So I decided to tackle this mythology avatar planet design project last month after binge-watching ancient alien documentaries at 2 AM. Always happens when my insomnia kicks in, right?
Starting Point Was a Mess
First I grabbed coffee and just dumped every sacred symbol I knew onto one canvas. Egyptian eyes floating over Greek columns beside Norse trees – looked like mythical alphabet soup. Realized I needed structure bad when my cat tried to sit on the keyboard thinking it was litter box territory.
Finding the Core Idea
Next morning I printed everything out and literally threw darts at the board. First three hits showed me: water from Atlantean myths, floating islands from Hindu cosmology, and glowing plants from Celtic lore. That became my holy trinity combo.
Building the Damn Thing
- Sketching phase used three red pens and made my hand cramp
- Digitizing created so many layers I got lost twice
- Color testing took forever because gold looked yellow then orange then mustard
That Lightbulb Moment
When I finally got the water texture right with this cascading light effect, everything clicked. Made the floating islands reflect upside-down in the water like dual worlds. Even my cat approved – and she normally ignores everything except tuna.
Final Touches Disaster
Added the sacred symbols as glowing energy orbs. Totally overdid it first try – looked like someone spilled glitter in a fireworks factory. Had to scrape back 80% leaving just five strategic glows. Lesson learned: god rays need breathing room too.
Now the whole piece hums with that ancient-meets-alien vibe I wanted. Still catch myself just staring at the waterfall section during lunch breaks. Worth every minute of frustration when you nail that sacred planet feel!
