Bestiary creation

Context

I started creating a universe for my Role-Playing Game (RPG) in 2021.

There was a problem with illustrating my ideas, because I'm not a very good illustrator.

Thanks to a player/friend who offered to create sketches for my universe, we began a teamwork between a concept artist and a game designer.

This project is enriching for both of us.

The main goal of this collaboration was to improve our cooperative work by turning my ideas into images.

For me, it was an opportunity to develop my abilities to work with others and to expand the universe that I am creating.

How did we work?

To start, we agreed to create four drawings on a graphics tablet, while the other drawings would be done on paper.

Generally, I tried to describe my artistic preferences as best I could, and if she had any questions, I answered them as best I could.

My artistic preferences were kept quite broad because, as it was primarily an extracurricular project, I didn't want to constrain her too much so that she could express herself and have fun doing it.

First Artistic Request:

“Depict a wolf made of water in liquid, solid, and gaseous forms.

The objective is for the three states of water to fully comprise its body in a distinct manner.”

Artist Instagram : @god_of_frogs_

First sketch

This initial sketch served as a reference point for adjustments to the first artistic request.

We decided to swap the location of the solid and liquid state, as having the liquid side on the head gave an “undead” appearance that was not desired.

Additionally, we decided to accentuate the trails for the gaseous state to achieve a more volatile appearance.

Artist Instagram : @god_of_frogs_

Second sketch

After this second sketch, my expectations were met, which allowed us to start the final draft.

Artist Instagram : @god_of_frogs_

Final result

Another flawless achievement:

Artistic desire:

A giant peacock of fire.

It is a peacock whose feathers are ablaze, resembling a phoenix.

The flames are primarily red, but can change color in places depending on the heat produced by the peacock.

From least hot to hottest, these colors are: “red/blue/purple/white/invisible”.

You are free to vary the colors.

Artist Instagram : @god_of_frogs_

First sketch

Artist Instagram : @god_of_frogs_

Final result

First mistake.

Artistic desire:

Giant Equine of Wind.

You are free to choose the equine (unicorn, wild horse, etc.).

It is made of air, but it is not invisible.

The air that composes it is very dense, like a tornado.

Its mane is very long and some air currents draw ephemeral strands at certain places on its body.

Its legs are mini-tornadoes.

Artist Instagram : @god_of_frogs_

First sketch

The result wasn't what I expected in terms of colors and the shape of the horse was a bit too heavy to represent the finesse of the wind.

Despite my explanations, we had difficulty understanding each other's desires.

After a few minutes of discussion, I sent more precise image references of what I wanted, as well as a defined color palette.

It seems obvious to do at first glance, but it is true that neither of us had thought of it at the time.

The first two drawings had gone very well, with little reference images and vague explanations.

Artist Instagram : @god_of_frogs_

Second sketch

In a short amount of time, this second sketch was born, and it was much closer to my expectations.

Therefore, it became a cornerstone for the final result.

Artist Instagram : @god_of_frogs_

Final result

This communication issue allowed us to improve our way of working for future projects.

Now, I provide at least a moodboard and a color palette to make sure that the expectations are well understood.

We learn from our mistakes

Artistic desire:

Giant elephant covered in magical corals.

To create this drawing flawlessly, it was agreed to create the corals individually first and then apply them to the elephant, as the concept artist was less comfortable drawing vegetation.

In addition to reference images, I wrote a directive text for the appearance of the corals:

Their appearance is based on classic corals.

The more energy they hold, the more they emit.

The release of magic is in the form of evaporation.

Evaporation manifests in different forms, appearances (smoke, particles) and swirling shapes, rising.

The corals are like trees, their trunk or base is solid with crystal-like appearances, and their end evaporates and moves like leaves that follow the movement of the wind.