Creature Design I

 I was basically fooling around in Paint when I decided to try and replicate a sketch I planned to turn into pixel art: a monstrous insect preferably with a person riding on its back. So I got a person from an older piece for scale and worked next to it.

 The initial sketch, about three inches long.

In its beginning stages, the outline was progressing well. My focus was getting all of the curves and angles right. Making sure that the wing, for example, was rounded so that it made sense with the perspective.

 The finished outline. The different hues of green stood for the different areas where I would put the actual colors in the next stage.The bug's silhouette didn't change much from this point. I wasn't really focusing on making it look aerodynamic, but that turned out to be one of the treasures of the piece at the end.

 I worked from a color that I had already found a while back, thinking it would be perfect for this kind of thing. I made the outline of each shape darker on the bottom and lighter on top to show the positioning of the light source.


Detailing. I made the lighting more complex to show the roundness of some parts of the bug; the dark purple shell where it meets the top of the head is a good example if you have sharp eyes. Shadows were also added in areas like the space under the wings to show how despite their 2D nature, they do actually do lie over the surface of the bug instead of being stuck to its body. If you stood back and compared it with the last step, it looks almost the same. The most time consuming step with the least impact. Yet it's also the most important one because this is really where the life comes from. I recommend clicking on it for the large view to see it in better definition.

A rider, reigns, and some kind of tattoo to show possible origin. The tattoo really turned into a focal point. But I like the color blend. Now its ready to be put into a real scene.

The Unnamed Creature then and Now

An interesting comparison.

With its rider absent, the reigns lie coiled on its back.

As always, there's some kind of deviation from the original. The first one couldn't go alone, wherever it's going. In other words I had a feeling I'd need two when the time comes that these go into a scene. In some ways, I almost like Bug #2 better. Its extruding tongue and stubby feet give it a very different attitude from the first.

Please tell me what you think of this post in the comments, and how you think I should continue with this Creature Design series.