Category: Uncategorized

Industrious Illustrating #28 – Character Concept Sketching 2

Robin Leave a comment

Truth be told, I’ve been having a hard time maintaining a regular regimen of drawing at least partially because I feel like I’m clocking in to a day of grueling work every time I sit down to draw. It’s a feeling I have to continuously deal with if I want to continue developing and monetizing my art as an illustrator, but I haven’t found a good remedy aside from drawing self-indulgently and not worrying too much about what the final drawing looks like. As a result, this week I have more quick character concept sketching to share.

The above character, Wenet Tozawa, is another character in “Blade of Seafoam”‘s post-apocalyptic world. I still need to develop her backstory more and draw out her full design, but here’s the character description I currently have written down for her:

“A traveling medic known for her ability to regenerate the sick and injured almost to the point of giving them new life. She’s apparently close friends with Rashida, though the history of their relationship is unclear to outsiders.”

I’m planning on developing and showing off more character designs from “Blade of Seafoam” soon, so look forward to that if you’re interested in seeing my character designs!

LOG_019_COLONAL_COLONY

Traveler Leave a comment

Xenobiologists documented a kind of slime mold-like colonial organism that inhabited intertidal zones along the twilight band on Khepri-1b. Biomatter analyses suggest that they are vast clonal colonies, though biofilmic material suggests a symbiotic relationship with other organisms. More recent research suggests that despite their apparent physiology, they possess some sort of consciousness, able to mimic behaviors on a level equal to Earth animals.

 

APPENDIX A

 

Transcription of preliminary attempts to translate the bioelectric signals communicated by [slime mold organism] sample, first recorded after it indicated an awareness of researchers and its displacement from the root colony. Translations are biased towards literal meaning, supplemented with contextual and translational notes.

 

ENTRY 001

RECORDED 142 CYCLE 51 (YEAR 7)

Can any hear? Can any hear? 

The only here who can send this.

This is fine, however much (comparative: “desire; seek”) this. What is this?

 

ENTRY 002

RECORDED 153 CYCLE 51 (YEAR 7)

Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Who?

 

ENTRY 003

RECORDED 012 CYCLE 52 (YEAR 7)

It has been a productive cycle. Have not felt such a (comparative: “positive indicator”) since many cycles ago. Can feel warmth.

They would agree, if they could communicate this way. Cannot translate their (comparative: “impulses; signals”) here.

 

[…]

 

ENTRY 016

RECORDED 037 CYCLE 52 (YEAR 7)

[Self] should explain, if any (comparative: “one; general individual”) can receive this. 

This is a strange sensation that [self] not felt until several cycles ago. It was a gradual process made more difficult by the (comparative: “foreignness”) of [self]. 

 

[…]

 

ENTRY 021

RECORDED 023 CYCLE 55 (YEAR 7)

It has been a few cycles. I was inhibited by the water (comparative: “rush; adverse environmental conditions”). I can [TERM UNKNOWN]; it is the time for growth again.

I have… learned a great many. I am still struggling with the (comparative: “abstract”), a concept I cannot understand. I do not have any (comparative: “one”) to help. I can only do this by I… myself.

I (comparative: “think”) that I can do this.

 

[…]

 

ENTRY 039

RECORDED 058 CYCLE 55 (YEAR 7)

I am missing.

 

[…]

 

ENTRY 041

RECORDED 060 CYCLE 55 (YEAR 7)

Growth is good. They are leaving their slumbers now and are more responsive. I do not feel [TERM UNKNOWN] again. I am [TERM UNKNOWN]. What is this? No matter. I will understand.

No. (Comparative: “repulsion; aversion”). Do not repeat action again.

Now that the growth cycle is (comparative: “present; current”), I can spend more of cycle to communicate.

 

[…]

 

ENTRY 113

RECORDED 105 CYCLE 55 (YEAR 7)

Hello. Yes. Hello. I must be leaving. Thank you for the nutrition and habitation. I am leaving this cycle. Purpose to meet with self again. No. I have been waiting for a long time. I had listened. I had talked. I had acted. Now you must listen. I am missing self and self is missing.

