Team CHOW II-Team Jacakalope

[threeeyesworm]

Members: Threeeyesworm, 2100, sillymoogle, ushio18, eldritch48

Here we go!

We have gone with a desert theme and here are the thumbnails so far:
2100's
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2441/3821675528_e6e5c750dd_b.jpg

Threeeyesworm's
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2426/3821675722_9540116e99_b.jpg

Seth's
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2527/3821675784_5428b8972c_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3432/3821675584_78775c8424_o.jpg

Desert References:

Amazing paintings of Arabian settings:
http://www.orientalist-art.org.uk/

Monster Hunter Art Book:
http://www.paperninja.net/monkey/mh2_4koma/

[2100]

Thanks for posting them up!

[eldritch48]

Here are some more character thumbnails, this time for a girl and some sort of halfling/gnome character.

[2100]

I think top row - middle has some potential.

[2100]

Weapons are the most obvious props, but we should look beyond that.

Pet(WoW hunter), book(RO priest), bag(FF Chemist), Jester, etc.

[sillymoogle]

Hay guyz! you were bugging me for thumbnails. I've been busy :/ so tonight I tried to paint out what was on my mind. It's not a lot of variation, but I'll work on that later! I have to work in the morning!!

Egyptian is desert right? It's just an idea. The one on the right is the evil one xD;;... I need more practice with dog heads! haha

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m114/sillymoogle/Anubis.jpg


BTW. lovin' the thumbs so far guyz! keep it up! I will try hard to get more ideas out to you tomorrow after work!!

[ushio18]

here are my thumbs...

[eldritch48]

Here are three more, based on the race of Jinn.

[sillymoogle]

Haya! more stuff! can't help but go into details. I really should just slap on shapes and really experiment like you guys, but I can't help myself xD if I like something, I roll with it till I'm semi-satisfied! LOL

-megan

[threeeyesworm]

Last day for thumbnails guys! Let's get as many in as possible people!

[2100]

im excited to see what you guys come up with!

[sillymoogle]

I hope I've done enough :) I didn't really do that many...

[2100]

Deadly archers (evil?)

Horned Heavy-warriors (evil/good)

Jinn Heavy-warrior/Tank (good)

Magical Imps (evil/good)

[eldritch48]

Cool stuff, Jon :) I like the Jinn the best :)

[threeeyesworm]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2669/3828743355_9c6012b2e4_b.jpg

[eldritch48]

Those last 4 seem very cartoony in design-language...not necessarily a bad thing, but not sure if that was the direction we were planning on....are they "Tauren"? The 2nd one looks like Mojo-Jojo from PPG. :)

[2100]

Check this out: http://www.pbase.com/bmcmorrow/image/48636836

It's got a lot of cool Arab stuff

[eldritch48]

Nice :) What's the story for our IM meeting tomorrow?

[threeeyesworm]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3513/3829650280_7c50d41deb_o.jpg

[GriNGo]

Woah guys looking sweet! excellent poses..

[ushio18]

here's mine..

[threeeyesworm]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2425/3829768328_158e386713_o.jpg

[2100]

I developped the jinn a little bit. I think a battle scene format would be a cool way to present our characters.

[eldritch48]

Some really nice ones! Ushio, I like #1 and #4. 2100, I see what you were saying about the presentation....if we're doing a full on battle scene, we need to make sure both sides are seen in a front 2/3rd or full on pose.

[2100]

If you need some ideas on how to convey the Arabia theme, try adding some rings, jewelry, sash, belts, daggers, katars, shards, chain mail, cloth, opium pipe, gems, decorative patterns, tassels, cotton fringe...

Also, don't be afraid to show some skin.

[eldritch48]

The concept behind this guy is that he is descended from a shipwreck of elves that landed where the ocean meets the desert. Cut-off from their homeland and unused to the harsh conditions of the desert, only the strongest and the most adaptable survived. They based their clothing and techniques on the cold-blooded lizards and scorpions that thrived in their new home. Even away from their woodlands, they kept their skills with the longbow, and became a nomadic tribe, moving from oasis to oasis to hunt game and find water.

Now, thousands of years later, they are fierce warriors who use their magic to increase the accuracy of their arrows and sell their skills to the highest bidders. For the right price, they will depend a desperate town from bandits - or sack the same town and make off with all the food and water they need to survive.

[2100]

Cool idea, an elf adapting to desert environment by copying lizards and sand critters. You can take it further with evolved physical traits: proportions, hair, scales(?), etc. This elf is also too clean, it's like a uniform. He needs more accesories, a magic-dust pouch, some daggers/darts, some bling, sashes, robes.

[threeeyesworm]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3832408807_caebc1d76e_b.jpg

The anatomy is a bit off right now around the torso and the legs are too long. I will fix it tomorrow. I will also expand it a bit more.

Seth, I like the idea that they are nomadic. I think you should add design elements that would convey that. Accessories are definitely the way to go. Maybe he can ride a lizard?

[2100]

A tall skinny lizard :P

some jinn stuff:

[eldritch48]

Here's some more details and rendering on the elf. I will try a completely different design tomorrow.

