Visual Ideas for Lust Environment

I have thought of a few variations for how to design the 2^nd circle of hell, the idea of Lust is interesting because it sexualises the scene and could hide some risky items or details that the audience wouldn’t notice straight away. Also having the souls condemned for all eternity being pelted with fire and brimstone or caught in a tornado of their human desires would create interesting elements to the scene.

The first idea I had was to design and create a cave filled with stalactites and stalagmites, with chains and people hanging from them. The rocks would have a shine to them as if they are covered in water or other forms of liquid, I liked the idea of having the surfaces quite smooth as if they have been rubbed continuously. The idea of the throne was an interesting idea showing quickly to the audience that there is a hierarchy in this scene, there are several objects that the seat could be made from. I will look into thrones and how I could interpret this world and create an intricate object that is interesting to look at, and to give a feel of the characters personality. Taking the idea from Dante’s Inferno Cleopatra calls a wind to torment the souls of people whose sexual desire controlled them in life; I had the idea of designing an hourglass to control the wind animation and to stop the scene from becoming cluttered and having a character from history who was an adulterer spinning out of control. The colour schemes I could use for this scene would be blues and oranges, the contrasting colours could highlight specific parts of the environment to draw the audience in. All textures would be cell shaded, this could include bump maps to make the scene more interesting without overshadowing the character.

The second idea I had for how to portray the 2^nd circle of hell is based on the idea of lust for objects, the seven deadly sins lust is also described as controlling people’s desire for money, material goods and foods. I had the idea of designing a giant casino table to modernise the scene, instead of the wind as tornado people could be seen strapped to the roulette table forever spinning with a giant ball jumping around. In some parts flaming chips could fall from the sky like the fire and brimstone. I would love to design and model this scene as it would be very detailed with chains and weapons, but the modern take on the idea would give the animation a fresh appeal. It would be a unique take on the idea of hell and how the wants of the living can haunt the dead.

I will continue to develop these ideas through sketches and developing images.