ART WAR 4 | 2D | War of the Elements | Silica - The Glass Maiden | russellwilliamsdesig

[russellwilliamsdesig]

Been a tad busy but was able to do the first round of rough concepts. Next round I will start adding some color. I want her to look like a loner but still not be too rugged. Her combat style is supposed to be elegant and adaptable, so I wanted that to show through in her appearance.

[3dc]

i like c for her background story, it is what pops out to me. Go with what you think is best of-course.

[russellwilliamsdesig]

So far C has seemed to be the most popular choice lol

[HarlequinWerewolf]

Really cool backstory, I agree, C is pretty cool, but I do like D too

[sanguine]

I think C is the strongest as well. They all look great anyway!

[russellwilliamsdesig]

Decided to do another round of design concepts. I don't think I was quite hitting the mark on what I wanted. One of the hardest things I have been dealing with is how to incorporate the glass into her design. My main idea is to have it on her body, jewelry, or armor until it is released and can be manipulated to attack or defend. This time I decided to show an example of a weapon she could form out of the glass. I think that really helped make the designs feel more complete.

[3dc]

Nice idea, with the body shards, if i can just say what i might start thinking (if it were me) link+ zelda mix, where zelda is the hero saving link. So looking back at C i like the kilt/Skirt idea since it would expose her legs allowing the shards to stay on her body when needed, same for the arms. Won't type too much some entrants look over anything i say so hopefully you at least consider whats being said.

Good luck, nice idea, nice concepts hoping you land on what you wanted to achieve.

[russellwilliamsdesig]

While trying to finalize the character design, I thought I would take some time to map out a few actions poses for Silica. I was going for something dynamic but not weighted down. Since her powers are based around glass manipulation and she is going to be a desert dweller, I want her to look evasive, dangerous, and someone a big beefy character would underestimate.

[russellwilliamsdesig]

Just a super quick update. Did a more fleshed out costume design with some color, trying to get some good contrast with her outfit and the glass she has on her. By the way, the glass that she is wearing is desert glass not like glass from a window :P. Check out the inspiration board at the top, it's pretty cool stuff. Any feedback would be much appreciated. I plan on doing a couple more finalized sketches like this by the end of the week, then I will have to grind out the final illustration.

[caffeinatedbrushes]

The bits of armor made of glass are going to look so great fully rendered in the final image I bet.

[tj-works]

The glass manipulation concept is pretty sweet, and I like how you're incorporating stained glass patterns into her clothing.

From your last image though, I feel her costume is too plain for a champion. As of now, she looks more like a random NPC. I prefer the designs from your very first batch of designs (labeled A B C D), where her costumes have more details incorporated. I think she looks better with short sleeves too.

Definitely add her weapon as well into the design, even if its just hanging on her back or held in her hand. Keep it up! ^^

[Oceane_Roh]

Greetings !

I'm not sure if you have start your final illustration but I mostly agree with tj-works
I love when we can see her arms. Right now the outfit feel pretty week for me, and doesn't really fit with the fighter type
If you don't want a design too heavy on the details and complexity of the clothes (like C and D which are amazing for me), I guess the H or I could be a nice compromise.

But the overall idea is really really good, that's cool to see things out of the expectations like this !

[russellwilliamsdesig]

Thanks for the feedback! To be honest I found myself toning back details because I was afraid that too much detail in the costume would make her design look too busy. I will try something more elaborate on my next design.

[Oceane_Roh]

A nice design isn't really about how many details you place in your character but the way you place them. For a main character the principal focus is often that he need to be easily identifiable. We need to remember her
Shape is way more important than detail and I think you have some very interesting one in your early sketches !

[nesokaiyoh]

Ahh this is really nice! The style is cute too, quite refreshing! I quite like H, J and F

[russellwilliamsdesig]

One of the things I was trying to nail down is that she looks appropriate for her environment. I was going for someone who lives in an arid environment I wanted to be careful that she wasn't someone that would just get wrecked by too much sun or sand. I may be overemphasizing this perhaps, but I wanted the aesthetic to feel believable.
I wonder if it the arms themselves, or clearly showing where the glass is? I agree with the critique that the glass on her arms should not be hidden.

[nesokaiyoh]

Have you done some research and referencing of irl people living in these kinds of conditions? It would help to implement elements of their garb to fit your character, then she would look more appropriate. None of these look like they wouldn't fit, but if you wanted to enhance it I'm sure it would only make it look better

[russellwilliamsdesig]

I did some research last night, and a lot of the examples had a lot of light loose-fitting fabrics. I will probably post one more round of concepts before I start working on my final piece. I have a busy schedule, so I don't want to cram it all in a week.

[russellwilliamsdesig]

Just a quick update on what I am settling into. I still need to add her sword and the outfit details but I am feeling good about this design. Leaving room for some color changes to make sure I get the proper amount of contrast.

[nesokaiyoh]

Yeah this does look good! Simple but effective. Is she still going to have the glass too? Creative idea