Demon Character Design

DeeLock

Hello everybody!

This is for a project that I'm working on for one of my classes and it is kind of a big deal. The assignment is from my figure modeling class and it is to design a character from the ground up that we will eventually be doing a portrait bust of for our final project.

For now, we are going to be giving a presentation in front of class to explain our character, the world he lives in, his favorite flavor of ice cream, etc etc. due next week.

I have a couple of things that I would like some feedback on.

For one, I would like just general critiques on the design. I've changed it since the original drawings that some of you might remember, and I'm wondering if it was enough.

Second, I would like to get some advice about story/world building. I'm fairly new to creating a narrative and I'm hitting a mental block as far as this character is concerned. The problem I think is that I made him before I had a story to tell so right now I'm trying to fit him into something but I'm not having much luck. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys!

WIPs:

JLM-AWP

Pretty cool design idea.

The main color version: I like the pose, but he's lacking in the pectoral area. Like, his pecs are too small, it looks like.

Also, the sketch you have of him swinging the sword: I know it's just a sketch, but the pose needs a lot of work. He's not committing to the sword swing at all. It looks like a little kid going up to bat in tee-ball for the first time. Looks like his weight could be shifted a LOT more to really get the action across. It's very awkward looking.

I do like the design though. No face makes it a bit creepy.

ManonvonSuperock

I don't know what the feel of your class is, but I would imagine the rocks-instead-of-a-face choice would read more as "i don't want to render/model a face" than an actual design-based decision.

Angel_of_Bacon

I think the design could benefit a lot from breaking things up a bit more unevenly. If you look at any part of the "rock" area, most of the rocks are roughly the same size and shape, making it look more like he's wearing rock-textured pants than his legs are actually made of rock. Try breaking the areas up so there are smaller rocks and more breaks around joints to allow for movement, and larger rocks and fewer breaks in more static areas- just keeping with the anatomy. Also, emphasizing the sharpness/unevenness/asymmetry of the rocky areas will create a better contrast to the body portions' softness.

I'd also suggest trying to integrate the human portion of the character more with the "rock" portions somehow- as it stands it looks more like you've just added things on top of a guy, rather than having things be a part of him. I tried doing this by extending the orange glow of the rocks under the guy's skin, like they were veins, and pushing an oranger skin tone where the skin is close to the rock, and a bluer, paler tone further away from it, breaking up that space more with color.

Delzhand

I'm not quite sure what's going on with his legs. Does he have stumpy feet or reverse joints? Reverse joints would be pretty rad.

Edit: Just saw the stuff in the spoiler tag. Disregard!

Scosglen

I agree with everything Bacon did.

I feel his design could use one more element, such as some kind of adornment or accessory-maybe a talisman, jewelry, arcane tattoos, some kind of garb. Anything to make it not look like a generic rock monster and more like an individual.

Angel_of_Bacon

Scosglen wrote: »

I feel his design could use one more element, such as some kind of adornment or accessory-maybe a talisman, jewelry, arcane tattoos, some kind of garb. Anything to make it not look like a generic rock monster and more like an individual.

Bah, that's the sort of thinking that leads to people shopping at Hot Topic!

chewie

I was about to say the exact things bacon mentioned. More natural integration of flesh/rock and more ergonomic breakup of rock formation, as if the rock crust broke around the natural flexing/bending of the shapes.

Artistically, I may be cool so see a little glow from the lava and casting some secondary light. Also, since the lava is a light source, it wouldn't receive shadow like the rock (lower legs), but would be almost the same brightness all over.

Perhaps some hints smoke or steam wisping off of the rock be a cool effect. just a thought.

But very cool design. The stump feet go along with the creepy feel very well.

DeeLock

I totally agree with everything you suggested bacon and I also like the idea of personalizing him a little bit with a talisman or tatoo or something.

Thanks so much guys!

I also took a break to try to flesh out a story and I think I'm on to something that will work. Feeling a lot better about this whole thing.

Delzhand

Something Bacon did but didn't mention that I think ought to be pointed out: Look at the shading on his blade-arm. Bacon gives it some color definition that makes it appear like a blade with a triangular cross section as opposed to an irregular roundish one.

Kendeathwalker

.. Have you played with adding a feature to the face.. just an eye or a nose or a mouth.. OR have all of the rocks sorttve originate from a point. It just feels like there should be some type of heiarchy established. Right now the face looks exactly like the other rocky bits. Just pulling this out of my ass but I think most people expect the head of a humanoid thing to hold more interest than other features. Im sure you can turn that upside down but that interest would need to shift some where else.. which goes back to.. everthings got the sameish feel.


hope that made sense.

DeeLock

Ken: I see what you mean. I tried to make the head the most detailed and complicated part, which (I hope) serves as the focal point.

Bit of an update:



It may be a bit dark but I was trying to compensate for saving as a .jpg. I worked in a tattoo design and a little necklace thing, is it too much?

Also started working on other characters that I'm going to incorporate into my presentation.

McGibs

For some story/world building, I'm just going to look at what you've shown, and sort of run with it. Throw out some ideas that might influence the design, might not.

Alright, so he's a man with magma for face, arms, and legs. His uncovered torso is saying to me that he isnt really a "true" demon, rather he was once a human, now being consumed by these evil rocks.
Now, demons are all about symbolism. They symbolize evils, like hate, rage, violence, lust, greed, etc etc all those yummy things. He's not really getting any of these emotional elements across. Lava and fire and brimstone in regards to demons and devils arnt -really- fire and magma, they're emotions and feelings. They're things that burn and scorch and cause great pain and suffering. They show things that you can't see as something that's easy to see outwardly as a symbol.

