Name: Anna Berill Bartal
Email: anna.b.bartal@gmail.com
www.artstation.com/aunhana
www.instagram.com/aun_hana
www.twitter.com/aunhanaart

Greetings everyone! I'm excited to be a part of ArtWar this year as well!

FINAL ILLUSTRATION

Esme is a powerful defender, a hostile guardian. Her one and only duty is to endlessly roam the shores and the shallow seas while hunting whatever may disturb the water's peace – and this duty she fulfills at any cost. The waters lend her aid and bend to her very will. They keep her alive while she belongs to the waters – she needs water and water needs her.

The body, an ancient yet strong machinery, is a vessel of the long lost, drowned soul of a young woman called Esme. It is powered by water and she controls the water within herself to move, which movement would be rather slow. However, her attacks would be swift and deadly. If she spots someone or something threatening the waters, she could charge towards her target in a heartbeat.

I decided to go with the element water this year.

Regarding my hero Esme, I was heavily inspired by hydraulic machines. Her body, an ancient yet strong machinery, a vessel for a long lost, drowned soul, would be powered with water. She would be able to control the water within her body to move, which movement would be rather slow.

I made some sketches just to get an idea of her first, also some exploration of how her body could look like, how it could function, etc. Besides Esme being able to control water, I really want to add a weapon into her hands as well, which would be my next step besides finalising her body and design.

First, I thought that she could be some kind of a priest – hence the huge clothing –, though while I was doing the sketches the idea slowly started to take a different turn. I don't want her body to be covered with tons of clothing, so she would be probably wrapped in bandages and some simple fabric, which would be more fitting for the story I have in mind for her.

Thank you very much @arkkmelai & @tbrk!

@Oceane_Roh, @rgdraw, @nesokaiyoh, @Serfer, @joeypoolart, thank you so much for your kind words! I'm very glad you like my idea so far!

Finally, an update! Here are some more sketches & variations I made a few days ago. I kept sitting on them for a little while because I wasn't very sure about the clothing, though now I think I would rather go with one or two layers of fabric, like the 1st or the 5th one, maybe even the 4th.

She would be approximately 3 meters tall, almost twice the height of a regular human. I decided to give her a simple staff, which would also help her to balance herself. Moreover, I imagined water slowly flowing from the empty holes of the eyes, leaving a trail on the face.

Thank you very much for the feedback @tbrk, @Oceane_Roh, @veesketch! Good point on the 5th one Oceane, haven't thought about that but I do see what you mean. Keeping the clothing simple is what I aim for indeed since the body is already a more complex thing on its own.

A bit more about her: she is a powerful defender, a hostile guardian. Her one and only duty is to endlessly roam the shores and the shallow seas while hunting whatever may disturb the water's peace – and this duty she fulfills at any cost. The waters lend her aid and bend to her very will. They keep her alive while she belongs to the waters – she needs water and water needs her.

Thank you a lot @rgdraw, I'm glad you think so!