Ya well I wasn't expecting my professional life, and job sector to fall apart. I thought I was walking sideways into a relatively easy job. Then this month I wasn't expecting a tree to fall on my house and to be without power for over a week. Revised roadmap soon.
HEY GUYS. I have really allowed this, the main thread, to fester. I intend to start addressing the constructive criticism and your bugs and questions shortly.
In the meantime I wanted to reengage by sharing some behind-the-scene's process with you all. Since I haven't had access to my main computer, or the net, for a few days, I just started working on random new shit in EGGOMON, AESPRITE works fine on my laptop. I was modelling and then designing the next 2 scouts that will come out later this year: TESLA and ARIEL. I hope you enjoy a sneak peek at some VISUAL content (I have also been writing up a storm).
So, TESLA the electric scout. I started with two primary guidelines. Firstly, I knew that ELESA has my favorite design for an electric type character, and secondly I wanted a black character (explicitly black since Norma and Roxy are more cinnamon). I like diversity in EGGOMON because it makes the roster more visually appealing. But a black character with electric powers? I guess I am inclusive enough to represent everyone, but too lazy to dodge a stereotype.
I start trying to tease out a character by generating images of them, and then refining those images. When starting out I wanted to include all the bright electric colors (blue green and yellow) contrasted with a black bodysuit. Of course TESLA had to have a poofy jacket like ELESA as well. Tesla AND Ariel were going to be taller and slimmer than the other scouts, again because more body types makes for visual appeal.
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Working with pixels is very limiting, a lot of what I might LIKE to include gets cut out quickly. Simplicity is the master of pixel art. Picking when to include bold outlines and employ subtle shading is also key. Ultimately Tesla she had to fit in with her peers as part of a team, so her body suit became white, naturally the jacket became jet black to contrast this. Then the color pallet collapsed into a simplistic black / yellow / white. Once I am fairly happy with the look of a gen, I start manipulating the pose. By the time I had enough workable material, I had generated upwards of 50 images.
To make the character I usually Frankenstein elements I enjoy from existing art and or gens, and sometimes use a 3D mannequin to outline a pose I am favoring. One of the images had an inner thigh window I just HAD to include. I also liked the leaned back head (8th image there). Having her walking forward (towards the camera) seemed cool, and this partnered with the POINTING maintained the interaction she had to have with an opposing visual element. It's as if she's casually commanding an electric type to thunder-shock an opponent.
I usually pick a music artist while I work on a character or monster to help try and feel out that character as it shapes.
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This is the artist I listened to while making Tesla.
With that said, making art is a horrible compromise between your imagination, and the limited time + talent + resources + patience you have. It will never be as good as what you envisioned.
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While this isn't Tesla's final form, I am happy with how this finished prototype turned out. Someday I'll whip up some alternates when its time to vote for her.
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Here's Ariel as well, though I am NOT feeling the flight helmet. She'll need variants without the full mask / helm, when its her turn.