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Concept Artist Spotlight - Kekai Kotaki

Kekai Kotaki is a lead concept artist known for his work on the Guild Wars franchise. He started as a texture artist at ArenaNet and worked his way up to lead concept artist for Guild Wars 2, producing over 200 pieces of concept art. Kotaki's style is characterized by distinct detailed sections supported by rough, ragged brushstrokes that create ethereal extensions and suggestions of detail. While initially focusing on character and environmental concepts for the original Guild Wars games, he developed his vivid style further for Guild Wars 2, producing concept art at an ambitious scale while still relying on his rough ethereal techniques.

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Joel Smith
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372 views3 pages

Concept Artist Spotlight - Kekai Kotaki

Kekai Kotaki is a lead concept artist known for his work on the Guild Wars franchise. He started as a texture artist at ArenaNet and worked his way up to lead concept artist for Guild Wars 2, producing over 200 pieces of concept art. Kotaki's style is characterized by distinct detailed sections supported by rough, ragged brushstrokes that create ethereal extensions and suggestions of detail. While initially focusing on character and environmental concepts for the original Guild Wars games, he developed his vivid style further for Guild Wars 2, producing concept art at an ambitious scale while still relying on his rough ethereal techniques.

Uploaded by

Joel Smith
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Concept Artist Spotlight

Kekai Kotaki

ArenaNets Guild Wars 2 had a distinctive art style


that has been stuck in my head for 5 years. 20
separate artists worked on the concept art for the
game, but more than 200 distinct pieces were
produced by the lead concept artist Kekai Kotaki.
Kotaki started as a texture artist at ArenaNet and
worked his way up to concept artist, working on all
of the original Guild Wars games before
spearheading the artistic direction of the sequel. In
that time, as a freelance artist he has also produced
concept art and illustrations for high profile clients
such as Bungie, National Geographic, and Wizards
of the Coast, to name a few.
Selection of Kotakis freelance work, some recognisable
from games such as Destiny and Dead Space.

Concept Artist Spotlight

Kekai Kotaki

Kotakis style can be quite ethereal. His concept art


is often characterised by distinct sections of detail
supported by rough, ragged, brushstrokes that
create wraithlike extensions of detail. The detail
isnt really there, but hes suggested enough that
your brain fills in the gaps.
Whilst working on the original Guild Wars games,
his focus was primarily character concepts and
small scale environmental details, and he was not
particularly prolific, but there are clear early roots
apparent of the vivid style present in his work on
Guild Wars 2.

Character and environment concepts from Guild Wars,


Guild Wars: Factions, and Guild Wars: Nightfall

Concept Artist Spotlight

Kekai Kotaki

The style Kotaki showcased with the original Guild


Wars developed substantially in his work on Guild
Wars 2, especially in ambition of scale.
His artwork still relied heavily upon rough ethereal
detail an element which always seems to have a
flow to it, like water or smoke, which I find hugely
aesthetically appealing. With characters designs its
used to help convey strong action or mood, in some
instances bearing suggestions of the characters
immediate environment. With cities, environments,
and architecture, the rough, ethereal strokes are
used to rapidly create both tone and extraordinary
depth. It clearly is an effective method with regard
to efficiency, whilst loaning itself to a striking
aesthetic.

Character, environment, and architectural concepts


from Guild Wars 2

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