having unadulterated brainrot on fmf rn so please pardon these ramblings of a design-obsessed madman 🫣🫣
so many mentions of cloaks..... they're such good character design traits because they're very plot relevant and great motifs for the characters snsjsk they define the respective nations and personalities of our two mains sooozz
(ignore my attempt at kingdomifying the mv logo for house of verstappen purposes)
House of verhoeven, warmer of the two right so linen and thin cotton is the way to go for them for most of the year. single drape cloaks because air flow and they can afford it, i wanted to make their cloak designs particularly well draped to showcase how they have or at least for a while have had more relaxed circumstances compared to the north side while also have it be a single long drape of cloak to show that they're on edge. nothing they can afford to fuss over, but they have time. from a worldbuilding pov, their winters r still warmer compared to the north side, it's still a cotton and linen blend but a fuller coverage drape. + thicker undershirt !
House of verstappen, far far colder. i thought they'd prbly have the tradition of layering rather than draping. a motif for how they r far more focused on practicality and diligence than whimsy, they don't have time. verhoeven had clasps that twisted and turned the fabric, verstappen has clasps that click together as fast as possible, practical. a sense of paranoia, it's enhanced by the cold cold cold. fur-lined over cloaks, they end at the waist unlike the knee/ankle length of verhoeven, due to the main fight style of the northern people being reliant on speed. a cloak at the bottom of their feet would be a hindrance. the under-cloak serves as a way to cut the cold on the bottom half of the body cus the thicker cloak can't, it's still early to move around in so cotton.
the verhoeven colours go from a summery blue to a muted one in the winter, due to there being more resources during the summer and people can work more without risk of disease. the verstappen colours stay the same year round. dark under cloak bc darker = warmer and orange cloak for patriotism. flow vs stagnancy.
i also thought it'd be interesting to point out how the verstappen under-cloaks have raised collars, and then a final guard with the thick fur that obscures the figure in terms of silhouettes. the verhoeven ones are relaxed around the neck and loosely hangs off the figure.
these were done wayyy too late at night so not ideal looking but the point is to showcase how the sharper angular face of a young max is guarded by the fur and high collars. the verhoeven cloak hangs off his back. relaxed.
anyway yeahh it's like 3 am and i have an exam tmrw and im sososo happy for max kells and their baby lily !! but i needed to Yao about character designnn mwah hopefully this makes some sort of coherent sense and I'm srry if i overstepped any boundaries xx
HI WOW YES!! first off— never apologize for art!!! never apologize for creating and for sharing because I LOVE when you guys do that <3 when you decide that my silly little words are worth your actual time and effort to go and create things!! art, pottery, music playlists— all of that is so incredible and it absolutely blows my mind every single time. always share it with me because I love seeing it and all of you are so talented 😭🫶
secondly— yap begets yap, so. buckle in.
cloak realness!! you get it!!! they're so... I use them narratively a lot, because A) they are cool, and B) they're good for storytelling. I adore the way you designed them, and your little notes and explanations are so so cool. do you have a design background???
the collar on the house verhoeven cloak is mwah. the buttons on the side, the flowey drapiness of it all— absolutely encapsulates the lighter, warmer climate and attitudes. these are people who aren't as focused on raw survival. they can afford to think about the design and the colors!
I especially like the idea of the shorter cloaks and layering further north. not only is it warmer, but it also offers more protection in a fight! it would be easier for a weapon to get caught in the house verhoeven cloak, and then tangle and pull, compared to house verstappen where it's more likely to just slice through.
they're always alert further north. it's cold year round, and they don't have the time or the want to spend the effort to dye their things— and it would make them stand out more than they'd like.
your consideration about the faster fighting style up north was really really impressive. I don't think I state anywhere that they're faster than everyone else, just that they're fast— but they have a style that relies on footwork and reaction speed. they're always moving, and their fighting style lends itself to that, a constant flow of movement so they're not wasting any energy. (because when it's that cold and your resources are scarce, energy is a currency.)
tiny max hiding in the hood under the fur I am so endeared. the skrunkly of all time, honestly. rico having his moment off to the side— real.
anyways that's more yap than you probably wanted but I am genuinely STUNNED about this, so never ever apologize for it ever again thank you mwah. I would actually be v interested in seeing your thoughts on the leathers as well, if you ever felt so inclined.
art is inspiring <3 I just write stuff for the hell of it, but every time someone reads it and feels inspired to create is just amazing. the casual talent so many of you have is a little bit ridiculous and I love you all 🤍
