The Art and Works of O. R. Layton

The art, writing, and thoughts of a student diagnosed with terminal schaffensdrang. B.A. in Archaeology. Commissions Open: https://ko-fi.com/orltn

[orlayton]

Commissions are open - check out my KoFi at https://ko-fi.com/orltn for details!

Currently Working On: "SMOKE MACHINE" (tentative title) for the second Toxic Yuri VN Jam. Updates posted daily!

[orlayton]

Didn't get too much done today, but did get the first big CG finished up. Here's a relatively spoiler-lite chunk of it.

Depending on the length of the scene, I may have to paint a number of variations...

[orlayton]

Initial design for a new character: Anita Cruiser-Lang, standard angsty child soldier-robot.

Teenage edgelord supreme, skate enthusiast, and technically the copyrighted property of a private military contractor. Hears the murmurings of the UjRadio (a sort of early internet) at all times, really doesn't like it. Enjoys being unnecessarily cruel, inflammatory, and violent, especially if it gets peoples' attention. Prone to mental issues, but what angsty teenager isn't...?

Most often assigned to reconnaisance and delicate assassination / intimidation work, since her unassuming stature makes for a good disguise--though she would struggle to fight more combat-specialized robots head-on.

During downtime, often found drifting about coastal roads on her longboard or cooking for others.

[orlayton]

A writing sample from today's work on the VN.

Seth has some weird intrusive thoughts, though they're not entirely inexplicable.

Suffice to say that long-term residence in the Holy Northern Republic has some unforeseen consequences for the psyche.

[orlayton]

A background and choice preview for the visual novel.

Medical stuff doesn't come up all that much--but, when it does, Seth is the one pushed into the center of the action, despite being a C-average student who would much rather be transcribing hospital documents than performing field surgery.

Thank heavens that it's the player themselves who gets to decide whether Seth will either flush the wound or, as professionals say, "rummage around in there".

[orlayton]

Doodling on Procreate. Imagining my own take on the genre of dissociative denpa-adjacent visual novels featuring a brown-haired teen girl with mental issues, or maybe trying to distill its essence.

Would I be disqualified for saying my favorite rpgmaker game isn't Yume 2kki...?

[orlayton]

Getting my thoughts down on paper for the plot, routes, and backgrounds.

Dip pens are quite nice for this sort of thumbnailing -- they really force you to slow down and think, even during 'quick' sketches.

[orlayton]

First properly designed sprite for the jam VN: Agathe, who just naturally looks tired and annoyed.

She feels some other emotions down the line.

[orlayton]

Last of the Palinurus wave. In truth, I really enjoy the base colors in these early sketches--Palinurus' colors are really nice on their own, especially contrasted with a bluish background.

I had a number of other tiny variations to show off, though those are perhaps best left in the downloads folder, unless someone really wants to discuss the subtleties of lighting horns...

[orlayton]

Day 2 of VN Jam work.

Got a decent first background and some progress on the script. Sound effects are proving to be quite important -- even the simple backing track I've got in this scene is great for atmosphere.

[orlayton]

Well, it's happening! From now until July 13, I will be working on my entry for the 2nd Toxic Yuri VN Jam!

I'll be posting daily updates here--just small stuff--as I write and draw elements for the story. No spoilers, obviously.

Once I submit the VN, it'll be completely free and not too long, so I ask that anyone who's interested at least try it out!

While I don't have a title just yet, I'll make sure to tag updates consistently (probably with #seth's terrible gay adventure).

[orlayton]

Process and details for Self-Portrait as a Murderer. Due to the end-of-semester time crunch, I really sped through the whole piece -- but maybe that gave it a certain spontaneity.

The hand lit from the bottom is probably my favorite element in this whole image -- it's surprisingly realistic for only using four tones.

[orlayton]

Self-Portrait as Murderer (alternately: Yeowch!), April 27, 2026.

Feels fitting that this is my last drawing(s) during my time in university. They're life-sized, by the way. What in the world am I going to do with them...?

[orlayton]

Since I had some extra time during my aforementioned figure drawing class, I decided to do a few extra studies as practice for my final semester project.

[orlayton]

Final ink painting for my figure drawing class. Had fun darkening the image, though my prof gave me a subtle tip that maybe it was time to stop well before the last session was done...

[orlayton]

Batch 1/2 of my final papermaking class project - some triumphs, some flops. Good learning nonetheless.

[orlayton]

Getting more experimental with the written stencil before the final project -- layering pulps while offset, mixing colors, even dripping the pulp from high up to create a cratered effect.