Update on Pyroblast the War-Torch (Paintbrush II fanart)
I sketched out their facial and head anatomy. I like a naturalistic style with my object characters, so I added a slight curve on Pyroblast's head. I also gave them a fuller pompadour bristle style, too! Details below!
Wing anatomy was something I was stuck on for a bit, mostly because I was bouncing between robotic wings vs a more naturalistic bird-like wing. While designing this, I realized that polearm war-objects like Pyroblast would need some protection on their wing joints and shoulder. So I added a pauldron over the should joint that overlaps with the start of the wing and a segmented couter(?) at the elbow. I also added segmented bands over the metal primary feathers of Pyroblast's wing.
As for the material makeup of a polearm's anatomy: Both flying and ground polearms are made of strong light metals and wood. The wings of a flying polearm are made up of aluminum/thin steel sheets (still researching this) enchanted with spells to strengthen them for combat, flight, and high temperatures. Pyroblast is a Heavy Class General Dread-torch, so their materials need to handle stress from high heat from their fire magic, extreme turbulence from the dynamic flight, and from any attacks from other Dread-torches.
Lower rank war-torches are mostly for aerial attacks on ground armies, while Dread-torches are castle destroyers. Castles would need defense against Dread-torches, either from using Dread-torches of their own (provided from their kingdom's capital, usually for heavily targeted castles) or using other means of anti-air defense.
I'm thinking about using this design for future flying polearms set in the Mundane Realm. For RFR, I might use a more simplified style to show how the first flying polearms still kept most of their original weapon shape before the Inversion Event.
Been feeling better as of late, so I started drawing my favorite character from Inanimate Insanity, Paintbrush, as a war-torch in my style.
I also wanted to explore some designs for my war-torch characters. Their hair/wick shape, chest and fuel tank armor, and overall anatomy are what I have been waiting to explore for the longest time. The chest armor was inspired by this Shaffron Horse's Head defense armor and the head design was inspired by the roman helmet with cheek guards. The overall design of all my winged polearm war-objects was based on dragonflies and the shoebill stork.
In the Mundane Realm, Paintbrush would be Pyroblast, a former Dread-torch general of Janthizera who self-librated themself from the tyranny of their own kingdom.
More recent design/lore for Nikey: Made her blade head more pointy, show connections between goddess form and relic form. She also changed from a villain to a former thief trying to rebuild her reputation.
Her goddess form is of a black woman with long flowing messy hair. Her wings are a dark red like the scarf around her trident.
Bottom image shows Nikey's near final design. I made her trident prongs more pointed and sharp. Her scarf wings are more torn up by years of disrepair. A few design notes for her goddess form. Her powers are of light and fire, speed and evasion is her strength while hard hitting strong opponents are her weakness.
Also, I should mention that my relic characters are loosely based on their IRL mythological gods/figures lore. At most, they just share the name of a god, mythical figure, mythical object, or saint. The real Nike did not carry a trident.
