troylusty.com/src/content/projects/the-heart/index.mdx

---
title: "The Heart"
description: "Lighting exercise inspired by Alan Wake II's \"The Heart\" chapter."
date: 2025-07-26
featured: true
image: { url: "titlecard.jpg", alt: "Alan Wake II's \"The Heart\" inspired environment with titlecard" }
tags: ["blender", "gimp"]
categories: ["personal"]
highlight: true
rank: 10
---

![Alan Wake II's "The Heart" inspired environment with titlecard](titlecard.jpg)

I felt inspired to begin an environment lighting project after restarting playing Alan Wake II but was unable to find a suitable forest environment that fit what I was looking for. Therefore this turned into a slightly larger task than imagined as I needed to create that too, I am however pleased with the final result and how I overcame issues like these whilst working. I wanted to create something that whilst not a direct copy from the game, its inclusion would be plausible alongside other sections.

![Alan Wake II sunrise lighting](sunrise.jpg)
_Sunrise_

![Alan Wake II night lighting](night.jpg)
_Night_

![Alan Wake II image reference PureRef board](reference.jpg)
_Reference board_

### Early progress and tests

![Alan Wake II tree trunk lighting test](trunk.jpg)
_Uprooted tree lighting test_

![Alan Wake II initial lighting](3.jpg)
_Initial lighting_

![Alan Wake II daylight test](3-day.jpg)
_Daylight test_

### Third-party assets

- [Uprooted Tree](https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/uprooted-tree-47faa896d56c40e2a2ace97086cb4791)
- [Fallen Tree](https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/fallen-tree-df1d3b45dd84443abc74e3ced6cd2336)
- [Geo-Scatter](https://superhivemarket.com/products/scatter) with additional foliage packs
- [Aktiv Grotesk Condensed](https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts/aktiv-grotesk-condensed)