Ok, so he was once a man, now being consumed by magma, but it isnt really magma. It's a symbol for destruction, or rage, or something else that involves fire and lava. It's taking over his body and transforming it, but it could be pushed so much farther. Sure, he has digitigrade legs and a sword arm, but he's still basically a man covered in rocks. He's still a man UNDER those rocks. But you want to show that man being replaced and changed by that symbol. In the sketches, he had those awesome stilt legs, something that WASNT a man. Or natural at all. He's a demon. Go nuts. Make shit as weirdly creepy and uncanny as you possibly can. 12-foot stilt legs, spines of rock jutting out of his back, a definite structure to his face (even if it isn't a face, make it something bizarre) a giant obsidian bladed club for an arm, crap like that. PUSH IT. Push it so far away from what he was before that it makes the one familiar thing, his human torso, stand out all the more. THAT is the focal point, not his head. He was a man, once.
Now he burns. Make him burn. Make him bleed destruction (seriously... it's lava. have it oozing out over everything). His pose is sort of wishy-washy as well. It's sort of has a conquering nature, what with the rock shelf and puffed out chest, but again, PUSH IT. Have him raising his hand in triumph as he turns the world beneath him to ash!

Anyway, thats my brain going on a little roadtrip.

NightDragon

You need to break up your shapes more...they're all about the same size. The version Bacon did fixed a lot of this - the breaks between the lava cracks is much more varied. You should have areas of higher detail / smaller shapes, and areas of larger shapes. All of the pieces right now are about the same size. Changing that up, and having denser and lighter areas, will make his legs/head/forearms much more visually interesting.

winter_combat_knight

I think his waist should be a little thinner. At the moment it seems a little wide in comparison to his upper body. Also, it looks a little like you're in a bit of a pickle as to whether it is going to be realistic, or stylized. Personally, i find it heading in a more stylised direction, which makes me also think that you might want to exaggerate the muscles a little and sharpen them up. They look like you're focussing on perfecting them to be 100% realistic. make some mistakes, and work with them! I think mistakes add more character.

But in the end, its about the look you're trying to achieve. Just thought id express my thoughts anyway.

overall, really good, cant wait to see how the final turns out.

beavotron

everything gibs said is pure gold.

DeeLock

Wow Gibs, thank you so much man! This has given me a lot to think about. I'm a little sorry that I put this off until the weekend before it was due...if I had more time I would definitely like to come at this from a different angle.

As this is to be a concept for the main character of a video game there could be a progression throughout it as the character levels up and gets more powerful. Maybe the magma starts to take over more of his body and the rocky areas get more insane looking. I was toying with this idea a little bit before.

I hope this doesn't sound like I'm blowing your suggestions off or anything. I really appreciate your advice, I'm just a little pressed for time...

ND : Thanks, I'll try to push it a little bit more.

ManonvonSuperock

It still doesn't look like a main character though. It looks like a goon in a level that you'd fight 50 of. A lot of it has to do with the lack of facial features I'd say.

Having the magma starting to spread up his neck and cheek, but still allowing him to show individuality and expression in his face would probably help with that a lot.

Visti

Looking at the WIPs and both the pictures, you seem to be skipping rendering hands and just barely put in the bare necessities. Reference does things and work them at least up to the rendering quality given to the faces. They have a chance to say a lot, especially in the second picture.

Paradise

McGibs wrote: »

For some story/world building, I'm just going to look at what you've shown, and sort of run with it. Throw out some ideas that might influence the design, might not.

Alright, so he's a man with magma for face, arms, and legs. His uncovered torso is saying to me that he isnt really a "true" demon, rather he was once a human, now being consumed by these evil rocks.
Now, demons are all about symbolism. They symbolize evils, like hate, rage, violence, lust, greed, etc etc all those yummy things. He's not really getting any of these emotional elements across. Lava and fire and brimstone in regards to demons and devils arnt -really- fire and magma, they're emotions and feelings. They're things that burn and scorch and cause great pain and suffering. They show things that you can't see as something that's easy to see outwardly as a symbol.

Ok, so he was once a man, now being consumed by magma, but it isnt really magma. It's a symbol for destruction, or rage, or something else that involves fire and lava. It's taking over his body and transforming it, but it could be pushed so much farther. Sure, he has digitigrade legs and a sword arm, but he's still basically a man covered in rocks. He's still a man UNDER those rocks. But you want to show that man being replaced and changed by that symbol. In the sketches, he had those awesome stilt legs, something that WASNT a man. Or natural at all. He's a demon. Go nuts. Make shit as weirdly creepy and uncanny as you possibly can. 12-foot stilt legs, spines of rock jutting out of his back, a definite structure to his face (even if it isn't a face, make it something bizarre) a giant obsidian bladed club for an arm, crap like that. PUSH IT. Push it so far away from what he was before that it makes the one familiar thing, his human torso, stand out all the more. THAT is the focal point, not his head. He was a man, once.
Now he burns. Make him burn. Make him bleed destruction (seriously... it's lava. have it oozing out over everything). His pose is sort of wishy-washy as well. It's sort of has a conquering nature, what with the rock shelf and puffed out chest, but again, PUSH IT. Have him raising his hand in triumph as he turns the world beneath him to ash!

Anyway, thats my brain going on a little roadtrip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzyNWyZhUS0