Visual adaptation of dayak ngaju mythology and ornamentation into fantasy-styled character illustrations for card games

The visual elements of the Dayak Ngaju tribe, ranging from traditional weapons such as the Mandau and Talawang, sacred tattoo motifs, to traditional house architecture, hold tremendous potential for adaptation into the modern creative industry. This research focuses on the visual adaptation process of Dayak Ngaju mythological elements and ornamentation into character illustrations for high-fantasy Trading Card Games (TCG). The creative process employs Digital Painting techniques with a semi-realist cartoon visual style to align with the preferences of teenage audiences and current gaming industry standards. This study explores the integration of authentic cultural attributes with imaginative elements to visualize legendary figures such as Bawi Kuwu, Raja Jata, and Sangiang, along with other mythological creatures. The design stages include visual cultural reference studies, thumbnail sketching, rough coloring, and final rendering. The design results demonstrate that the integration of traditional ornamentation with fantasy visual styles can create characters that are unique, dynamic, and possess a strong cultural identity without losing their original essence.