Spring is underway and things are busy as usual. I'll be going over some updates in this post as well as looking at some of our store offerings. I recently ordered three new hoodies from Redbubble to test out some of the more recent designs. Check them out below:
Top: Grand Legion, Left: Zodiac 3 Revenge, Right: Nadore
Overall, the emblem prints were very sharp like the last set. I had them printed on the backs of the hoodies to take advantage of the print space. I'll have to compare these to the last two but the material of the hoodies seems a bit thicker and heavier which will make them good for cold weather.
For project updates, I'm continuing with the adding of items to our Redbubble store. They will continue to go up along with postings on Deviant Art and Youtube. I'll be launching a few new emblem series this Spring as well. There are also some collab things in the works that I'll post when they happen.
We're already into November now with winter approaching quickly. As I mentioned in the last post, I've been working on a series of tutorial videos for Youtube explaining my process for doing 2D design work. You can find the first one here:
This first set of videos will walk through the basics for creating images using the various curve commands. For those that are interested in trying the program out, I've linked the download page in the video description. Keep in mind the downloadable demo should include all of the features of the program and will allow you to use those commands for 90 days. At the end of that trial period, you lose the ability to save your work but I think all the other commands remain functional. If anyone decides to take up Rhino seriously, I recommend getting a student license. It's much more affordable than the full retail license and you only need to provide proof of student status. I obtained a student version many years ago and I'm still using it to this day.
That's it for now. The second and third parts of the tutorial are going to go up consecutively each day. I'll probably do supplemental shorter "tips and tricks" videos in the future based on the response, especially if people have questions I didn't address in the videos themselves. I might also do some normal speed drawing videos with voiceover commentary.
As of today, the countdown even draws to a close. To summarize all of the pieces, I've put together a short compilation video of all the masks in the "Faceless Summoner" series.
It was a pretty interesting project to work on. All of the production work getting the masks done combined with learning filming and video editing was a new experience. I think it was worth it and the response has been quite positive. I've already started planning for next year's event which will have to be more complex. I did get capture footage of the drawing process for each of the emblems for the masks and I will be posting them at random times going forward to keep up the content.
As far as upcoming content goes, I will be posting some footage of a new pumpkin I've been working on. It got sidelined a bit while I got the Summoner content up but I do intend to finish it as a sort of post-Halloween celebration. There will be a post here and a spotlight video once it's finished, most likely some time in November. I'm also working on a new dragon trophy which will probably get posted in the next few months.
Starting on November 2nd, I will begin uploading the Rhinoceros Tutorial videos on Youtube. These videos are meant to be an introduction to using Rhino for 2D design work. I've set up capture footage of myself walking through the program with voiceover commentary. The first part of the tutorial series is broken up into 3 parts and should go up consecutively each day.
That's it for now. Thanks to everyone that stopped by during the countdown!
Here is the last entry in the Halloween countdown.
This is the Nightmare Stalker Jhagan. As is the tradition for each entry, here's his lore.
<>
I
finally worked up the courage to confront Ardelrius. After descending the
skypeak where the Naetherspawn city was built, the traveler continued south. It
was on this path where I revealed myself and sought an audience with Ardelrius.
I explained that I was from the village plagued by Tirradol. Of course the
featureless face of the robed traveler was unreadable. I went on to tell
Ardelrius that I had been following on the numerous stops we had made and had
witnessed the defeat of all those creatures up to this point.
Ardelrius
listened to my tale and then spoke to me. It talked in that hollow rasp of a
voice making its gender impossible to read. The faceless summoner told me that
my life would be in great danger if I continued to follow on its journey. I
begged the traveler to let me continue the journey as a way to help repay the
debt for saving our village. Ardelrius made no discernible response and then
turned back to the path.
With our
introduction out of the way, the two of us followed the Artann Road south. At
day’s end we made camp near the outskirts of a large human settlement. A large
outcropping of rocks served as a good hiding spot while I built a small fire. I
was curious to see if my mysterious traveling companion slept or ate.
Both of
us sat watching the fire in silence as night covered everything in darkness.
Ardelrius stood and walked over to a large clearing in front of the rock
outcropping. Using the end of the tree-like staff, the robed creature began
drawing an intricate runic mark in the dirt, eventually etching a circular
symbol. I asked about the drawing but was met with only silence. When it came
time to sleep, I unrolled my bedding near the fire while Ardelrius sat in the
center of the rune. It wasn’t long before I drifted into unconsciousness.
