In the Chamber of the Snakemen 2022

In the Chamber of the Snakemen is a dark fantasy illustration inspired by pulp-era sword-and-sorcery art, with strong influences from Frank Frazetta, classic Conan imagery, and the ominous, ritualistic atmosphere found in Berserk.

The scene depicts a serpent priestess commanding a legion of Snakemen warriors inside a torchlit stone chamber, blending stylized anatomy, dramatic lighting, and high-fantasy menace.

My Role

Sole Creator: Responsible for all character work, rigging, modeling, texturing, environment creation, lighting, compositing, and final illustration.

Responsibilities:

Character Sculpting & Design:
- Created the central serpent priestess with stylized anatomy, coiled hair tendrils, and a ritualistic presence inspired by Frazetta’s fantasy heroines and high-drama pulp covers.
- Designed and sculpted the Snakemen warriors—muscular, imposing, and bestial—each with exaggerated proportions and predatory head shapes.
Rigging:
- Fully rigged the priestess and all Snakemen characters for expressive poses, dramatic gestures, and imposing silhouettes.
Environment & Prop Modeling:
- Built the stone chamber setting, including pillars, stairs, and a ritual brazier that bathes the scene in warm firelight.
- Sculpted statues and background forms to enhance mythic scale and atmosphere.
Lighting & Rendering:
- Developed a dramatic, high-contrast lighting setup inspired by Frazetta and Berserk—mixing strong rim lights, fiery highlights, and deep shadows.
- Positioned light shafts to frame the priestess as the powerful focal point.
Texture & Material Work:
- Hand-painted stylized skin details, scales, metal weapons, stone surfaces, and glowing fire elements.
- Used emissive accents to add depth and infernal mood to the chamber.
Cinematic Composition:
- Arranged the scene to emphasize dominance, tension, and ritualistic hierarchy.
- Positioned Snakemen in semi-circular formation, creating a sense of worship, threat, and unity behind their priestess.
Compositing & Final Polish:
- Color-graded the final image to unify the fiery palette.
- Enhanced glow, ember effects, atmospheric haze, and shadow depth to evoke classic dark-fantasy poster art.