#wixling

[kvaitoart]

The study of essence is extremely dangerous due to its active interaction with almost any matter. The reaction depends on the type of essence: in the illustration, you can see how pebbles have organized themselves into a spiral under its influence. Naturally, a person needs protection to prevent their own body from becoming a substrate.

Essence mixtures behave even more curiously — their results, like the 'rose' in the corner, can combine several effects at once. I'll tell you more about those some other time.

[kvaitoart]

⚙️ Wixling Sketches: Meet the Inhabitants

Finally getting some of my character explorations for Wixling out of the sketchbook!

I’m really diving deep into the world-building for this project, focusing on how the environment shapes the people. Some rely on heavy tech, others on masks and modifications, but they all have a story to tell (and maybe some secrets to hide).

Feedback is always appreciated! ✨

[kvaitoart]

Essence can alter matter, including the human body. But what if these transformations were conscious? There exists a plastic essence, pliable enough to be controlled via the nervous system. By transforming a part of oneself, one could create a useful tool for daily life or even an ornament for self-expression.

This process requires deep understanding and caution, making it essential for people to continue exploring the principles of the world around them. Based on observed, though not always proven, connections, traditions such as rituals, wearing amulets, and placing protective signs on clothing are formed

[kvaitoart]

Meet Lynx — a hermit and ranger living deep within my world, far from human settlements, in perfect harmony with the ecosystem.

For characters I have high hopes for, I always start with a portrait. It helps me feel their temperament, fall in love with the design, and create a truly expressive image.

Even though this piece is about a year old and I never got around to finishing a full-body illustration, I’m still absolutely in love with this portrait. Looking back at it fills me with pride — it’s one of those milestones where I feel I truly leveled up as an artist.

[kvaitoart]

"Presenting Wixling from afar—your first glimpse into the lore’s foundation.

This world is bounded by a toroidal space (think a cosmic donut :D), around whose core slowly rotates a Möbius strip of land—a surface with only one side.

All matter here stems from primal essence, which flows from the core onto the strip’s inner face. As it passes through diverse ecosystems and conditions, this essence morphs into vivid forms, each with unique properties. The strip’s one-sided rotation drives the day-night cycle, and “spent” essence is ejected from the outer face back into the “void.”

Where does this essence originate? Why this grand cycle? Those answers will come in time—patience. For now, know this: Wixling’s biosphere operates as a single factory, refining raw essence into countless variants. Some wixes handle transport; others maintain conditions or tend to fellow “workers.”

Yes, this illustration took ages—but it was worth it. A pivotal milestone, conquered. I could tweak it forever, trapped in perfectionism. But now, we march onward. Deeper layers await.

[kvaitoart]

Entity

If you allocate too large a part of the body to the control of malleable essence and relax control for a long time, it gains autonomy, obeying not direct commands, but the deep desires of the host. This can be extremely useful, as in the case of a musician whose Entity masterfully controls arm prosthetics while he himself enjoys the process.

However, such relaxation of control is not always appropriate, and in many settlements, such manifestations of essence are treated with great caution

[kvaitoart]

Concept of a traveling girl musician who roams cities, playing the drum and dancing for people in public squares. 🤘

You might also notice that her prosthetics are controlled by a malleable essence - it's basically a flexible extension of her nervous system. I really want to do a separate post about them. I'm obsessed with putting implants everywhere)))

In the next art piece, we’ll use her to break down exactly what that shimmering blue creature is, where it came from, and how it impacts the host.

[kvaitoart]

To take a break from the grand illustration, I switched gears a bit to this character, who suddenly emerged from my sketches. He is a seasoned guide who has left a dangerous profession behind, yet retains memories of it in his lost hand, mysterious shards in his beard, and an old, now tight jacket. Today, he mentors the younger generation, sharing stories and reminding everyone just how perilous this indifferent world can be for a person.