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Interview with Todd Grenier

By: Jay Watamaniuk

These days, nothing seems to get more attention than art in video games. Todd Grenier has been working as a production artist for six years now, and he has produced some of the most recognizable promotional art for BioWare's games. We spoke to Todd about his latest work, the central image to Infinite Dungeons.

Was creating the central image for Infinite Dungeons more difficult than Pirates of the Sword Coast?

Todd: Yes. Since the module is about dungeon crawling, I decided to include more critters in this image to give the feeling of a populated, creepy place. Adding more stuff means more work, but it's work I am happy to take on.

Infinite Dungeons has a large group of unique new creatures. How did you pick and choose which ones to include in your image?

Todd: It was pretty easy. The weekend before I started the image I was at the Calgary zoo and I happened to be drawing the boars there. Luckily, I walked away with some good reference for the wereboar, plus I am a sucker for any creature with the word "were" in it. The Lich King was a given since I am a huge zombie fan. The beholder was a given too, since it is an iconic D&D creature. The Imp isn't one of the main boss creatures, but anything that is small, creepy, and bat-like, I like.

I heard you worked with a 3D modeling program to lay out the background. Is this a common practice for you?

Todd: It is great for reference and placement of objects, lighting, and a good starting point. Working on the computer with all the available tools, you tend to forget the fundamentals of drawing, so I will use 3D tools whenever I have perspective issues.

The Halaster of Infinite Dungeons is quite a different portrayal than the 'traditional' Halaster as seen in various source material. Why the change to a sleeker, more refined looking image?

Todd: It wasn't my call to change his image. The team that worked on Infinite Dungeons created a newer, more designed wizard. So I referenced their concepts and models to make sure the image related directly with the module.

What are you working on right now?

Todd: I am currently working on Mass Effect, some Dragon Age, and my own website, www.stiffstudios.com. I also do the odd job on the side to keep the skills fresh.

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