Hey everyone! Welcome back!
So while work has been a bit on the busy side, I have been doing some sketches. Some of these are ideas based on what I mentioned last week - ie the anthropomorphic animal character, but I also couldn't help but do a little sketch based on something that caught my interest of late. More on that one later, though. Firstly, let's talk about the first lot of sketches.
So, If you didn't see last time, I had mentioned a character made that was an anthropomorphic animal, but that I hadn't done many animal characters in a while, showing one of the last few times I did as the two page short comic project I did at Uni. The character in question is an anthropomorphic raccoon by the name of Milo Forager and is basically from a story where animals are instead of humans (though that's not the main deal of the story, just as to why I've been thinking up humanoid raccoons instead of a human character design for once).
The first few sketched ideas were drawn directly in biro, but were mostly just me thinking up ideas while on break at work - apologies for the odd colouring of the scrap paper I was using.
So, these were my first iterations of Milo. Still a bit of a work in progress, but for having not drawn many animal characters recently they didn't come out too bad, though admittedly, the full body one still feels a bit stiff. Plus the markings around his face aren't particually fully matching to the animal it was based on. Even so, the design wasn't absolutely terrible, so if I could ease up the body a little more so he seemed less stiff, I'd be happy.
I did, however, try another version later on, mostly to see how he might look with markings a little closer to his actual; real life animal counterparts:
Still not quite happy with this one either. While he does look looser in body, I think his head looked a bit on the warped side - mostly just being too big for the body. But this one was mostly just an experiment on the face markings more than anything. If I do a combination of the first and second full designs, it might be something a bit more fitting.
Maybe I should try taking a pencil to work with me when sketching, so I can edit them a bit better with the power of an eraser! lol. But either way, these were fairly quick sketches that were mostly me getting used to animal characters more than anything else. A (large) work in progress, but I will persevere! I hope to be able to draw something fitting for him! If I can do that then it will certainly help with drawing other animal characters as well. Always good to keep your hand in!
The other sketch I mentioned doing was based on something that interested me of late. Recently, I've been into a game called 'Angels of Death', an RPG maker horror game which has also spawned a manga, anime and novel. I haven't yet really looked at the other iterations yet, since its always fun to see the source material in all its glory first. While its not a horror in a 'jump at your face' kind of way, it certainly becomes unsettling in places and it helps that you come to genuinely care for the main characters. I found myself a number of times feeling for them in different ways, only to be pulled up short when I remember exactly who I'm suddenly worried for. Either way, I very much enjoyed it and do hope to look at the other mediums to see how they hold up as well.
The game artwork is, from what I can see, somewhat different from the other mediums, however, having a very unique style to them which fits the unnerving undertone even when they look...kinda adorable in their own way. Whereas the clips of the anime and manga I've seen tend to lean towards more stereotypical anime/manga. Not a bad thing, of course, as it certainly fits their mediums and lets them feel a bit more 'realistic', but it is a bit odd when you got so used to character portraits to see the characters elsewhere look the same, yet different.
The main reason I mention this is because the sketch I did of the character Zack (who you really come to like and is often the source of my cheering on and then being pulled up short remembering that he isn't exactly a hero/good guy and is a serial killer, no matter how he's the male lead.) was drawn mostly with the game in mind, rather than how he is drawn in the manga or anime. This means more cartoony/rough design.
Yes, I know his mouth is over the bandages. Why? I have no idea, but that's how he is in the portrait and elsewhere. I have a few theories on why in the game - either its so you can see his wide variety of expressions in his portraits (you'd otherwise only get his eyes and his facial expressions really do make his character), or there would be a hole in the bindings near his mouth and it was a more simplistic way of drawing him. Either way, since it was more based of his character portrait, I thought it best to go with that, whichever reason it is.
I diiiiiid miss off one bit of his hair closer to his forehead - whoops - but that could just be explained by a gust of wind or movement (I'll be fixing it though as I do more stuff with it). The odd shaped outlines on the hood (which aren't shaded here) are actually blood splats dried on, but at the moment those are just placeholders so I know where they should be. I'm hoping to do a digital version of him as an icon, or maybe some kind of badge? not sure yet. We'll see how it goes :)
Either way, I do suggest the game. Its weird, admittedly, and unnerving rather than scary in places but as mentioned, you do learn to like the main characters in their own special ways. Its currently on Steam, but I hear its also coming to the Switch (which is...a tad odd, since I suppose I never linked such games with Nintendo consoles, considering its themes). Still, like it or not, the ride at least is interesting.
I may do more Angels of death sketches here and there in the future, too.
But anyways, until next time!
Tara
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