This beastie went through so many incarnations. So many. I've added a few samples of the various directions I tried to take him. I've decided to ramble a bit about this project, and you can just scroll right on my if you'd like.
This project was kind of a test of myself, and while I don't think a stand a chance in the contest it was originally for, I did take something away from it: knowledge of myself. Corny, I know, but it's true.
The first few sketches were made using a few prompts from the great Wayne Reynolds. I asked him for some animals he liked, and he included Ospreys, Giant Salamanders, and Hedgehogs. He had no idea what I was going to do with these suggestions. Wayne Reynolds: my secret mechanic of beasts.
I tried a sample palette for the critter, greys, greens, and a splash of blue. I wanted to aim for an ambush predator, but with a "danger: I'm poisonous/venomous" to his underbelly. Unfortunately, this scheme proved too drab.
I chose another colour scheme and moved to digitally painting it. It's no secret that I dream of working for a card game company (see: Wizards), but I need to stop trying to do something I'm not happy with. This is digitally painting. I like the idea, but not the process. Part of the way through painting I realized: is this what I really want to do? Do I want to use a medium I don't even care for using... all the time? As a job?
The answer to this was simple. No.
So I scrapped the painted version, and went with a medium I adore: ballpoint pen. While this media may not land me too many jobs, it's what I'm passionate about. I love the control I have over the values, and frankly, it's just plain fun to do.
While redrawing the beast, I realized that damn, was his butt broken. I grabbed my trusty Komodo Dragon figurine and reworked it a bit. I added a photo of him for fun. Oh, that isn't bathroom tile behind him in the photo. That is, in fact, a Tacobell wall. It is eerily similar looking to a bathroom tile though...
The rest sort of explains itself. I mucked around with some colours and textures and the last one is what I settled on.
My moral? Use a medium you like, even if it doesn't land big jobs, it'll at keep you happy (hopefully).
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