ART WAR | 2D | Zarlfion, Soulbound Flame | JBLunar

[jblunar]

Username: JBLunar
Website: www.lunareyesillustration.com

Hello all! I'm a new member of the Cubebrush forums and have been hoping to engage in the competition for the opportunity to get involved with the community as well as learn new skills along the way. Thank you to Cubebrush for letting me take part in this as well as giving me a chance to have fun with my work, so let's get started!

Usually when I start a project I do my best to rewrite the brief in a short summary so that I'm completely understanding what it is I need to do to meet the requirements, I'll be posting lots of scans from my sketchbook as I like to work traditionally before working my way to the digital stage.

Starting off, I've produced a very quick spider web that pulls a few names out of my head for me to pick out, mix and combine together to make something I'm looking for.

I chose to take the side of fantasy for my champion. I love the options available for both themes, and I'd fancy being able to suggest conflict between the two sides.

I gathered a handful of references and conducted a bunch of research to get some early inspiration towards creating my own champion, I based the research around the names I've selected in my spider web to start pinning down my path. All art belongs to their respective artists and were found online.

Knight References

Further References

I began with a batch of silhouettes based on the names I left a ring around on the web. This allows me to start really loose with my sketches, focusing on the shape of the character first.

I was really interested in the middle, bottom right and top right as they blended a mix of dragon and knight together in a less direct manner, making for a more interesting champion. I'm not sure if the champion will be good or evil at this stage, but I definitely want it's title to mean something in the design.

I brought out some of the designs and drew them in a little more detail, I rushed this stage as I wasn't sure if I was happy with the silhouette as they were. I definitely hope to branch out from the elements I like and repeat until we're at a good place with the character.

I liked the sharper shapes on the left design but also fascinated by the bestial structure of the middle and right designs, so I will look to see if I can bring those elements together.

Last image for now, I've pushed a little further for a stronger, more convincing champion design than my previous, and come up with a shortlist of sketches I was most successful with.

I would love to hear feedback from anything you've seen so far, as I am hoping to use this challenge as an opportunity to improve my process as much as possible. Thank you and please enjoy my future posts!

[R_Lux]

Nice work!

[jblunar]

I've been steadily structuring out the story to go alongside the character. As one big block of words it felt like a hard read, so I'm going to add a few speed paintings in to help support the story in smaller segments. Let me know if you like this idea, plus any suggestions for textures and techniques are really appreciated.

Lore of Zarlfion, Soulbound Flame:

A rapturous order of knights and zealots, who enlist only the most proven of souls, are entrusted with guardianship over the lands of Taaron, seat of the Silver Crown. One such hero, who had been recognized for their unflinching spirit during the Darkening Wars, was desperately called upon as champion to strike down their greatest enemy; the last surviving descendant of the Dread Draconian, Eshalhok, who sung the doom of mankind across the mountains like a terrible scourge.

[jblunar]

I sketched out a few elements of a dragon to hone down how the Draconian Prince appears in his current state. This will allow me to better direct how I want my Draco-Knight to look when all of these elements are referred to.

[jblunar]

Steadily making progress on my planned design on the champion for a future point in his story where the illustration will take place. I explored a range of weaponry for the champion that would fit alongside the armour. The choice design will likely be based on what is feasible for the character to use as a hybrid character whilst also fitting within the illustration.

Shield Designs that can fit a high fantasy, bordering sci-fi tone. I want the end design to reflect a concept that can be considered for a fantasy character, whilst bearing an abstract fantasy twist.

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[jblunar]

Part two on the origins of Zarlfion:

Knowing no other recourse, the champion flew to the site of the prince’s recent devastation, tracking the fiend down to it's domain; a mountainous chamber of blinding mist that hung in the air, submerging all vision in a smoldering vapour.
Caught off guard by its atrocious warpaths, the prince, sensing the house of Taaron’s Insignia, fled further into the chamber, bursting into an ancient amphitheater scraping the mountains peak.

[jblunar]

After a little exploring with the several thumbnails, I've found a shape for the champion I feel would be most successful, I liked number 5 from my character drafts the most thanks to the overall aesthetic of the armour, a pseudo-hyper fantasy style that I feel captures the sharp personality a dragon might convey in their own characteristics. With this I can now begin to tune the design to make it as epic and relevant to my story as possible.

I focused on the face/ helmet as the primary inspiration for the rest of the armour, which should help make the rest of the designing process a little easier to start from scratch. The design will be inspired mostly by my chosen draft, but I wanted one more chance to explore one part of the piece in closer detail.

This was when I began to find the design that fitted with my ideal champion. I wanted the helmet to feel abstract, to fit in the context of fantasy whilst also making a nod to a futuristic tone as well. I need to make sure that the character remains a fantasy champion at the fundamental level though, so i'll consider that in the design.

I drew elements from my dragon knight silhouettes as inspiration for the overall structure of the knight, to convey the blending of armour with a reverence for dragons. The legs are bipedal to imitate the leg structure of an animal i.e a tall reptile, whilst coated in armour in my best attempt to make the armour build traditionally around the knight's form.

I'd love to know what anyone thinks about my design, certain aspects of the concept will be expanded upon through my ongoing story, too, but if you feel you can give me any good suggestions to improve upon it, please throw me some pointers. Thank you!

Edit: I also realise that one of the ideas behind the design was to make it seem like a cocoon that wraps around the figure, entrapping it to appear like a hard shell, which is almost like a full coat of scales on the draconians.

