Gameplay Skin Exploration — Dark Waters Talon (League of Legends)

This concept of Dark Waters Talon was designed in the spirit of League of Legends champions, focusing on stylization and clarity for game play readability.
This project was a chance for me to practice a full character concept workflow and push myself into a darker theme. I wanted to design something that feels atmospheric, readable, and grounded in a clear visual identity.
Working on a skin idea for Talon was exciting, because he’s the champion I know best. The challenge was keeping his sharp assassin silhouette while adding heavier, ghost-like elements from the Dark Waters theme. I explored different shapes and materials until the design felt clean and functional, not overloaded.
Following a full pipeline helped me a lot: early silhouettes, outfit variations, weapons, color tests, a final A-pose, a turnaround, and an in-game read. It taught me how each stage builds on the next, and how important clarity and theme consistency are.
The part I enjoyed most was exploring the mood: sea-damaged cloth, oxidized metal, cool teal glows. Dark themes are fun to work with because they let you mix mood, contrast, and storytelling through materials.
Overall, this project helped me improve my design decisions, my workflow, and my ability to keep a concept unified from start to finish. I learned a lot, and I’m happy with how the final result turned out.
Unofficial fan concept created for portfolio purposes.
All characters and IP belong to Riot Games.