Beneath the Waves

Project Overview

Created for the ArtStation “Beneath the Waves” Challenge (2017), this worldbuilding project explores the design of large-scale underwater harvest infrastructure. At the heart of the concept lies a modular conveyor bridge system, spanning across vast forests of deep-sea kelp, supported by a fleet of autonomous submarines. The visual language is inspired by offshore platforms, industrial machinery, and heavy infrastructure design.

Year:     2017

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“Another quiet run through Sector XIV. The bridge tremors slightly at intervals—we’re logging it as oceanic pressure shifts, though it’s not listed on tide schedules.
Harvest units are operating at 86% efficiency. One drone failed to return—likely tangled in overgrowth.
The kelp’s bioluminescence is intensifying.
We’ve rerouted all outposts east for now.
The cables hum at night.”
— Operator Log #319

The short video showcases the environment and animated props in context.

Bridge & Environment

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Early render of the conveyor bridge cutting through dense kelp forests.
Right side green-lit as on ships.
Bridge prop render with minimal lighting to analyze silhouette and design weight.
One of the initial sketches and relevant mood images.
Thumbnail exploration & real-world references for infrastructure scale and logic.
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Environment layout map showing terrain topography, station plan, and kelp coverage.
Another brdige in the distance
Bridge node isolated—highlighting modular layout and connective routing.
The conveyor bridge reaches out its deadly arms into the forests
Night render with bioluminescent pipelines and energy conduits active.

The Vehicles

A stage before the dense forest and before scene rebuild.
Harvest subs navigating the denser kelp zones. Biomass is extracted and funneled through long intake hoses up to the overhead conveyor bridge.
Size comparison between the shredder from the bridge and the two submarines.
Wireframe breakdown showing both Harvester and Exploration Sub scale comparisons.
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Modular kelp forest designs, optimized for parallax-rich silhouettes and distant readability.
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Harvester Sub engages thick vegetation. Cutting heads and intake spindles are fully deployed.
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Harvest submarine with active intake head engaged. The front-mounted turbine shreds kelp mass, which is then funneled via articulated intake arms into the processing chamber.
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Orthographic views of the Harvester Submarine Class. Used during production to align proportions, component placement, and modular design.
Viewport screenshot of the harvesting submarine.
3D modeling breakdown, with front/top/side views and component assemblies.
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Side view render of the Harvester Submarine. Maneuvering rotors and stabilizers are clearly visible, alongside transparent biomass silos mounted along the top frame.
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Final lightpass test. Edge illumination and rear exhaust glow verify nighttime visibility in dense kelp.
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Exploration Submarine Class
– shown in action, render views, and modeling breakdowns. Compact and agile, it supports scouting tasks and cable inspections throughout the kelp grid.

Among Kelp and Current

Designed for deep-sea extraction, these vehicles balance efficiency, autonomy, and eerie silence. The ocean doesn’t protest

— but it remembers.

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…and thats it for this page.

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