[threeeyesworm]

Hey Seth,

Right now, the elf looks really generic. I think this is what Jon meant when he said it is too clean and looks like a uniform. Please try adding some different designs into it. Add accessories in a way that would change his design as a whole. Try playing with the entirety of the armor. Play the armor and the clothes, skin and any accessories against one another. He needs to looks much less like an ordinary elf.

[threeeyesworm]

Got bored of the good version I was working on. Did a bit of the evil version today. Will do the good one again tomorrow.

Headgear design for both the good and evil versions and upperbody general design of the evil version:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2468/3835735621_1528a033ef_o.jpg

[2100]

Wei: I really like the scorpion tail mask! I also like the black rope he's wearing around his neck. I think the rest is a bit too extreme though. Think more practically, everything on him should have history and purpose. Don't rely so much on symbolism to state his alignment, use his accessories to tell a story about him instead. Maybe he has some trophy collection: scalps, animal teeth, etc. He could carry a variety of knives and eccentric jewelry. He could be missing a finger! And that's why he's using a katar, because he's missing too many fingers to wield a sword. When I think about it, even the mask is a bit too showy. Why would a evil person go around announcing he's evil? The signal needs to be more subtle.

Seth:The changes look cool, let's focus on the next design though. I did a bit more thinking on the evolutionary traits: Long neck (higher vantage, like the ferret), low-pointing ears for better ground-tracking (no tall trees in a desert), deep set eyes (for seeing in the sun), thin eyes and nostrils (sand protection). The bow is also equally important as the costume and anatomy, so spend some time with that too.

---
I don't know if there should be anything subtle about my jinn.. oh, except for the hidden sex symbols. J/K! :)

I think I've been treating this design too much like an MMO mob, my jinns are too symbol heavy and don't have a personality. So I read up on them a bit more. Apparently in Islam, Satan is the original jinn! They are free and defiant creatures characterized by hubris. Maybe the way to go is to keep them looking like this, but pose them effectively. The evil one should be charging recklessly, and the good one doesn't bother to use her shield.

[threeeyesworm]

Wei: I really like the scorpion tail mask! I also like the black rope he's wearing around his neck. I think the rest is a bit too extreme though. Think more practically, everything on him should have history and purpose. Don't rely so much on symbolism to state his alignment, use his accessories to tell a story about him instead. Maybe he has some trophy collection: scalps, animal teeth, etc. He could carry a variety of knives and eccentric jewelry. He could be missing a finger! And that's why he's using a katar, because he's missing too many fingers to wield a sword. When I think about it, even the mask is a bit too showy. Why would a evil person go around announcing he's evil? The signal needs to be more subtle.

Jon, you know, I totally agree that an evil person probably really wouldn't go around announcing he is evil, especially since initially, I wanted this character to be an assassin (Who would want to appear as ordinary as possible). And I thought about what you said for a long time and I don't know how to show a person to be evil without him announcing himself to be evil. It isn't like I can make a comic about him. Even if I use accessories to show that he is evil, these accessories would still announce that he is evil. So I am not sure how to be more subtle. For now I will try adding accessories that would convey his history.

[eldritch48]

Hmm...I don't think they've been "evolving" long enough in the desert to change the base physical traits very much! That said, I did go back for a complete redesign this afternoon...I think it should be a bit skinnier and taller, but I like the basic language a bit more.

[2100]

Hi guys, sorry I missed the meeting. POST YOUR NEW DRAWINGS, thanks! :p

[2100]

I developed the evil black gothic armor thing more, but I came up with a better idea I think.

Rather than have an all out custom armor, I want to use an ad hoc style armor- where she's just covered with various plates, chain mails, accessories, and bits and pieces that she's collected in her journeys. So the dark genie has a collection of dark things and the light genie has a collection of light things.

[eldritch48]

That is a cool idea...I think it will totally help sell the alignment of the character.

[sillymoogle]

Hay dudes, I scanned the doodles in my sketch book. I am working on more. Wei and seth said I should work more on croc-boy so I will- since he looks really tribal and stuff I'll do a few drastically different versions of him and see what suits him best in an Arabian theme.

[2100]

good jinn idea. Flying weapons... Sorry it's so sloppy, I'm super tired, I just wanted to get the gist of it.

[2100]

Still tired, but I had to get this out of my system... Jackalope rider.

Megan is going to do a Jackalope summoner, I think.

PS: Hey, do you guys want to do this whole thing in Chibi?

[2100]

WIP good genie

[eldritch48]

Here's my take on the Jinn....just a pencil sketch, but maybe it'll get some ideas flowing :)

[2100]

WIP on genies

Where is everyone's progress?

[2100]

Tonight's updates...

[2100]

Taking a break from evil jinn.. need to work on good jinn.

[2100]

dark jinn

[threeeyesworm]

God damn it, both of our characters use double swords.

I like the Jinn a lot but it feels a bit light. Like there's very little going on. Awesome painting techniques though. The boobs look a bit fake like implants...

[threeeyesworm]

GAH! After I shrunk the image to save it as jpg, I used the brush to draw a few things and then I saved it. >< And I couldn't go back far enough in my history to undo the shrunking... damn it. It should be okay though... This is just the general outline of it anyways....

Evil Warrior:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3451/3863912303_30bf3208df_b.jpg