Character Design Challenge - 06 - #skyfishking

The last one of the Sky Fish King series. Added the two additional post-script illustrations and reference pages at the bottom that were part of the original Instagram post.

I did a few more #drawthisinyourstyle's after this based on other folks' characters, but as with most things industry or internet it has its limits. Maybe I'll pick it up again at some point, but that well has been drawn enough from for now I think but blah blah blah.

Basically I got bored with it after while, and just... tired of seeing how clique-y folks from the studio system get, even when it's something online that's supposed to be fun involving other folk's art. Am not sure whether to blame them or the corporate culture they're immersed in everyday when they act like that. Maybe it's a generational thing, maybe an occupational hazard when ego meets millstone, but I doubt either one of those is the sole cause for people turning into insects and only recognizing others that occupy the same hive (and not even then).

Character Design Challenge - 05 - #skyfishking

Technically the first version I did of @jakemorrisonart's Sky Fish King series. Added the extra dunkleosteus character (Dunkleosteoid?) on the side, as much to take up negative space as to add a little more character fun and an additional thumbprint of mine. And as always, @meekius' piece was also a factor in how this turned out.

Character Design Challenge - 04

(Full image below.) Another #drawthisinyourstyle using @jakemorrisonart's character design, as well as referencing @meekius' take for inspiration.

This was the first of three versions I did. (I'll post the other two soon.)

The fish's scales were probably the most difficult to codify since there are so many different shape choices going on around the head area. Should have taken a cue from the other two characters and simplified it somewhat. But, that's part of the fun of doing these character design challenges, reinterpreting not only someone else's designs but playing around with whatever you come up with, and not worrying about whether it'll work the first time or fit into some corporate animation production pipeline. Part of the process of designing should involve room to breathe and explore, to have fun, *and then* refine for efficiency's sake. 

Character Design Challenge - 03

Another bit of covert fanart. #drawthisinyourstyle, this time using @porkbellyramen's submission of a moto girl getting her gear on. I wasn't all that happy with the forced perspective in the full piece below, but I think if there's enough abstract in the design with bolder graphic shapes, things that are more literal and fragile in a drawing like perspective or anatomy can be overlooked or forgiven.

Character Design Challenge - 02

Realistically, this was my #4, but whatever. The full sized version below was my second take on @joriouxdraws' #drawthisinyourstyle submission. Most everyone's take was pretty much keeping to Jo's illustration, so I figured on doing a fuller scene with background and a little bit of atmosphere.

Character Design Challenge 01

Pretty sure these were the first attempts at #drawthisinyourstyle over on Instagram. It was a cool character design by Max Ulichney, and was a challenge to try to figure out how to take a design that starts to cross over into that UPA style of flat graphic (especially this guy's hair) and making it more three-dimensional without losing the original intent or feel.