Concept Arts: Monarch: Legacy of Monsters S2

Working with VFX Supervisor Sean Konrad, Framestore’s art department designed key elements for the second season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. The assignment required a mf organic ix oork creature wand hard-surface machinery, taking concepts from rough 2D sketches into 3D models.

Creature Design/Art Department

Final VFX shot of Titan X from Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, showcasing full textures, lighting, and integration.

The main task was developing Titan X, the season’s central monster. Artists Dan Baker and Jules Darriulat focused on her face, eyes, and body. The brief was to make her a tough match for Godzilla and King Kong, while also giving her the expressive range needed for her motherly role.

Symmetrical front view 3D creature sculpt for Monarch S2, showcasing aggressive facial features and horn placement

Top-down perspective 3D digital sculpt for Monarch S2, detailing carapace spine structure and elongated silhouette

Three-quarter angle 3D model of Titan X for Monarch S2, showcasing scale, depth, and organic creature design work.

To balance these needs, the team mixed aggressive features—like sharp teeth and horns inspired by a Moray eel—with softer skin and eyelash-like shapes. This allowed the creature to transition smoothly between fierce battle sequences and emotional scenes.

2D concept art and design iterations for Monarch S2, featuring real-world animal references for Titan X.

2D concept art for Monarch S2, featuring biomechanical studies, texture guides, and form development for Titan X.

The eye design was another challenge. The eyes needed to be highly recognizable and look like the flag of a local tribe that worships the titan. The team went through multiple iterations to ensure this specific pattern integrated naturally with the shape of the head.

Concept art for Monarch S2, exploring different color variations and glowing pupil designs for the eyes of Titan X.

Monarch S2 cinematic concept art of Titan X, showcasing aggressive expressions and sweeping tentacles.

Concept art views of Titan X for Monarch S2, exploring bioluminescent horn tips and light blue eye variants.

Action concept art of Titan X for Monarch S2, highlighting a menacing spiked frame and bright teal eyes.

At the same time, Daniel McGarry designed a 'recon' drone tasked with scanning the creature. The drone went through several versions to properly fit a camera and a sensor captor. Because the script required the actors to physically build the belly-mounted captor on screen, the design had to look practical and mechanically believable rather than just futuristic.