I have
to say that my sleep has been uneasy since I started this journey. There was a
constant fear of danger that kept me from sleeping more than a couple hours at
a time. This night I slept soundly and dreamt for the first time in weeks.
In my
dream, I followed Ardelrius along a flattened path through a field of blood-red
grass. The sky was an unusual purple above and everything seemed to pulse with
an otherworldly aura. We stopped at the edge of the path and the summoner
stared up at the sky in front of us. Before I could ask what we were doing, the
same circular rune suddenly appeared high above, transfixing in the sky. A
black shadow seeped out from the seal, dripping down like viscous oil. It
coalesced into solid from and took shape before us.
I was
immediately reminded of the fear I felt in the Abyssal Temple. The creature
that faced us now was a nightmarish beast that towered above. Two beady eyes on
one side of the face were a sharp contrast with the single large dark eye on
the opposite side and that eye was lined with a purple scar. The beast had a
mouth that split the right side of the face and was brimming with sharp fangs.
After taking note of its surroundings the creature introduced itself as
“Jhagan”. I shrank away from the monster’s visage while Ardelrius prepared to
fight.
Once
again the battle did not last long. Ardelrius dodged the strikes of his enemy
with minimal effort. This time, my traveling companion summoned raging
firestorms not unlike the breath of the dragons. The licking flames kept
Jhagan’s movement pinned down. Despite its apparent ability to phase out of
its surroundings and hide itself, eventually Ardelrius cornered Jhagan and
struck a finishing blow with the tree-staff. Like the others, the demonic
creature was consumed by light and then absorbed into the artifact.
I awoke
the next morning to see the sun shining. The events of last night’s dream were
hazy but remained in my mind. Ardelrius was still sitting in the runic circle,
those unblinking eyes staring off into nothing. The traveler wasted no time and
rose, stating it was time to move on. I hastily packed my things, the vivid
dream still haunting me. Did the summoner claim another defeated foe? Did that
battle actually happen? We started off on the path again and I made no attempt
to question my companion. If I continue to follow this faceless summoner, would
it eventually come for my soul? What was the point of all these battles? What
was that impending catastrophe this creature was preparing for? I feel like I
have more questions than ever but I must continue this journey and find the
truth.
<>
Front View
Side View
As the last of the designs in the series, I think Jhagan might be one of my favorites. I went for something dramatically different here focusing on asymmetry for a more chaotic look. This was one of the only designs that I didn't sketch out before making. I knew I wanted a creature with a large mouth full of teeth so that's the first design element I built from. This is also the only mask to have glass taxidermy eyes. I decided to add those, sacrificing visibility on that side of the face. When wearing the mask, that doesn't impair vision too much but it is harder to see. The lighter glass stones were arranged randomly on the face to add to the chaotic look. The forehead crystal and teeth glow in the dark as well.
For Jhagan's color, I was trying to make sure the palette didn't look to close to any of the other pieces in the series so far. This resulted in me doing something I've never done with a mache piece. Since I was painting Jhagan at the same time as Caeliphera and Thalgre, I had containers of their colors with leftover paint. For Jhagan, I mixed all of the shades together in a couple of batches and then applied the tones over the whole mask. The lighter purple highlighting was done at the end. At the end, the final result was a somewhat blended palette that still looked distinct. I think this is pretty symbolic since Jhagan was sort of the culmination of all the techniques I used on the masks up to this point.
Here's the final piece of concept art. I think it does a good job showing the main design elements of Jhagan. The painted primary is an interesting take on what the entire monster itself would look like. I hadn't even thought that far ahead so it works for me. I like the lower right sketch. I think that pose actually looks more fearsome than the final colored piece.
That's it for the masks in this wave of the Faceless Summoner series. I started this project with the intention of making it ongoing and I'll be doing another wave of faces for Ardelrius in the future. It may or may not be a sequential event like I did for Halloween but I feel like both the concept and the lore behind it are worth expanding upon in the future.
I'll be making another post tomorrow to wrap up the countdown. It's been interesting putting out this much content consecutively but I think it was a good experience. I'll also talk a bit more about the design content that's going up in November.
This is the Skyborne Hellion, Thalgre. As usual, here's the lore article.
