for Umbagog
More experimentation for a new jock (envy based, so some references to leviathan here and there). I had a silhouette done for my lineup, but that was piggy backing off of a few concepts I wasn’t too pleased with. On this page, I feel like I’m getting closer to something which works.
Trying to avoid a bat or bird or pterosaur feel because those animals have homologous structures to humans. It would look too natural for this character (someone who tries to be elegant, but fails at). Instead, I’m trying to incorporate fish and insect structures (specifically moths/butterflies) to keep that ungainly, awful feeling.
Experimented with removing her legs, but it looks a little too silly and not that scary. Middle right image is “ok”, but still not quite there. I’m happiest with second-to-bottom middle, bottom middle, and right middle. They have more room for acting but still read as uncanny.
She’s starting to look quite a bit like a fairy and she may lose her current name “Harpy” as I figure it out. But that’s ok. Having a “Harpy” and a “Lamia” in such close proximity to each other makes it seem like I’m drawing directly from Greek/Roman Mythology by establishing a pattern. Which I’m not, they’re handy references but the characters’ don’t actually borrow all that much from Greek/Roman myths other than a handful of details.
1 month ago · 10 notes
![The “jocks” of High Society are undergoing some revision. To better handle a large cast of characters which will appear in the Umbagog novel I’m working on, it’s simpler to [at least initially] treat major chunks of cast as thematic to the overall internal struggles of the major protagonists and antagonists. Finding a framework helps me develop within a loose idea and expand upon it. Where before I drew from people in my own background, I also wanted to make an external mirror to issues characters (especially the undead) experience. In this case, I view the seven sins as both essentially what defines us as human but also something which must not grow in excess, as they do in The Cat.The sins here are considered the elite or dominant forces within High Society due to ability or glib nature. They are not literally the sins embodied, so while some of their personality and characteristics are drawn from interpretations of Binsfield’s demonology text (which tethers a Prince of Hell to each deadly sin), there’s little direct connection. It’s a source to draw inspiration from rather than “yeah this guy is definitely Lucifer here mmhmm”. I’d personally find that a bit twee anyway, for the purposes of this story.It is a STRUGGLE to not call on some popular interpretations of these things though. I must not FMA, I must not FMA, I must not FMA…So, a brief rundown:Envy is the only female, a harpy thing. Bringing in aspects of birds (who doesn’t envy their flight?) and fish (Leviathan). She is bleegghhh.Leftmost is the design for the greed-based character. The demon associated with greed is sometimes depicted with lupine aspects, but I didn’t want a big werewolf-looking thing. So instead I opted to exaggerate a wolf’s defining feature, it’s toothy mouth, to absolutely absorb this poor man’s body as his only tool. He’s like…those creepy bound-arm things from silent hill. Except his arms are bound to create a lower jaw so he can bite and grab bigger things. He doesn’t necessarily eat that much though, he just ensnares it and holds it for a long time. His hands “clutch” his heart. Chrysler is going to be wrath-based. As Satan is the demon associated with wrath and Satan is often pictured as a dragon or serpent (and blue), I’ll bring more cool colors and draconic designs into Chrysler. He has scoliosis now too and is uneven looking allover.Crash is gluttony, and he’s getting squatter and fatter and more frog like. He already had shovel hands, so it works. Scoop it in your mouth, YUM.There’s no way I’m giving Marcus wings (ala Lucifer) or Birch three heads and wings too. Pretty much every demon I read up on had wings, so you’d see an awful lot of “well hey bat hands!” people if I did THAT much. Other aspects might be added if the characters progress to Uber status. But there’s not much to do for Marcus on that angle. Lucifer is pretty much just a pretty guy with pretty wings. I had to call back to Attar (inspiration for Lucifer) to get any kind of symbolism that really worked.Sometimes I’m concerned these designs are pushed too far, but it’s easier to push them this far and then pull back so they’re not QUITE as extreme as The Cat (who needs to visually stand out from the pack). However, some Half-Deads are just born weird.Sort of to scale, still working on it.For Umbagog(Brandy is no longer a “jock” elite guy. His personality and story just weren’t suited for it. But I’ll fit him in somewhere somehow. He has a sweet little tale)Matured for peen](http://25.media.tumblr.com/64c2153420d00fd5a7c2128d1c2d1fb1/tumblr_mjl54mglsZ1r44cx8o1_500.jpg)
