Dark Horizons

Where Darkness Finds Form.

This series of illustrations and animation tests delves into the darkest corners of the human mind. Through experimenting with visuals and narrative development, I'm building foundations for IPs that explore themes of loss, vengeance, and redemption.

A digital art piece by Richard Payne in a medieval oil painting style, depicting a demon screaming at the sky, surrounded by fire in a harrowing scene.

A self-portrait by Richard Payne created during COVID, showing a man screaming at the sky amidst dark, emotional imagery in a digital art style.

Digital art by Richard Payne in a medieval oil painting style, featuring a demon with a skull face and exposed muscles emerging from red-lit darkness.

Painted In Shadows

These works form the backbone of several narratives currently in development, spanning themes of personal demons and internal battles.

The digital techniques used to craft these pieces lend themselves to rich, painterly textures to form worlds where dark fantasy mirrors inner turmoil and hard-won truth.

These works form the backbone of several narratives currently in development, spanning themes of personal demons and internal battles.

The digital techniques used to craft these pieces lend themselves to rich, painterly textures to form worlds where dark fantasy mirrors inner turmoil and hard-won truth.

A defeated knight lays on his back with fire all around in an oil painting style.

Breathing Still Frames

An initial proof of concept investigates how digital paintings might evolve into cinema. This test bridges the gap between static and motion, helping define a unique visual language that blends traditional artistic approaches with modern animation techniques.

A digital art creation by Richard Payne showing an evil knight standing against a huge fiery backdrop, blending dark fantasy and medieval themes.

A wide digital art scene by Richard Payne featuring an evil knight against a massive fiery backdrop, evoking medieval and dark fantasy styles.

Fallen Echoes

ECHOES OF THE FALLEN

The core of this narrative is a tale of grief turned to fury as a murdered knight journeys through a desolate afterlife. This represents one thread in a broader tapestry of stories, each examining human struggle through lenses of dark fantasy and psychological drama.

A sci-fi digital art piece by Richard Payne showing a man surrounded by SWAT police with guns trained on him, set in a futuristic world.

Nightmarish digital art by Richard Payne featuring a man trapped in a cauldron, blending dark sci-fi aesthetics with harrowing visuals.

Through The Storm

Born out of personal battles with mental health and loss, Dark Horizons aims to strike at something universal. It grapples with darkness, shapes it, and explores how creativity can channel and harness raw emotion. These pieces mark the key moments of that ongoing journey.

As these worlds continue to evolve, each new piece in the series forges deeper into these shadowy realms while staying true to the core vision of transforming darkness into compelling visual storytelling.

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info@richard-payne.com