An Elder Scrolls fan has created a unique piece of Skyrim fan art that depicts Whiterun in the form of a children’s storybook. Whiterun is the first city that most Skyrim players will visit in their first outing as the Dragonborn, and most long-time players probably know it like the back of their hand. However, the game’s starting city may have never looked so adorable.
Bethesda Softworks and Bethesda Game Studio released The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim more than a decade ago in the fall of 2011. The first-person action RPG was an immediate breakout hit and had a massive influence on the world of game design. The game’s colossal success arguably contributed to the rise of open-world games as the industry standard for AAA development, and Skyrim continues to be massively popular to this day.
Created by Reddit user minmic123, this unique piece of Skyrim fan art depicts Whiterun’s Plains District from the perspective of someone entering the city through the front gate. The Drunken Huntsman is clearly visible on the hill to the left, with Warmaiden’s and Breezehome lining the right side of the street, smoke billowing from the latter’s chimney. The pointed roof of the Bannered Mare rises in the distance at the end of the road.
All the buildings and other scenery are depicted in bright pastel colors, with the slightly but deliberately uneven lines evoking a child’s drawing. Stars and hearts decorate the Drunken Huntsman and the small bridge at the city’s entrance, adding to the piece’s whimsical atmosphere. The artist also replaced a pair of braziers with what appear to be rose bushes. While some might find a storybook version of Skyrim hard to imagine, minmic123’s art really captures the spirit of what that would look like.
The artist explained some of their motivations for the piece in the comments and replies under the Reddit post. He described wanting to create fan art for some of his favorite games, including Skyrim. Many fan artists attempt to replicate Skyrim’s relatively realistic art direction and have made some truly impressive fan works in that style. However, minmic123 explained that they’ve always had a fondness for colorful and whimsical art and wanted to see Whiterun depicted in that storybook style.
The post saw an overwhelmingly positive response on the Skyrim subreddit, whose members appreciated the uniquely whimsical piece of Skyrim fan art. Meanwhile, the artist’s stylistic preferences are readily apparent by looking at his other Reddit posts. Additionally, anyone who likes his work can follow minmic.art on Instagram.
The Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim: Anniversary Edition is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.