#project realms

[gargantua-toys]

Meet the Zish-Zish! Our creature roster expands with another small species that inhabits the Ssizur desert. This time, an agile hopper reptavian that lives in packs (or mobs, if you will). Because it's a social animal, it uses its ears and colorful plumage to communicate with other members of its group and intimidate possible predators. All those characteristics were incorporated in the design of the Zish-Zish for its miniature, although if we wanted them to be noticeable, those had to be bold and exaggerated.

Also, we had to show at least a portion of how swift and expressive this creature is, so we ended up choosing the "hopping", "attacking", and "distressing" variants.

Of course, the attacking pose was the most challenging, but we managed to make it well-balanced thanks to the custom base with the porous desert rock. This animal rarely touches the hot sands, so it was the perfect opportunity for us to make some dynamic poses!

The final touch had to be the colors, and because this species was a mix between an avian and a reptile (you could say it's a little bit "dinosaur-ish"), we decided to give it some striking pigments. The aquamarine blue was perfect as a contrast to the acid yellow of the desert.

And that's it for the Zish-Zish! If you liked this species for our project REALMS and want to print one (or lots of them!), please consider supporting us. It includes some goodies so you can implement these in your campaigns, so give it a shot!

Every purchase helps us a lot to continue developing these critters! You can get the Zish-Zish and other beasties here:

Ko-fi / Cults 3D

[gargantua-toys]

Karakran painted! Let's dance!

Ko-Fi / Cults 3D

[gargantua-toys]

As if weren't enough with the suffocating heat and the toxic fumes, the Ssizur desert also counts with some of the most deadly creatures around... Like the Karakran.

For this species, we wanted to create an arachnid that would fill the niche of a big feline. Sort of a mix between a troglobite --or a scorpion-- and a panther. We envisioned it as an agile and cunning predator, as well as well adapted to the acid desert biome.

Because it's an arachnid too, we respected the number of appendages, but we did them longer and with sharper claws and pseudopalps, perfect to grab and rip its prey.

For the sculpture, we had a basic blocking in which we played with the proportions of every part of the Karakran until we felt it was right. It took a while, but we didn't stop until we got that silhouette and imposing nature of a feline right!

Because we thought it was more than enough, we rejected the idea of making them venomous (also, we already had the Du-Meesh as a toxic critter).

Also, the colors had to be simple but had to resemble the likes of a desert scorpion or a tarantula. And a little bit of saturated color --the oranges-- here and there to underline some details. We had to achieve a mix between something realistic and something exciting to paint.

To also portray the "character" of this beast in the most amusing way possible, we sculpted two different poses: running and "dancing". The latter is both useful for attacking and for mating!

And if you want a Karakran to terrorize your party in your next campaign, or you simply want to print one and paint it because you want it to display on your monster shelf, go ahead and visit our sites to get one: Ko-fi / Cults 3D

As we are just getting started, any support would be appreciated!

[gargantua-toys]

We say goodbye to our first REALM with a BIG fella: the DROK! A humongous beast, the Drok was a delight to concept. Because we wanted it to be more in an upstanding position, in contrast to the Karakran, we gave it powerful legs, with plantigrade feet and wide hoove-like nails. From the first blocking of the creature, we sculpted an especially bulky head, crowned with a long curved horn, which made it even more ostentatious. Thus, we added a heavy, rounded tail to function as a counterweight.

And the little hands? Aside from being a funny element that contrasted with the bizarre proportions of the animal, we incorporated them as a way to hold on to the mite mounds it feeds off and to the partner when the mating season comes.

The colors were also thought to be striking and, because this time is a larger miniature, we could go crazy with the patterns and details. However, we followed the "Three Colors" key principle so it didn't go too gaudy.

Of course, we wouldn't make a creature mini without committing to, at least, a pair of different poses. That's why we produced, aside from a more "basic" one, another that showed the Drok's "appeal" in all its glory.

Because it has a little bit of a peacock, we thought it would be cool if it raised its four arms and showed the brightly-colored neck. The Drok could be using that posture to intimidate, as well as to courtship and attract a partner.

We hope you enjoyed all these behind-the-scenes details of the Drok mini! And if you enjoyed this ginormous creature and would like to print it yourself, please indulge and visit our stores to grab its Digital Miniature Kit! Or get the other creatures from the Ssizur Desert and complete the collection! Here are the links: Ko-fi / Cults 3D

[gargantua-toys]

Finished Wandurr prototype!

[gargantua-toys]

The Drok is still dying to be painted...

[gargantua-toys]

Our exclusive Wandurr is included in the FULL ACID DESERT BUNDLE. Even in the most hostile environment, surrounded by deadly creatures, he still manages to find time to sketch and document his explorations!