#clone trooper redesigns

[comicsandconstellations]

Finally getting around to doing some proper references for the Domino/ Chance helmet designs.

It’s nice to especially have Emerie’s helmet finalised. You can really see the Clone X base now, and I’ve figured out some new seaming on them. Hopefully makes drawing them easier.

[comicsandconstellations]

Have really been in the mood to keep drawing my designs for the “they survived” Domino Squad AU (designs here )

So have my full armour breakdowns for them. I thought I should properly sit down and get those sorted. I think it’s phase two armour? But I’m not great with those differences. Also, first sketches of the squad in colour.

Also, thought I’d give Cutup a hint of a beard since his cannon design had one. I haven’t really been drawing him with one because in my version he’s chilled out a lot in recovery from almost being eaten alive, and he’s grown his hair out. And, clones with long hair and beards are just arguably the hottest clones and I don’t think Fives would ever let him be the hot one of the group. (Edit: oh, i completely ignored this and he fully has a beard in all my other designs now.)

A few notes on armour designs I didn’t elaborate much on in the notes (and some character traits linked to it) :

Hevy’s armour is pretty basic for an ARC, but he definitely responds to anyone asking why with something about not needing elaborate armour to beat a lot of droids. He has taken on a lot of leadership roles in the company, and Rex has even made several comments about him taking over as Captain if anything was to happen to him.

Fives on the other hand got ARC armour and decided he was going to tick every single design detail he could (including the Eel helmet which probably should have been Cut’s, but he wanted his scar on his so Fives was allowed it.) Unlike the other two ARC’s, he doesn’t get an official role, but he doesn’t mind, it leaves him open to get into more trouble and not be responsible for anyone else.

Echo is still very regulation oriented, but the only known regulation he has publicly broken is modifying his armour to be mirrored so he could keep Rex’s hand print in its original position. The others tease him about this constantly. He is an exceptional strategist and is Rex’s right hand man when it comes to any sort of planning or attack strategy. He’s the most modest of the squad, and constantly talks down his abilities whenever others hype him up about his skills. He’s one of the top strategists in the GAR, but it would be a miracle if you could get him to admit that.

Cutup is ecstatic about the fact he is now covered in scars (although much bigger and less idealised than the designs on his armour) because it matches his name. He has no intention of becoming an ARC. The Rishi outpost and his long recovery changed him a lot, and left more than just physical scars, he prefers to step back from the intensity of what his brothers do, even if he was offered the promotion. The damage to one of his legs is so extensive he has very little mobility out of armour, but he and his brothers have modified his armour to have an inbuilt brace to support his injury and give him back some movement to avoid him being decommissioned. He and Kix are very close, and he sometimes works as a support person in the med tent if he needs an extra set of hands.

Droidbait is the opposite. He desperately wants to be an ARC like the other three, but has never been very fit for the position. He is the least confident of the squad, and his time separated from them on Rishi didn’t help. The commemoration bands on his leg are for those who they lost on the Rishi moon, and he won’t tell anyone the significance of there being two. He was the only person who survived the droid attack (after the other four escaped) and refuses to say how he managed to, but whatever happened made him much more anxious. The others don’t pressure him into saying anything. His opinion on the Republic has changed and he worries his brothers no longer understand.

[comicsandconstellations]

Adding onto my “what if they survived” Domino Squad art designs. I have been doodling them to pass time. (Also, reposting the original design beneath as well cause I love them)

Original design sheet:

I know he is a clone who got like five seconds of screen time, but Cutup has been my favourite redesign. I’ve got really attached to my head cannons for him.

[comicsandconstellations]

Both my redesigns for my Domino and Chance AU. Updating my designs from last September. Both more proportional and in my (slightly better) art style. Original design here: Echo. Emerie.

Echo has almost a complete redesign. The only thing that didn’t change was his helmet design. I wanted his handprint back on his chest plate instead of his arm, and as I’m working out the logistics of his energy support, I have reduced their connection cables and complicated centre panel. I wanted him to match Emerie more, so I gave him the same style of chest plate design. His back plate is similar to the back plate is TBB armour without his pack, but I wanted it to follow the diamond shape I established in the first design. Also, actual useful stuff on his belt. Also, their under suits are no longer such a bright purple. It’s more dusky and dull.

An updated kama design to be a more subtle “3” reference, and added ARC straps as well since I wanted to bring back in elements of his ARC armour. I modified his legs since he gets them upgraded and I love the concept of smoother, more futuristic looking prosthetics. His old ones feel clunky. I gave him a more screen accurate arm now I know how to draw that.

Big face update. I have drawn his so much, and I’m refining how I draw clones, so a better concept of how I short hand clones. Same weapons: his embossed D-17 and electro staff which I didn’t update since I put a lot of thought into its original designs to be used duel handed. His armour is mostly unpainted besides his hand print (obviously) and his little designs to match Chance. This is mostly so visually his armour isn’t too complicated for me to draw, but also because I imagine him struggling to decide if he wants to lean more 501st or CF99 now he is with neither. And, of course, Fives vambrace. My signature for my Echo.