[jblunar]

Thank you so much, sorry i'm a little late

[jenniferbrincho]

Wow, you have such a detailed story for your hero! I think you've been very successful at getting across the draconian nature of the armor so far. The intricacy is impressive, though (for me) detracts a little from the clarity of the silhouette. You mentioned that the armor is almost like a set of scales for the wearer, which made me wonder...What about a version with elements of scale armor? It might streamline the silhouette too, especially along the upper arms and legs. In any case, great work! Looking forward to the next installment

[jblunar]

Thank you, and yeah I feel so too, the design needs to have clarity in order to work so I have to focus on that without complicating my message. I'd love to play around with some scales on the armor, especially if it means the design better communicates what it is based around. Thank you for the feedback

[jblunar]

Here's the third entry into my champion's background story, to show how the character progresses towards his present representation. I'm really enjoying tagging a painting alongside them as it's a great way to learn a few quick lessons about light and value. The style of these pictures will help to reinforce the quality of my final illustration, so I would love to hear any suggestions on improving my work flow. Thanks again everyone!

Repelled by the dense haze surrounding their ominous arena, Eshalhok’s wings failed his escape, forcing to become locked into a fateful battle with his glimmering pursuer. The rush of chaos overthrew the state of the amphitheatre, as empty balcony’s encased in the arcane ruins stood watch over the constant circling of the two combatants, their presence encapsulating the scene as the open sky portrayed the witness of the old gods themselves. Their conflict felt endless, intensity rising with the heat of the dragon’s white flames engulfing the knight and his surroundings. Neither could decide the victor, and as the day turned grey, the two continued the dance of battle until their wills both began to wear.
It was only when a great pulse of light engulfed the field were their gazes turned away from their hateful bout and towards the rotating wards springing to life before their eyes. The dragon prince Eshalhok was seized by the light emitting from the device that hung high above the pinnacle, rising angelically until it’s clawed feet dangled from the air. The light robbed their sight in it’s blinding magnificence, petrifying the knight as he glared daringly towards the beam shining upon him, until he and the dragon were swept away in it’s captivity till all was a torrent of light.

[jblunar]

Exploring my current character design a little more, bit by bit I have been tuning the composition to make sure the armour fits as a natural form around the draconian character.

Thanks for the suggestion on the inclusion of scales and scaled visual motifs, i've considered replacing some of the more obtuse elements of the design with a string of patterns that can represent a similar form of scale mail, to help reinforce the image I want to represent through the design on its own.

I've had a play around with a couple colour choices for the drapery hanging from the armour, and decided that a warm tint would fit with the tone I wish to convey. However, I've narrowed down to two possible colour palettes I could use in the final design, but i'm always willing to adapt this to something more experimental if you'd like to see something else in the composition.

A bonus from my sketchbook, I'd like to include additional detail into the armour, and one of those ways could be through exploring pattern ideas. Would you like to see a page of patterns that fit on the tassels and flags of the armour? If so, let me know and i'll have a play around with the idea. Thank you once again!

[jblunar]

With a little extra work I have collected four representations of the champion and his colour palette. Overall I feel that all of these choices have potential, but my current favourites rest with 1 and 3, largely because they have a much more general tone that can fit into more scenarios, but I feel that the remaining colours give off special characteristics of their own.

I haven't decided on the final colours, so if you see one which works best for your eyes, I can take on board some suggestions before delving deeper into the illustrating stage.

[jenniferbrincho]

Nice! These are all interesting color palettes, and as you mentioned, each does convey a unique impression of the character.

The first one is my personal favorite. I think it's the closest to the "feeling" of your concept, and it also has the most contrast of values. Keep up the excellent work!

[jblunar]

Thank you I appreciate being shown the raw values of each one. The first motivated me to design him like that so I may follow my gut feeling and try it out in a draft soon.

[haybie]

Really liking your sketches, really good thumbnails and exploration. Keep up the good work.

[jblunar]

Thank you, i'll be sure to keep showing more of my thumbnails as I go ^^ Can't wait to get rolling with this project.

[jblunar]

Here is the fourth entry into the background story of my champion, expanding upon the divine intervention that places him and his adversary upon an unseen peril.

The light that shun upon them on the great mountains peak had all but blinded the two to their unbelievable re-materialisation upon the ancestral domain. Monolithic arches and columns saturated the damp, cold realm they had fallen prey to, but it was all they could recollect as the ordeal collapsed their wills to defy the mysterious entities that dragged each of them deeper into the jaded citadel. Their desperate combat had weakened them enough to fall as easy prizes to their mysterious captives, as they drifted away to a deep silence, with blurring shadows surrounding their dimming vision, bustling bodies feverish to lay claim to their miraculous intruders. The great spears that hung high in the grips of their lofty sentinels struck them to their core, reducing all to darkness.

[jblunar]

I've drawn up some thumbnails to think about poses and actions that the champion can undergo for the main illustration. As he is knightly in context, I want to engage the champion in an action-based narrative, therefore my thumbnails are largely revolving around that imagery. This gave me a chance to explore the way that the character can move and flex around with a slightly unusual balance about him.

I'm left pretty excited about these four in particular out of a dozen or so attempts, especially since them can help provoke a mix of animal ferocity with a sense of poise, and might try to develop them further. As February draws in i'm planning to make a hearty start on the main piece itself, but before I do, please throw me some ideas or suggestions. I'll show some advanced development of these shots as soon as I can.

[jenniferbrincho]

All are very dynamic! I think my favorite is #3. There's a nice spiral pattern that guides the eye and keeps it in the composition. Interested to see where you decide to take it!