This was a practice on character design, stylized anatomy, developing an art style, and differentation in body and face shape. I worked on this project on and off for a few years, and it really helped me develop my personal style and improve my life drawing! I learned a lot and am so thankful I stuck to it through so many iterations.
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I hope to make reference sheets diving in on each character and how their personalities, backgrounds, and abilities are reflected in their designs, but for now I'll write it here for anyone interested!:
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Keida: She is from a dark forest and excells at sneaking through brush, so I gave her natural colors and pale skin. She is inspired by a timberwolf, so I gave her silver hair and large feet and hands. She is brave but dislikes fighting, so she keeps a blunt bo staff to defend her friends. She often gets distracted and has her head in the clouds, which you can guess from her leisurely pose.
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Peri: Peri is from the hot and brutal canyonlands, so I gave her muted, sandy colors and torn up clothes. Potionmaking is a crime and potionmakers are very sought after by other criminals, so she must defend herself. But, she does so with only her fists, hence her musculature and scars. She is inspired by a mountain lion, so she is sturdy, brawny, and fierce with large hands and feet. She is named after her one peridot colored eye. I used a pose that shows how tough and unphased she is.
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Wisteria: She is a messenger from the sacred village of Hiddendell, so she wears the signature purple and elven inspired garb with diamond and dovetail motifs. Hiddendell is somewhat of the imperial capital of their contintent, Sidereal. They are a magical people close to nature and who more protect the land rather than rule it, so I went with an elven design more than a western medieval one for Hiddendell. Though, I also associated them with dovetail ribbons akin to castle banners. Wisteria is stubborn and protective, so I put her in a sturdy, wide stance. Though, she doesn't have the stomach for combat and so keeps a bow and arrow to protect her friends from a distance. She is inspired by an owl, so I gave her a round face and soft features. That's also where her beige hair comes from. She is named after her purple eyes.
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Carolynn: She is both a healer and a craftswomen, adept at fixing both wounds and weapons. For this, I gave her motherly features and a nurse's apron, but sensible work boots and a mechanic's bandana. She comes from the northern forests, which are Scandanavian-inspired, so I gave her celtic knot inspired motifs. She is also inspired by an owl, hence her round face and soft features. She is named Carolynn as she comes from a community of bards. The petal-like hem on her apron is also indicative of her background, but I'm not sure if it's a universal symbol for healers or a symbol of her region quite yet. She is very sweet, feminine, and innocent, hence her pose where you can easily imagine her singing and skipping in childlike wonder.
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Alkary: Alkary is also from Hiddendell, hence his purple, elven attire and diamond and dovetail motifs. He is a young swordsman, but also somewhat of a scholar, hence his sword and glasses. I gave him a sturdy, beefy body to show his knightly side and gave him a refined, ready pose to indicate his level-headedness and seriousness. He is inspired by a wolf, which is also why I gave him that guard dog-like alertness, as well as his long brown mane of hair.
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Zeiru: He is a theif from the desert, hence his light colored and tattered clothing, pirate-like vibe, and Aladdin-inspired vest and bag. Though, his family comes from the same northern, Scandanavian-inspired forests as Carolynn, hence his pale skin and red hair. He is inspired by a falcon, so I gave him slender, athletic proportions and sharp features. He's quite adept at running and spends much of his time outrunning those he's stolen from, so I made sure to accentuate his long legs. But he has flimsy sandals and a laid back pose to indicate his carefree, confident, snarky attitude.