Creating a 3D ‘Medieval Siege’ with KitBash3D Artist Kristian Llana

The Medieval Era — whether portrayed in the world of blockbuster fantasy novels-to-TV-shows like Game of Thrones, old-school semi-historical legends like the Knights of Camelot, or even the tales of Robin Hood or classic Disney — with its castles and knights in shining armor has captivated people for generations.

KitBash3D‘s newest 3D asset Kit, Medieval Siege, gives 3D artists and creators 265 modular medieval models to use in their preferred 3D creation software — Blender, Maya, Unreal, and more — to create epic fantasy landscapes.

One of the artists putting it to use is Kristian Llana, who also created the cover art for the Kit. We spoke to Llana about his inspiration for the cover art, what he likes about the Kit, and why Wacom products are essential to his creative process.

Llana hard at work creating at his Wacom Cintiq

How did you get into creating 3D art?

Growing up I loved movies and video games, and I was blown away that there were people creating this sort of … magic! That sparked an intensive curiosity that put me on an amazing journey, and it’s essentially what still keeps me passionate about the craft.

What are some of your favorite projects you’ve worked on?

For video games, that would be Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us series, which I’ve spent a huge chunk of my career on. For Film and TV, I’d say the John Wick film series.

Tell us about the story you told in the Cover Art piece.

The moment I heard “Medieval Siege,” I knew I wanted to do a nighttime scene with fire and smoke — to capture the idea of a long battle lasting through many days and nights.

What is your favorite model in the new Kit?

That’s a tough question, this Kit has a ton of amazing models and details! I quite liked the tower with the damaged roof.

What tools do you use to create your pieces?

There’s a wide range of software applications that I use for different tasks, but my main ones are Adobe Photoshop and Blender. Blender can be helpful to set up a scene, depending on what environment/shot I’m creating — but ultimately, Photoshop is where everything comes together for the final piece.

I use a Wacom Intuos Pro Large tablet, and also have an older Wacom Cintiq 21 UX — I know, it’s pretty old! The reason why I love Wacom products is the quality. I’ve had my Intuos for 10 years … and it still works!

What do you have planned for the future?

Creating more awesome art, more personal work, continuing working on projects that I love and enjoying life. I can’t say what I’m working on just yet, but it’s something very exciting!

Want to learn more, or get the Kit for yourself?

With the Medieval Siege Kit you can use whatever 3D software you prefer to mix and match modular castles, towers, and walls, both destroyed and reconstructed, to set the perfect backdrop for battles of epic proportions. Drawbridges, siege towers, catapults and battering rams capture the drama and excitement of a true Medieval Siege.

For more from KitBash3D, check out all of the incredible art created during the Mission to Minerva challenge, or go take a look at the dozens of Kits they’ve created to support independent, freelance, and studio-embedded artists alike create incredible 3D works of art!