West Studio

California-based concept art + visdev for world building and IP development
weststudio.com Inspiration drives us. Great design fulfills us.

WE ARE WEST STUDIO —
a visual development and creative production house that combines passion and process to produce some of the best concept art in the world. BIG, POWERFULLY ORIGINAL IDEAS
We raise new worlds from the void, set them on their axis, and spin them with histories, cultures, ecosystems and technologies. Through thoughtful design and close collaboration, our artwork pulls people in an

d compels them to care—even obsess. BETTER TEAMS, BETTER WORK
We build specialized strike teams for each project. Drawn from our global roster of five-star talent, our teams are hyper-focused on efficiency, consistency and quality to hit the ground running every time. We were one of the first in our industry to pioneer this approach when we started in 2008. And to this day, we’re still the best at it. ALL-IN CREATIVE PARTNERS
Our end-to-end services tackle every visual development challenge - from routine to unexpected. Our teams evolve as your needs do, moving through concept, production, marketing, and post-launch efforts seamlessly. And our creative leadership will work hand-in-hand with you to guide the process and achieve your creative goals. Going end-to-end is hard work, but it’s how we accomplish what we’re after: big ideas that capture imaginations, win hearts and build franchises.

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Our Services:

STYLE EXPLORATION
Establish the visual identity of the IP through research and exploration

WORLD DESIGN
Develop a primary cast of characters, locations and vehicles

STYLE GUIDE
Define and document visual language so teams can scale efficiently

WORLD BUILDING
Guide art direction and asset management until worlds are complete

POST PRODUCTION
Provide art support for marketing and post-launch efforts

06/18/2026

ASSERT // Image transfer complete . . .

West Studio is extraordinarily proud and privileged to officially reveal its visual development partnership with Bungie in support of their new survival extraction shooter, Marathon The Game.

Sporting a finely distilled hyperblend of aesthetics influenced by both retro and modern technologies, the creatively monumental visual identity of Marathon is truly unlike anything else out there. Far from playing it safe, Bungie’s vision for the game is deeply expansive and being trusted to help bring parts of their vision to life has been an immensely rewarding experience.

Thank you to our partners at Bungie for the invite to squad up—we are grateful for the chance to take on the kind of work that sharpens our skills and genuinely fulfilled by what we’ve accomplished together.

Head to our website to see everything we’ve helped build so far and keep an eye out for even more work from Marathon.

Marathon: World Design
weststudio.com/project/marathon-world-design

Marathon: Seasonal Content
weststudio.com/project/marathon-seasonal-content

06/16/2026

As we prepare to revisit the world of Marathon, travel back to the 90's for a glimpse of where it all started with this extraordinary archive of Craig Mullins artwork from the original games.

"What's this? A copyright infringement of my own! Beware of Feathers McGraw, stealth penguin. Feathers has some evil muddy yellow pixels following him around. Maybe I will help him out someday soon." Feathers McGraw would like to point out that all the images on this gallery are the copyright of Cra...

06/13/2026

The best designs are the ones that feel inevitable.

The "Super Normal" creative philosophy of Product Designer Jasper Morrison values function over expression, proving that the quietest designs outlast those built only to be noticed.

Check out our Book Shop: https://bookshop.org/lists/design-docs-lib...

06/11/2026

How does the Tau Ceti IV arsenal stack up from the POV of a weapons expert? Watch EXP compares Marathon's futuristic weapon designs with their real-world counterparts.

Play War Thunder now with my links, and get a massive, free bonus p...

06/05/2026

Our inherited ancestral design knowledge can be the key to unlocking our futures.

Atmos pairs the visionary imagery of Daniel Obasi with a treatise on Afrofuturism and its role in the face of climate collapse.

Averting a catastrophic future means protecting those most at risk in the present and honoring the ecological history within Black culture.

05/16/2026

Sophia Stories Vol. 5 // The Hidden Temple

Our next edition of leaves the surface behind to descend into the hidden sanctuaries of Lush culture (and the worldbuilding behind it). 🌿

The forms used in this ancient underground temple draw inspiration from the natural ebbs and flows of water—a central element of cultural reverence for the Lush. Over centuries, these underground streams carved sweeping curves into the sandstone, eventually settling into the spaces where radiating pools and terraced alcoves now sit.

Real world influences include Arabic architecture, terraced water gardens of ancient Babylon, and organic cave systems with subterranean waterways.

And in a departure from past approaches, we let design ideas take the lead for this concept to see what new narratives would emerge to influence the greater worldbuilding.

Follow our feeds for more about Project Sophia and see the full set of concepts on our site: weststudio.com/project/sophia

05/14/2026

The dynamic facades of Abu Dhabi's Al Bahr Towers fuse Islamic design tradition with modern technology to create solutions for a more sustainable future. 🏙️☪️

Abu Dhabi, a city of modern buildings and cultural significance, reveals two identical cylindrical twin skyscrapers, known as Al Bahr Towers. Designed by world-renowned Aedas Architects, the building responds to context, forming the city’s skyline, which blends technology, tradition, and sustainab...

05/09/2026

Somewhere in the the midst of ancient magic and ethereal beauty 🌿✨

•Kia'Oh by Dao Vi, in a throwback to the October 2024 Guest Artist Series

Follow the GAS link for the full process + more art inspiration:

weststudio.com/gas

05/06/2026

From Bolivia's endless salt flats to New Zealand's glow worm caves, some of the most imaginative and fantastic landscapes can be found on Earth. 🏞️🌅

Time to make some room on your bucket list

05/01/2026

This past academic semester, University of Southern California Animation students had a front-row seat to animated filmmaking history thanks to our very own. 🎬

Our Co-founder and Head of Ops Nic West recently wrapped up How They Made It: KPop Demon Hunters, a comprehensive case study course that brought many of the film's key creatives into the classroom. Students didn't just study the film—they learned directly from the visionaries who made it.

The class culminated with Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, joining students for a conversation that had the whole room buzzing.

Eternally proud of Nic for spotlighting the voices behind such a bold, original, and culturally impactful film.

Address

Pasadena, CA

Website

http://www.weststudio.com/

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