Netflix's The Witcher never generated a lot of concept art despite the initial success of the series, perhaps to ensure it would still remain shrouded in mystery. The high fantasy chronicles of a monster hunter and the perils he faces on The Continent have captured fans' attention for a full season, filled with the sort of world-building and adventure typical of the novels and games on which it's based.
Ahead of Season 2, Pixoloid Studios has released a series of pieces that focus on the many races, creatures, and individuals inhabiting the world where the drama of Geralt of Rivia unfolds. The company, known for working on such genre series as the paranormal mystery The Alienist and the sci-fi darling Love, Death, and Robots reveals different versions of what fans have already seen and offers clues about exciting things to come.
Elves
As it turns out, the wide-open world of The Witcher shares some similarities with Lord of the Rings based on the beautiful concept art by Pixoloid Studios. But just because both Middle-earth and the Continent are populated by elves, doesn't mean the fantasy race looks anything alike in either environment.
The elves of The Continent are an ancient race that helped shape society and magic, seen here are elves depicted in various states of dress that showcase a variety of ethnic expressions, with their clothing, facial features, and skin tones highlighting the different regions they call home.
Dryads
In the series, dryads are seen when Princess Ciri enters Brokilon forest and is confronted by their leader, Eithné. They are depicted as both healers and defenders of the forest, with a strong sense of community and a reticence to join the world beyond their arboreal home.
Of particular note in this artwork is the process of aging, with a dryad child, prepubescent, teen, young adult, middle-aged adult, and elderly adult seen in various styles of dress and hair. Note how the presentation conveys their strong ties to nature, almost as though they're born from the very moss on the trees.
Goblins
There aren't any known goblins in The Witcher (yet), and both the novel and the game series feature gnomes, but Pixoloid has provided an in-depth exploration of them regardless, perhaps hinting at something fans will be able to see in Season 2.
Seen in this highly detailed concept art are various types of goblins from town, featuring some simple garments and some more sophisticated ensembles. The gnomes appear to have different builds, skin tones, and ages.
Halflings
Any discussion of halflings will conjure images of Tolkien's Middle-earth and The Shire, but as can be seen with this concept art, these diminutive non-humans will wear shoes and boots when it suits them. Typically farmers instead of warriors or miners, they're still sometimes confused with their stouter peers, dwarves.
There are a few halflings sprinkled throughout the series, mostly in the service of humans in the Northern Kingdoms. This art gives greater attention to their clothing, revealing some excellent tailoring, especially when it comes to the women.
Dwarf Warriors
The dwarves of The Continent seem to be quite muscular and broad-shouldered according to this artwork, which makes sense considering they're a physically fit warrior race that's also known for mining. There are differences in everything from the style of armor they wear to the way they wear their hair and plait their braids.
These dwarves are diversified by region, though it seems aspects like maille and fur remain important to dwarven warriors wherever they live. There's particular attention to detail in their helmets and beard jewelry too.
Dwarf Miners
The dwarves of The Continent have a surprising amount of diversity, particularly where their hair and beards are concerned. Whether they're fearsome warriors on the battlefield or miners among the caves and tunnels, they always express themselves with ornaments and facial markings.
This art highlights that warriors tend to have a variety of facial tattoos and piercings, perhaps to honor their culture and appear intimidating in battle. By contrast, their miner counterparts have no distinguishing ornamentation, save for the soot that they use to paint their faces.
Stregobor And Aretuza Novices Costumes
Some minor characters received some tweaks when it came to their design, such as Stregobor's robes or the outfits of the novices at Aretuza. The Kovirian wizard's robes in the series are much more structured, have ornamental buttons, and they don't billow about his body. He also occasionally wears a long printed vest, and doesn't have as long and wispy a beard.
As for the novices, their attire changes depending on whether or not they're young women of high birth or considered nobodies like Yennefer, but they're more or less seen wearing plain gowns of a single color and modest shifts.
Nilfgaardian Armor
When viewing concept art, it's not uncommon for fans to see something much more spectacular than what ends up in the final project, sometimes because of budget or the finite nature of materials, and sometimes because a different creative direction is chosen.
In regards to the costumes and armor of the Nilfgaardians, this concept art looks quite tame compared to what is featured in the series, particularly the armor. It has none of the bizarre, organic nature as seen on characters like Cahir the Black Knight.
Mage Visual FX
The Witcher is infused with magic, and the most proficient wielders of it are its mages, witches, and sorcerers. Mages like Yennefer of Vengerberg can do everything from teleport to another part of The Continent, to shoot fireballs with deadly accuracy.
In fact, Yennefer is considered to have teleported out of danger by many fans in the final stand against Nilfgaard's army, to be the focus of Giralt and Ciri's quest in Season 2. Here, a mage is shown as part of visual effects rendering turning into mist.
The Effects Of Phosphorous
In both the novels and the games, phosphorous is a truly deadly component of alchemy. As dangerous as it is effective, once used on an enemy, its effects are swift and bloody. It's not surprising that fans get to see it at work in the series, especially against a member of the Nilgaard army.
In this visual effects rendering, a soldier is seen going through the stages of being struck by phosphorous, his skin appearing to melt off of his face to expose the horrified skull underneath while his body emits steam.