If you could change one thing about your process of making any of your characters, what would it be and how would you change it? (Don't gotta answer the second one but do whatever ya want)
Uh, maybe "be more fantastical." Less hereditary. Don't be afraid to lean into the mythical and unrealistic.
I tend to put an emphasis on the "human" likeness of my gods. They all LOOK like they could be real people, with real jobs/hobbies. In some way, you can see their visible likeness that emphasizes relationships. You can see the genetics in real time, especially with my big three.
A set of brothers that work with bulls in varying professions.
An alter in a system, brought by a traumatic upbringing.
A couple of goths with hobbies involving fashion and attire; whilst having a more military-colored background.
My most fantastical design so far has been Hephaestus. Disabled by his animal limbs being unable to properly support a human body. Complete with hooves and a tail. And a skin color/palette to match. Or Eros; a mermaid-esq hybrid of animals.
I definitely wanted my gods to have visible resemblance to one another. In a photo, I wanted you to be able to see the family as, well, a family. You could easily see the line from A to B, even if H was nothing like A.
I've already started implementing changes here in there. Minor things.
• Dionysus is expected to have massive horns... 👀
• Aphrodite has nacre (pearl) eyes and rabbit ears.
• Poseidon's hair has always contained a massive fin, that's visible through intense emotion. His trident turns into a sword.
• Hades has had multiple limbs since inception. Which, yes, is feasible. However he can "tuck away" these spare limbs at will.
• Hephaestus has the lower half of a donkey, and the ears of one. Yes, he is fluffy all over. He has hot, glowing eyes that represent his volcanic nature.
• Ares has no visible neck, covered in bearded vulture feathers, including the distinctive eyes of a bearded vulture. He has also been SHOWN to shapeshift, such as being Hephaestus' service dog.
• Eros is a multi-terrain conglomerate of animals. From a hare that hunts for new couples on land, to a pink river dolphin that searches the waters for his next match. Not to mention his rosy motif, and visible fluff.
• Yes, Zeus' hair is electric, but it wasn't always. While always designed with lightning in mind, the actual "shock" didn't come until later. He's noticeably larger than most, but that's nothing. He has wrappings made of gold, and has no limit to how big/long his hair can be. Over time, I've added more and more lion features to him, making him more and more reminiscent of his mother Rhea.
• Slowly, a story of a broken Olympus is taking form. One where things aren't right, and no one is where they belong. An interpretation where they appear when and where they're needed most. Doing what they've always done, just adapting to their new normals until they're brought elsewhere.
I am excited to show more of my designs over time. Though perhaps I should focus on really finding a place for them all, seeing where they fit in and how their design elements tell their stories.
Perhaps I should focus more on the story.
Fics and comics have always helped with that.
Hopefully this answer makes sense! Yes, all of my gods can shapeshift, but perhaps this did a good job at putting my thoughts into words.
