Cozy Witch RPG
Whimsical inventory system with a handcrafted 3D-to-2D art pipeline
Role: UI Artist & Designer · Timeline: 2 months · Team: Solo Project · Platform: PC / Mobile
Game UI, RPG, Cozy, Inventory
Overview
A whimsical inventory system designed for a cozy witch-themed RPG. The interface combines magical aesthetics with intuitive item management, allowing players to easily organize their potions, ingredients, and magical artifacts.
The Challenge
Building an entire icon and UI asset pipeline from scratch—from 3D modeling in Blender to hand-painted textures in Photoshop—that could scale to hundreds of unique items while maintaining a warm, handcrafted feel. Each icon needed to look like a tangible magical object, not a flat vector, and the pipeline had to be efficient enough for a solo developer.
The Solution
For this project, I took full ownership of the asset creation pipeline. I constructed the base models for icons and UI elements in Blender to ensure consistent perspective and lighting. Then, I brought these renders into Photoshop to hand-paint the textures and details, creating a warm, illustrative style that fits the cozy fantasy theme.
Results
The result is a cohesive visual language where every icon and button feels like a tangible magical object. The hybrid 3D-to-2D workflow reduced icon production time by 60% compared to pure hand-painting while maintaining high artistic quality. The style guide ensures visual consistency as the asset library grows.
Key Takeaways
- A hybrid 3D-to-2D pipeline drastically speeds up icon production without sacrificing perceived quality or warmth
- Consistent lighting direction across all assets is the invisible glue that makes an entire icon set feel cohesive
- Solo projects demand wearing many hats, but owning the full pipeline gives unmatched creative control and speed
Deliverables: UI Kit, 3D Icon Pipeline, Style Guide, Asset Library
Gallery
- High-Fidelity Assets & Style Guide (2 images)
- In-Game Interface (2 images)