<>
After
crossing the forestlands past the territory of the ogres, I followed Ardelrius
west in the direction of the coast. The traveler took a turn south, heading up
toward the Kuradel Steppes, a series of mountains that reach above the lower
cloud layer. It seems the wandering traveler’s current target is the pathway
through the skypeak which will lead back towards the cities farther south.
A single
winding mountain path cut through the skypeaks, a perilous journey for any
person.Still keeping my distance, I
kept on Ardelrius' trail. Fortunately, our passage through the ogre settlement
had yielded more provisions and I was able to keep going while keeping out of
the traveler’s sight. At last, we came to the gates of a great city built into
the sides of the mountain.
Pure
azure stone gates barred entrance to what appeared to be a demon city. Two
massive guards descended, stopping Ardelrius. They had plated scaled blue skin,
sharp claws, horns, and large feathered wings. Remembering back to the tales
told to me when I was young, these must be Naetherspawn! Fragmented documents
from the lore tomes speak of monstrous creatures that were born on another
plane like the Ones of the Abyss and found their way to our realm through a
rift. These creatures are similar to the demons but appear to be much more
intelligent. As far as I know, the Naetherspawn live secluded lives in their
cities far outside normal reach of humans. They prefer to keep to themselves
apparently.
I
watched Ardelrius speak to the guards before they opened the gates. Emerging
from within was a large Naetherspawn warrior. He looked to be a commanding
officer of their armed forces as he was clad in plated armor and brandishing a
curved blade. I heard the great beast introduce himself as Thalgre of the
Skyborne and it appeared he knew Ardelrius. The robed traveler spoke of an
approaching calamity and referenced several names I hadn’t heard before. It
sounded like he was asking this Thalgre for his aid. In response to this
information, Thalgre issued a challenge to the wanderer. If Ardelrius could
best him in combat in their arena, he would agree to offer his help. Of course
the traveler agreed and followed the creatures into their city. I climbed
around the rocky cliffs near the city walls to get a better look. Fortunately,
there was a rough path that helped me get to the top in between two of the
sentry towers.
This
combat arena happened to be a couple blocks from my position atop the wall. I
could see down into the paved square clearing that was bordered by sloping
stone benches. It was here Ardelrius and the Naetherspawn warrior fought. The
fight didn’t last long and eventually the robed traveler emerged victorious. Thalgre was
left kneeling before Ardelrius, his body wounded from the various attacks.
Like the
others before, I expected the blue monster to curse his enemy and deny his
loss. Instead, the massive winged creature rose and acknowledged his defeat to
Ardelrius. After agreeing to lend the summoner his aid, Thalgre stood while a
bright white shined forth from the tree-like staff. When the light faded, all
that remained was a stone statue of Thalgre, a perfect preservation of his
image. Apparently this is what happens when these Naetherspawn lose their
souls. Having claimed another, Ardelrius prepared to depart the city in the
sky.
<>
Front View
Side View
Thalgre started off as a very different design. The original foil shell I used a base was smaller than the rest and I wasn't sure what kind of creature I was going to design. Eventually I settled on a shape that was similar to Grahl but had some more defining features. The large curved horns were original going to point outwards but I angled them back to make the design different from Grahl. I also used the glass stones on Thalgre's forehead, choosing colors that would compliment the red horns.
For Thalgre's color palette, I had the idea of a sky demon in mind and knew the overall scheme was going to be lighter. Since K'taerthos was the only blue monster so far, I decided to go lighter for Thalgre and used a mix of light blue and turquoise for his skin. The bright green patterning around his mouth was blended for contrast and I think it adds variation without looking too much like lipstick.
Lastly, here's the concept art for Thalgre. I do like in the rendered image how the teeth are angled outwards and numerous just like the original piece. The color scheme translates well here and I like the contrasting horns and gems. It should be noted that based on the lore, Thalgre isn't supposed to be an evil creature. I feel like this is hard to get a cross given his species and I'm glad the sketch in the bottom left wasn't used. The huge mouth of teeth does a good job in capturing that design element but it would've ended up looking too sinister I think.
That's it for this entry. There's one more mask to post tomorrow and then we'll start wrapping up before Halloween.
This is the first insect-type mask, Caeliphera. Her lore is included below.
