Phase 02
Finalizing Designs
Characters 1 - 3:
Envy, Gluttony, and Lust
Following weeks 1 and 2, the next step is to finalize designs for each character, dedicating a week per character layout. Weeks 3-5 (September 11 - October 8) gave focus to detailing these final layouts including turn-arounds, close-ups, silhouettes, and color palettes. By starting with 3 characters, I can get feedback on which layout works best; what to remove or refine, or even what elements to combine for the rest of the designs. These layouts will be formally presented in the final iteration of the artbook. While these layouts do not represent the final render of the characters, they are meant to serve as a guide for each palette. The colors chosen are relative to the color associated with each sin.
The next goal is to complete the rest of the characters with similar layouts and everyone's animal forms. The end goal is full renders of each character.
All drawings were made in Procreate for iPad Pro.
Envy
Envy served as the initial testing grounds for a layout that would make it to the final artbook. I knew I wanted to include sketches and emotions that best conveyed each character's personality and sin. Green is the color most associated with envy, as best echoed by the phrase 'green with envy'. Envy's palette is an analogous one, but with green being the dominant color.
The layout below presents Envy in a more static pose with both front and back views, a dynamic pose, accessories and a close-up of her face without the colors. It also showcases her color palette in a design that is aligned with Agartha and the rest of the game - the design is also found on the cover presented on the homepage.
Character Description:
Sakha (Envy), Princess of Arkhmet, often finds herself in the shadow of her older sister, Queen Faiza, who took the throne following their parents’ death. Prior to the Great Corruption, Sakha spent her days following in her sister’s footsteps, thoughts of envisioning herself on the throne in the back of her mind. However, spelled under the Great Corruption, Sakha’s pent up resentment gave her the strength to usurp her sister and take the throne by force. Unaware of the responsibilities as queen, Arkhmet has fallen victim to her fury, and must be quelled for the sake of its future. Upon meeting the protagonist, she must learn the value of her position as princess and the freedom she has compared to her sister. Sakha must turn her envy into generosity so that Arkhmet can become the thriving city their parents strove for.
Notes:
*The city is inspired by Egyptian culture; ’Sakha’ is Arabic for “generosity”, the virtue opposite of envy - it is also more commonly a boy’s name, so perhaps another reason why she has pent up irritation
*’Faiza’ is Arabic for “one who attains success”
References:
Gluttony
The biggest challenge with Gluttony was planning the design on the textiles around his waist. For this I used a combination of inspiration from African patterns and floral designs that would also represent his shamanistic values. The horns on his headpiece are horns from a babirusa that reflect his animal form.
The layout below presents Gluttony with his color palette, accessories, and close up without color. Orange is the color most associated with that sin, so I made that the dominant color of his accessories. The touches of blue are to complement the earthy tones and give attention to the accessories that define him as a shaman.
Character Description:
Despite the rapid growth of Agartha around him, Mati, short for Matigheid, has continued to dwell in the simplicity of the past. Blinded by tradition and routine, he and his people refuse to pass beyond the boundaries of their tribe’s territory. As the tribe’s shaman, he is the most profound in their use of rare herbs and food - ingredients that are traded and used for medicine throughout Agartha. After the Great Corruption, Mati has gone under the impression that their sacred ingredients are being used for malicious intent, thus hoarding them so that no outsiders may have access to it. The protagonist must remind Mati of abstinence and preservation so that these resources are not depleted before it is too late for the ill.
Notes:
*This tribe is based on the Himba tribe in Namibia, who primarily speak Afrikaan; ‘Matigheid’ is Afrikaan for “Moderation”
References:
Lust
Lust was given a redesign to better represent her sin and personality. I also redrew the arrows to better represent what are used by the culture she is based on, Inuit. Regarding the narrative, she is known as a great huntress, so I redesigned her clothes to better suit that and allow her to be more versatile while on the move. Her voluminous hair accentuates the curves with her body that allude to the lustful attributes to her character.
The layout below presents Lust with her color palette, silhouette, and close up of her face without color. Blue is associated the most with lust which, in Christian art, is connected to the Virgin Mary, both as a symbol of her perpetual virginity and purity and her connection with the Divine.
Character Description:
In the midst of Agartha’s colder climates, Nagli oversees the region’s arctic port city that provides a bounty of rare meats and fish across Agartha. As the city’s best huntress, she is constantly at work climbing mountains and challenging the cold to achieve clean kills that provide ample supply for the city. However, she longs for a partner who can keep up with her and is often jaded by this desire, leaving her to feel lonely in that regard. After the Great Corruption, this desire was manifested into an individual linked to the source of the calamity. Taking advantage of Nagli’s insatiable lust, they lured her into the frozen caves - that which the main character must brave in order to save Nagli from falling completely under the spell of corruption.
Notes:
*Based on Inuit culture; ’Nagli’ is short for ‘Nagligivagit’, which translates to ‘I love you’ in the Inuit language, Inuktitut
References:
Overview
Below are all three detailed layouts to facilitate comparison.
Additional Work
Having completed the layouts, I had enough time to create additional artwork for the book. First, I created a background with the game's title that includes the silhouette of a deer atop of mountains with a symbol from the game over its antlers. Next, I made silhouettes of all the sins' animal forms.