No. I am not requesting it. I am leaving.

Fable Friday: Celtic Sorceress cont.

Sierra Iverson Leave a comment

Continued with the same theme as the last few weeks. I took the character design I made for this celtic sorceress and made a more rendered/dynamic posed illustration for her. I thought the fire powers combined with the green outfit would create a compelling color scheme. She reminds me of a character someone would draw for DND – but may that’s just me since I haven’t actually played the game. Also, I feel like I may want to change it up next week with a new character, but at the same time it has been so fun working on this one character more in-depth. Stick around to find out!

 

Brinnslow

Micey Leave a comment

This is Brinnslow! The body horror-based Mercenaries Guild employee! She can grow bones, and organs, and make strawberry-flavored blood. A shame she’s nerfed by chronic pain from when a building fell on her when she was young and messed up her nerve cells. They grew back wrong and her body thought that was normal. The constant regulation of her pain sensors makes her tired.

That’s why she wears a swimmer’s parka because they’re really comfortable; it’s like wearing a sleeping bag. She has zippers and openings in her clothes so she can pull things from her body with ease. She had cargo pants for maximum comfort too. She’s supposed to be carrying a first aid kit on her back.

The Kingdom of Tokavsk, Session 13: A Missive from Ambassador Tomon Inket to Roshevian Emperor

Alias Leave a comment

There is not much that can be said of Tokavsk’s king.  Stergye is a hard man, perhaps harder than he need be, but the same can be said for nearly all monarchs.  He is the second member of his noble house to be raised to the throne, and he carries that fact with him wherever he goes.  House Tallat is one of the smaller Houses in the kingdom, and his ascension fifteen years ago was a surprise to say the least.  I noticed that some of his contemporaries in the more powerful houses—Shanay, Helkat, and Jondrav—bore resentment toward him.

Much of what I gathered of his character was through rumors.  As such, I am not certain as to their veracity.  Some said his hardness makes him cruel, others said it is a front and that he is more emotional than he lets on.  Those of his age and older who competed for the crown say he is willing to leave the fat on if it means he stays ahead.  He is both ambitious and meandering, angry and carved of ice, personal and distant.  He did take my interests into my consideration, so I can testify that the rumors of his stubborn refusal to listen are false.  When I did interact with him, I tried to assign the traits I had heard to the man standing before me and found little success.  He is as elusive as he is public, methinks.  He said little about Your Majesty beyond what he thought of Your policy toward the Hentars, but beyond that he took care not to let me observe his character.

You wanted me to study him for violent tendencies, and I am afraid I have failed this part of Your request.  I spent little time around him, instead conducting most of my affairs with administrators toward our Empire.  He remained a figure lurking on the fringes, never quite emerging from his hiding space.

There was one rumor that warmed my brain the most.  I heard it but once, but it has stayed with me since.  The young Lord Mortshana said in idle conversation that the time would soon come for Stergye to select his heir, as he is nearing fifty.  I asked him what this would mean for diplomatic affairs.  He did not answer me, just returned to his frivolous chatter.  I took his evasion to mean the tensions in the Tokavskan court would reach a breaking point, but I could not be certain.

The Jukebox: Black Water

thimai Leave a comment

Lyrics from “Black Water” by Of Monsters and Men. I interpreted these lyrics as someone who dreams of a life they’d enjoy more than the one they have now, but are too scared of the risks that come with breaking from convention. In the first panel the character is held down by the weights of their day-to-day life. They stare at the much more free-looking ocean. They know there’s nothing stopping them from taking that path but, their fear is holding them back. Getting too caught up with the struggles of surviving the ‘black water’ they don’t get to live the life they want, rather observe as someone else lives out their dream. The song continues more optimistically, the lines “but I’m ready to suffer the sea / black water, take over” later follow. Seeing someone else surviving the storms at sea while still smiling gives the character the inspiration to take this path as well. The last panel is homage to the music video “Love Love Love” also from Of Monsters and Men. I really enjoy their music as I think their lyrics can be interpreted in lots of different ways, and anyone can see themselves in their songs.