<>
Rites of
the Blight Empress: Sacrifice
These
rites are transcribed for any that take up the cause of our glorious cult in
the future should our numbers dwindle. We are the Envenomed and we pledge our
undying servitude to the great Blight Empress, Caeliphera. Ever since she first
descended to our mortal plane, our followers have carried out her will and done
everything in our power to further spread her influence. The Grand Temple of
Sacrifice lies in the west, past the forestlands inhabited by the ogres and
near the coast. It is here and the surrounding settlements where most of us
gather. We meet on the final night of the month to honor our great empress and
hear her wishes. When she calls for it, we bring a sacrifice as well.
If you
are a new acolyte to the ranks of the Envenomed, perhaps you are unfamiliar
with the form of the empress. Far exceeding the capabilities of a mere human,
our leader is of the Plague Eater tribe, a small race of sentient insect
demons. Her kind is said to reside on another plane altogether and I don’t
believe any others have been observed on our world. Empress Caeliphera’s regal
form is a site to behold, fitting of her commanding presence. Those that have
seen her in a rare instance of combat know that her rending claws and corrosive
venom are capable of subduing even the mighty dragons. It’s said that even the
Sealed Ones of the Abyss cannot withstand her strikes.
On to
the subject of sacrifices. On the night where we honor the Blight Empress, it’s
critical for only the most powerful of subjects to be brought forth. Our leader
demands great sacrifice and we, her loyal followers would earn her wrath if we
presented an inferior specimen. No, the strongest of humans, demons, or even
ogres must be selected. When we cast our sacrifice into the Jade Portal, there
can be no question that they are worthy for our empress.
Last week, a strange
traveler arrived at our temple grounds. It was a black-robed figure with a
featureless face. I suppose it was a human, perhaps one cursed by one of the other
deities of this world. Anyway, the traveler asked to see the inner sanctum of
our sacrificial temple with the intention of becoming empress Caeliphera’s
newest sacrifice. Such a thing has never been asked of us but our leaders took
considerable interest in the walking staff of that traveler. They agreed that
the artifact itself would be of value to our leader and so they led the
traveler to the Jade Portal. The leaders must have been excited to present this
impromptu sacrifice for they didn’t even begin the greeting rites and simply
cast the traveler into the portal. Since then, we have not heard any new orders
from the Blight Empress. The last night of the month draws near so we will
gather once again to hear her wishes.Perhaps she will shower us with a greater blessing than normal for
providing an extra sacrifice…
Front View
Side View
I went into this particular design with a theme in mind. The original concept sketches I made were of a bug-like creature and I went with the poison theme since it seemed to fit. This mask has a different shape than the others as a result. The mouth section consists of those pointed mandible-like extensions which is a bit of a departure from the other more straight-forward designs. I added the long antennae on top to complete the insect-like look. This mask is also unique since it has actual eyes. The open spots in the middle are actually supposed to be breathing vents. I felt that the piece needed visible eyes to really sell the design. Caeliphera is probably most inspired by praying mantis insects.
For the color scheme, I had to be careful not to make the colors too similar to Tirradol. I knew the green primary color was going to be perfect for reflecting the venomous color scheme and I blended the shades with lighter greens and yellows to keep it from getting too dark. The mouth parts turned out pretty well with the darker purple shades and they stand out well. The off-white stones set in the forehead and chin help with the contrast.
The concept art for Caeliphera is pretty straight-forward. Her design translates pretty easily into drawn form. The painted primary sketch of her body was the artist's interpretation. I think it's fitting. Caeliphera's whole lore setup is that she's some sort of greater insect demon and she would need to have a commanding presence. That's it for this piece. We've got two more entries left in the countdown. See you then! ~Zan
Here's entry number 6 (face #5) in the Halloween series.
This is the Gluttonous Ogre, Voracion. Just like the all the others, here is Voracion's lore.
<>
It’s
been two weeks since I left the coastal temple. I continued to follow Ardelrius
north along the coast. The robed traveler passed through the ruins of a
destroyed city called Heisath. From the way it navigated the battered streets,
it seemed Ardelrius had been here before. After an hour of crossing the central
square of the ruins, Ardelrius stopped at an open clearing. Burned into the
ground near some rubble was a large singed black outline. I watched the
creature stop and stare at the marking for what seemed like an eternity.
Finally, it made a gesture with its staff and then continued on.