My big change to Emerie is how she looks. The original design was my first ever time drawing her, and now she’s my most drawn character (second to Echo?). I wasn’t planning on doing a new sketch, but I hate her old face so much. Now she looks better: I’ve bulked her out, and she actually looks like how I draw the boys.

Her changes are mostly now I know she’s going to be a much more combative character. Originally she was designed to be mostly intel so didn’t need a lot of armour. Now she has a crotch and skid plate, hand guards, better fitting armour, and a practical belt set up. Her helmet actually fits in this design. Her belt is the right way around, and so are her knives (one in a reverse grip, and one not). Her tattoo is visible, her goggles are more accurate, and her lab coat sits more realistically over her arm guards. I stuck with my original concept for her base armour because I want her to prioritise movement and swiftness which is why she doesn’t have pauldrons/elbow guards/ knee pads covering her joints, it gives her additional mobility and flexibility. And she has the same colour change to her undersuit, and full gloves not fingerless ones.

Still her DC-17 and knives (I love her knives), and I’ve kept her two transmitters even though I don’t necessarily think she’d be taking her long range one with her. Her helmet and right vambrace both show similarities and shape language as Fives and Tech, because I want echoes (ha) of their designs in her concept as she is Echos current duo. I though about redesigning her backplate or giving it a connection port point, but I love her design and I like the concept of using the space for a big statement piece related to her character now she finally gets armour.

I know I draw “Chance” a lot, and since I haven’t finished the AU, you don’t understand why. But trust me, she deserves it.

Sorry for the rambling. I have a lot of thoughts about these designs. You sort of get that way when it’s your first major Star Wars AU, especially when you’re currently 50k words into it and you’ve only scratched the surface. I started this blog with the full intention of it being somewhere to dump all this AU. Makes more sense why my first Emerie was this design.

[comicsandconstellations]

Still procrastinating inking my comic.. so have uhhhhhhh the 25 clones I drew today instead? Some of my personal head cannons added. One of them is probably missing something really obvious, I didn’t really look at reference. (Kix’s tattoo is not visible from this side, that much I know)

My good ol’ blue/ grey and red clone sketches. You must be so sick of them by now.

[comicsandconstellations]

I’ve been writing a lot about Emerie for my AU. Since she is a very undeveloped character I’ve been writing her backstory (and then her very involved part in the AU). So some little sketches of her from different stages.

Backstory explanations for these particular versions below.

‘X’ being her name as a prototype in the Kamino Labs. She looked a lot like the rest of the male clones at this point (cause like all kids look the same) and they labelled her with the ‘x’ tattoo to help differentiate her. (This later becomes the symbol on the back of her armour.)

After the Kaminoan’s finished using her as a test prototype and before creating Omega, they gave her to a family on Bar’leth where she grew up (with some accelerated growth like other clones) and it was where she attended university and specialised in post-birth genetic modification research. This drawing I think she's about 14, and going through her "if I grow my hair really long, maybe I'll look less like a boy" phase.

Hemlock discovered her prior to the fall of the Republic while he was looking for tests subjects and initially took her on under the guise of research, but actually wanted to use her for trail runs first tests he would conduct on other clones. But then the Empire was created and she was given a proper research position. I imagine her getting very sick and skinny and depressed in the job, especially after being put in charge of Project Necromancer and having to look after children who were test subjects just like she was. She has her tattoo covered up for work because she hates anyone recognising it as an experimental label while she is the one who is supposed to be conducting the research.

Post the fall of Tantiss Base, she worked with Clone Underground for two years. She wasn’t treated particularly well, mostly because of her role in helping conduct experiments on clones in the facility and her isolation being the only female clone in the sector. In this drawing she is in a second hand republic undershirt that was made for a bigger male clone, and the company number has been sewn over since she is the only clone who didn’t have a squad or company. When Echo is forced to leave the rebellion (and Hunter contacts her to keep an eye one him) he convinces her to join him in his on going project to shut down clone testings under the Empire.

And, then of course, her taking on the code name Chance, and becoming part of the Domino/Chance duo under the Domino Squad name that Echo leads. There is a lot of content on my page about them. I didn’t add a close up of this version, there is enough full armour versions on my account.

I just love that she has such a cool premise of a character that was never developed so I get to write in all the blanks.

[comicsandconstellations]

More of my ‘they survived’ Domino squad sketches. Well, just Cutup and Droidbait, because they are my trauma babies. The definition of hurt/comfort dynamic. Although it’s physical injury for Cutup and mental injury for Droidbait.

But, bonus of my first Droidbait with smiles. I might actually colour and render the top image at some point.