 piece of key art released at the time, I was limited to using stills from this trailer to achieve an alternative look for the key art. I took inspiration between the 80’s VHS feel of the trailer and wanted to emulate the look of something you might see in that era.
Secret Level - Hero Key Art
Tim Miller’s Secret Level announcement was a highlight of Gamescom 2024. The team at Blur Studio have done a great job of shining the spotlight on some of the most talented animation studios in the world with the Love, Death + Robots anthologies, so the idea of them doing a series with Prime Video, positioned as a “love letter to gaming” was incredibly exciting. So exciting in fact, that I decided to take a shot at building out conceptual key art right after the stream ended. I always find it a fun creative challenge to put together fan artwork when announcements like these drop, using limited screenshots and imagery from the reveal trailer to inspire me.
God of War Ragnarök - Steelbook Key Art
I love all the art direction for the reimagined God of War series, so after finishing God of War Ragnarök I really wanted to have a go at designing what an alternative collectors edition steelbook could look like, focusing on Kratos & Atreus in the frozen setting.
The Last of Us Part I - Steelbook Key Art
The original Last of Us is my favourite game of all time and I always gravitate to doing personal projects around the IP. So when PlayStation announced the PS5 remake, I wanted to create a film-inspired piece of alternative key art. With only 1 trailer released at the time, I was limited to using stills from this trailer, flashbacks from Last of Us Part II, or moments from the first game that didn’t feature the older character models.
Alan Wake 2 - Steelbook Key Art
Alan Wake 2 was one of my favourite (and most terrifying) games of 2023. As it didn’t originally release with a physical edition, I thought it would be fun to design what a collector’s edition steelbook could look like.
The Last of Us Part II - Film Style Key Art
In anticipation for The Last of Us’ sequel, I decided to experiment with making a quick film-inspired poster for it. At the time, not much information on the new characters was released - especially about the mysterious Abby. Therefore, I had to assume who would be key characters, based either on the previous game’s plot or from reading interviews/theories. To my amazement the artwork got shared by the largest The Last of Us fan page on Instagram (92k+ follows) and even got a like from one of the cast members, Victoria Grace.
Red Dead Redemption II - Alternative Key Art
Red Dead Redemption II is to this day, one of the greatest examples of storytelling I have ever experienced, and is a perfect example of what is possible with videogames. The first game was my favourite game of all time when it came out, and when the sequel arrived, it quickly cemented itself in my top 3 too. I love a good ‘floating head’ poster, and so I wanted to pay homage to the characters of the rich world of RDR2, in this style.