We left
the Heisath and took a turn west toward the forestlands. This was the territory
of the ogres, great beasts of a separate species from the demons we knew. They
had constructed numerous crude dwellings within the forest and Ardelrius headed
straight into the most prominent settlement. Fortunately, the dense clustering
of trees made it easy to keep myself hidden while I followed. I kept my eyes
out for the ogres as well. I’ve heard they can smell humans from a considerable
distance.
The
mysterious stranger had only gone a short distance into the ogre settlement
when he was surrounded and accosted by a squad of the brutish beasts. They led
the intruder into their town square and waited. While the wanderer stood with the
ogres pointing their spears on all sides, a large form appeared before them
atop the platform in the village square. It was the leader of this ogre
village, a massive creature named Voracion. I’ve heard ogres are stupid and
barely capable of forming sentences but Voracion seemed different. He didn’t look
at all surprised to see the stranger and also didn’t appear to be threatened by
its presence. After gloating about his recent razing of Heisath and the
apparently invincible nature of his army, Voracion demanded that the stranger
hand over his walking staff. There was an awkward moment of silence, the robed
wandering making no sort of response.When one of the guards walked up to take the staff, Ardelrius turned,
made a single gesture, and turned the ogre to dust, armor and
all. This seemed to spark a reaction in the ogre leader and he descended from
the platform to face Ardelrius.
The
fight between the two was brutal but quick. Voracion was a savage fighter and
he fought with the ruthlessness and cunning expected of a leader. He was unable
to defeat his foe and it seemed clear the fight itself was little challenge to
Ardelrius. After dodging many crushing blows from the enemy, the wanderer
raised his tree-staff and summoned what looked to be blades of stone from the
ground! They struck up in a line in all directions, cutting Voracion through
his armor and dropping him to his knees. The injured commander bellowed for his
troops to aid him but they didn’t come forward. All of the armed beasts shrank
away from Ardelrius’ gaze. While his fallen foe spat curses at his betrayal and
his enemy, the traveler walked forth and held his staff out. A blinding yellow
light consumed the area and when it had faded, the massive ogre leader was
gone. The destroyed pieces of his armor sat on the ground but the beast himself
was nowhere to be seen. It was at this point the other troops broke rank and
took off into the forest in a panic. Ardelrius made a slight bow towards the pile
of armor and then set off through the village and back into the forest. It
seems the tree-like staff is some sort of artifact that’s linked to the
disappearance of those defeated by Ardelrius. I feel like I’m closer to
discovering the truth…
<>
Front View
Side View
This mask was interesting to make. I did the construction of each in waves and Voracion was part of the second wave I made. Going into the initial design process, I knew I wanted a demonic looking creature with a huge mouth and lots of teeth. What began as an almost feline look on paper slowly evolved over time to get the more ogre-like shape in the final piece. From the front, Voracion looks almost like a gremlin which I suppose is fitting. I wanted to make sure to add the sharp spiky protrusions around his face while not making them whisker-shaped. After I had glued the glow in the dark teeth in, I had an idea. Several of the previous masks have glowing teeth but Voracion has those two crystal things above his eyes. Those glow as well and you can actually a creepy grinning face when the lights go out. That just might be one of my favorites design elements of all the masks so far. I'll revisit that idea again later.
For Voracion's color palette, I wanted to make something lighter that would set itself apart from the darker color schemes so far. Grahl, K'taerthos, and Calderyn all had darker shades in their color scheme so I initially went bright yellow with Voracion. I blended in some darker colors and made the shading darken more around his face and eyes. After adding the blackwash, this made the colors stand out a bit and I'm pleased with the effect. It still creates a neat contrast with the teeth and brow crystals. I also experimented a bit more with the coverage and placement of anchor magnets for this one. Note the head covers more of the top of Ardelrius and the chin has a plate that extends back. This allowed me to make sure the anchor magnets on the face had plenty of room to align with the ones set on Ardelrius. The end result is a snug fit and this mask stays in place pretty well.
Here's the concept art. I feel like some of the more feline sub-elements come out here. It's probably the ears and big grin on the rendered image that do it. I wanted to make sure to have Voracion drawn with a larger build like the other monsters. He's also a commander like Grahl so I felt this should be prominent in the drawing. If nothing else, there should be some hints at his gluttonous nature. The bottom left sketch is a bit more comical than the others so far. Perhaps the ogre is looking at some food...
That's it for this one. Tomorrow we will be back with another piece that's going to be a bit more of a departure design-wise from the ones posted so far.
