Eightenate Character model Progress!

 So, over the past year, I've been working on Eightenate character model for a World of Relics style guide. The goal of the style guide is to help develop a consistent aesthetic, themes, style, and visual worldbuilding concepts for the overall look of the setting of World of Relics, and its sub universes, Rise of Relics and The Mundane Realm.

 The goal of the Eightenate model is to test out how my designs translate to 3D space, while keeping my 2D painterly/comic book style. This means months of learning NPR styled shading and modeling, from Anime-styled renders to Arcane and Spiderverse styled shading. I'm still learning most of this stuff, as a lot of this style of 3D art and design is still new and developing. But once Eightenate's model is complete with body and facial rigging, with a plan on how to keep Appeal of my 3D models intact for comics, the process of asset creation of my future comics will go by faster.

Currently, the status of Eightenate's character model is the following:

 

Original 2D design

There are a few corrections I need to do for this model before moving on to rigging:

•  Finalize Shaders and Textures
•  Fix right scar over eye taper shape
•  Once that's fix, repaint scar to be close to reference
• Reshape holdout geo over right eye and scar
• Fix tassels shading to be closer to reference 
• Complete cape with two holes from reference and improve shading (Look up Arcane Cloth shading)
• Make sword after learning hard surface modeling
  

Eightenate sword updates and upcoming character sheet corrections!

 I made corrections on Eightenate's sword, shown here in a previous post. Check it out:

 

The reason why I went with this design was due to the environment that Eightenate lived in was incompatible with the original hooked sword from her previous sheets. The original sword design was for breaching and bypassing the armor of war-fitted objects like war-torches and other polearms and fighting against swords by using the hook to redirect their swings.

But Kingdom of Calderia is largely populated by Earthenkind made of multiple layers of solid stone, which includes Eightenate - despite her stunted size. I don’t think that hook design will survive long in this setting. So I went with a thick stone sword with a wedged blade, designed to still breach armor and stone, wedge between exposed cracks, and act as a tool for breaking through barriers or aid in climbing. And some additional traits like punching with the bolted hilt or stone pommel.

Also, there’s a bit of an additional worldbuilding note for Eightenate: because of her stunted growth, she is unable to grow spines on the underside of her arm. While most adult Earthenkind (of stony variety) grow spines upon coming-of-age at 20, Eightenate was five years late in that growth and lacked the additional offensive and defensive benefits she would have gained from them.

This sword was a gift given to her by an elder Earthen, who took care of her shortly after the lost of her past Guardian during her curiohood. The sword, once used in a higher position before Calderia’s downturn just years ago, was in poor condition and took a long time for Eightenate to take care of it. After some time, it gained a similar hue as Eightenate’s own chrysocolla core.

 Next to be updated:

• Correct textures on Expressions and Pose Sheets.
• Update Sword Design on Pose Sheet.

Hoping the worldbuilding pays off ahahh

 Writing Gwenny's backstory draft rough:

...But, alas, the thronewolf sensed something nearby and turned its massive mossy rusted head towards Gwenny and his curios. Gwenny ushered the curios on, led by another curio, and tried to distract the thronewolf from killing them and devouring their kernels, dooming the young to a final Death. Risking himself of grave injury, knowing the curios are scared and panicking, Gwenny unlatches his silver suppressor collar and summon forth magic.

As a fragile, especially an Apparel, Gwenny had to wear a suppressor to keep his magic from harming himself. It is common law in most kingdoms, though lingering rumors question its relevance and hindrance in the daily lives of fragilekind, especially in extreme circumstances as this. For the law demands that all fragiles must suppress, least they be a danger to themselves or to others. However, such a law implies that Gwenny should, in this situation, completely sacrifice himself to the beast to save the curios. Dying a violent true death with no hope of revival. To give the curios a briefest chance of escape.

Gwenny knew that the curios were still too far from the Abbey and his death will only satiate the thronewolf for only a moment. It is a large beast, possibly decades old, battle scarred, rotted, and rusted, hungry for ichor to repair its molding splintered wounds. Gathering his wits, with knowledge of both Calderian and Longermorian wildlife, Gwenny spurred forth fire from his hands. Ignoring the searing pain of the flames burning his fabric body, he forced fire onto the ground, allowing it to spread towards the beast. The thronewolf tried to plow forward through the flames, embers licking at its mossy head as it opens its great maw of rusted metal and molded wood. The beast lunged and Gwenny dodged, his right arm caught in the beast’s blackened jaw. Angry and hurt, Gwenny poured more power through his right arm straight into the beast’s cavernous body.

Screaming, Gwenny briefly feels a sudden burst of pain as his arm incinerates from this spell. As he grows weak, the thronewolf, finally realizing it met its match, released Gwenny in a panic as flames ate through its body. It turned to leave, but before it ran back into the forest deep, a blade soar through the air, stabbing deeply into its back. Another sword and another, and the beast fell. With one final living blade slicing off its head, the beast dies as its ichor retreats into a decaying withered kernel within its smoldering chest.

[Name], nobelhatched mage staff of the castle of this area containing the Abbey, swiftly puts out the flames before they can do anymore damage. But for Gwenny, as his vision fades, sees the anger of the staff as he stared at him. Gwenny knew, thoughts just barely coming through as his ichor retreats, that his actions cost him everything....

Broken Mirror - Bygone Era

 

Broken Mirror - Bygone Era

Side A Feat. Goddess Nikey

My self-image is just as murky as a reflection in a worn old mirror. Broken and weathered by time's toll. There's a weight upon me. I will carry it eternally, even as the world dies and the ground below me falls away. At this moment, I wish to come to terms with it. My dull reflection carries it, too.