[RIOT CREATIVE CONTEST 2017] Character Art - Cosmic Bard
polycounter lvl 6
FINAL:
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I was researching Bard lore for a narrative piece on the character, and I found an interesting commentary from the developers. Bard was conceptualized as a powerful spirit capable of shapeshifting, and we were going to see that in game initially. Much like Gandalf of the Tolkein mythos, Bard takes on a humble appearance in mortal realms (the devs called it “beard form”) -- but he is much more in reality.
What would this multi-dimensional being look like if he revealed a form that is more true of himself?
I just couldn’t get the idea out of my head -- I had to see where it could go.
Rather than a set of notes, I had some images in my mind and some inspiration to draw from.
And I've done a super quick sculpt to get the ideas out into 3D space. I want his "face" to be framed by a series of golden hoops/crowns that mirror his vanilla form's shapes. I'm looking to Celestine Soraka's crystal horn as a potential inspiration for his back horn, but I'm not sold on that yet. The "face" itself is going to be nestled in a hood of stars, much like the Cosmic Reaver skins, centering on that charactaristic Bard constellation we saw in his reveal. He will have flowing robes over a body that seems to be made from light and space itself (much like Dawnbringer Riven's ult form and Aurelion Sol).
Replies
Refining the shapes a bit more. I'll do a few different variations of the "collar" and mask. I want it to feel regal and cosmic without getting too noisy or screwing up Bard's silhouette.
Today I've gone from rough shapes and concepts to deep thinking about why this skin fits Bard.
This skin is about enhancing the Bard fantasy.
When playing Bard, you feel a strong sense of:
- Movement. Moving on Bard feels good, and I want to highlight that feeling by utilizing the newer cloth/tail physics systems (creating a lingering sense of motion).
- Light. Whether you're collecting chimes, using your abilities, or even dying, there is a constant presence of light around Bard. A cosmic skin's stellar shaders (say that 5 times fast) would bring more to that feeling.
- Personality. I've segmented the crown, mantle, and mask so that they can move as independent pieces and exaggerate animations and expression.
What you read about in the lore but don't see in his vanilla skin (because he has that Gandalf thing going on) is a celestial, cosmic feel. He's a multi-dimensional being who can traverse space and time to affect the very fate of reality. Of all of the champions, Aurelion Sol comes closest in terms of scale and purpose (and I'd imagine he and Bard would be friends), but there are other more mundane entities who have gotten the cosmic treatment.Here's a quick doodle I did of the cosmic meep idea while I was on the phone.
EDIT - And the weapon, too!
With the UVs, I'm debating whether the shells need a bit more padding. Knowing it'll all end up on one 2048x2048 sheet makes me want to use every pixel I can.
At the bottom there you can see some parts of the weapon, as well. There'll be a star contained within those rings, a gift from Aurelion Sol.
@jonjon - Thanks! I hope the polypaint gives me a good vertex color bake to start with.
@Iced_Latte - Yeah, it'll be fun to try to mimic the materials in Marmoset!
@Kazefield @Neer @Jager @Thnk @yararstss @monicanaomy - Thanks everyone!! I'm super excited to get to the best part: the painting.
Next up, I'll do a simple rig with some poses and make the final presentation! We're getting down to it -- good luck everyone!
P.s. Click/tap on the images to see them at a better scale
In a few days, I'll upload some post mortem process work that I didn't have the time to share during the competition.