For the environment, we decided that a stylised visual style would work best. This came from our overall theme of nature and bees, and we felt that stylisation would work more effectively. A realistic environment might have felt too bland or neutral, whereas our project needed something more expressive. By using stylised assets, I was able to exaggerate colours, simplify shapes, and create a more dreamlike environemnt almost like seeing the world from the perspective of bees themselves. This also ensures that even a dull projector will project something bright.
When developing the environment’s look, I referenced several stylised artists, since this is the first time I am actually working on something so stylised and cartoony. One of the main artists I looked at was Viktoriia Zavhorodnia. I really liked how their environments balance simplicity and richness. Their foliage uses soft, painterly shapes and bright but controlled colour palettes, which helped me understand how to keep environments visually engaging without becoming overly detailed.
To create the environment assets, I used a combination of Maya, TreeIt, and Unreal Engine 5. Maya was my primary software for modelling. I created grass clusters, flowers, and various foliage meshes there, keeping the geometry relatively simple. Instead of modelling highly detailed blades of grass, I used very simple, slightly curved shapes that would fit the stylised theme. The flowers were also designed with simplified textures and shapes and bold colours so they would stand out clearly within the landscape and add visual contrast to the grass.
For trees, I used TreeIt, which allowed me to quickly generate natural forms. I adjusted branch density and curvature so the trees felt slightly exaggerated. Once exported, I brought the trees into Unreal Engine 5, where I refined their materials and colours so they sat cohesively within the scene.
I created the landscape in Unreal Engine 5 using height maps. I textured it with 4 different shades of materials and blended the ground tones, including lighter grass, darker grass, and soil colours, to add variation. I also introduced subtle hue shifts across the terrain so the ground wouldn’t appear too uniform or visually flat. When everything was textured, I made a simple shader for the grass to pick up the material from the landscape. I used Unreal’s shader material system for the foliage and wind. For example, SimpleGrassWind nodes, so the foliage would sway gently. This added life to the environment and reinforced the natural setting.
Lighting, particles and colour grading were also important in achieving the final look. I used bright directional lighting, a skydome and soft shadows to create a warm, inviting atmosphere. The flowers used brighter complementary colours like pinks and purples. This made the environment feel vibrant and full of life, something that supports the bee and nature theme.
I think that choosing a stylised approach improved the project visually and thematically. It allowed us to create an environment that felt imaginative, expressive, and cohesive with the symbolism of bees and hives. Through the combined use of Maya for modelling, TreeIt for tree generation, and Unreal Engine 5 for world building, materials, and lighting, I was able to construct a nature environment that feels lively, colourful, and aligned with the tone of the project.
