[RIOT CREATIVE CONTEST 2017] Character Art - Beast Hunter Leona

tarwater · Nov 2017

Giving Beast Hunter Leona a shot. Gonna jump right into 3D soon, as I don't care much for concepting. Just wanted to get some of the major shape ideas going and then I'll flesh the rest out as I go and toy around with different colors, smaller design elements like various face tattoo ideas and such. Probably going to add more bones, teeth and feathers to the design, most likely in the shield and sword. I plan on making the lion more of a fantasy beast lion as opposed to a traditional lion. I'll mess around with proportions for the character in 3D.

Finished

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/9d/qgwvl9w6687n.jpg

tarwater · Nov 2017

Concept so far

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/qh/9fsxeruo72sq.jpg

Balron · Nov 2017

kewl idea!

tarwater · Nov 2017

Various Ref

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/39/efkaz50xpb2l.jpg

Neer · Nov 2017

This is gonna be good.

JoanSantus · Nov 2017

This sounds like a very good idea. One quick tip on the beast master skins is that they are based on Monster Hunter's armor sets. You could take a look at some of the sets for extra references.

Howling Carnage · Nov 2017

Yeah, I'd really play up the Manticore slayer vibe because what JoanSantus said is true, it is a Monster Hunter themed skin line. There is a lion faced monster that already meshes well with your concept, the Teostra. Even better is that the Teostra is basically a Manticore, that you're already referencing. I can't wait to see how this progresses.

jmiles · Nov 2017

Awesome dude! Looking forward to seeing more!

Bodhwell · Nov 2017

I like the Lagertha facial ref for this concept.

Her hair styling and expression is perfect for a beast hunter Leona. What are you thinking of doing for her shield?

tarwater · Nov 2017

Thanks all, I wasn't aware of the Monster Hunter part of it, so I'll definitely keep that in mind. I googled some of their armor sets.
I'm still working on a design I like for the shield, I want to put some horns on it likely, but differentiate it from Braum's shield, which also has horns.

PeterGandia · Nov 2017

Excited to see this process!

Splinter101 · Nov 2017

The concept sketch is pretty sweet! Can't wait to see the model come together.

tarwater · Nov 2017

Here's an update on the shield.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/po/u5qpc7rd6bup.jpg

GravityBwlast · Nov 2017

The shield is looking nice, digging the horns rendering, and the beast head shape it has overall!

tarwater · Nov 2017

Adjusting the shield a little, flesh out the outfit a bit more and sketched out a quick sword. Gonna go ahead and jump into 3D and tweak the shapes all over as I go along. I hope part of the judging isn't how close you stick to the concept because I like to redesign as I go along with my own stuff, because I don't like concepting that much.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/77/cyfb777g6prs.jpg

DawnHeart · Nov 2017

WOW. Looks very nice! Tho I'd rethink that claw on her hand it looks rly wierd :X But else I really like it!

tarwater · Nov 2017

Ha, well, the first thing I thought of that sold the idea of Beast Hunter Leona to me was a lion head on the shoulder with the claw draped down to her hand and the idea of it looking like she had a lion paw gauntlet holding a giant sword. I still got some stuff to figure out to get it to work elegantly into the design, but I'll play around with that while modeling. I'm going to see if I can get it looking cool with one paw on her right hand and the other draped down her back.
It would be a good idea to make it look more like a paw and less like a lion "hand" though.

tarwater · Nov 2017

Maybe more like this.

Howling Carnage · Nov 2017

Whoa, very nice. She's looking amazing.

RogerP · Nov 2017

Good looking concept!

Arash Salehi · Nov 2017

That's a cool idea. keep going buddy. waiting to see the result!

WorldMaker · Nov 2017

interesting concepts.
cant wait for colored version)

sstoev · Nov 2017

very nice rendering of the concept .. also really digging the idea! good job dude!

jmiles · Nov 2017

Looking awesome so far Tarwater! looking forward to the 3D!

DawnHeart · Nov 2017

tarwater said:

Maybe more like this.

mhm I'm not rly sure about it. With the 3 skins we have rito went in general very much into dragon killers/dino killers with beast hunters and they all got leather stuff around the arms. Also not rly sure how that paw would work out. Not a super big fan of this particular thing but all in all I really like your work! In the end you have to "feel" it

tarwater · Jan 2018

A WIP of the mesh. More proportion tweaks to do, I still have a few elements mirrored/instanced that I will tweak. I'm gonna add more silhouette to the mane of the lion head as well. Not doing a sculpt, btw.
Also, I thought it would be cool to give her a little ferret-ish pet or two that could be used during recall animations or emotes or something, as kind of an homage to the old Beast Master movie

.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/4d/i3ey79c27s6s.jpg

tarwater · Jan 2018

A wee bit of texture progress.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/ki/fimc099n16ci.jpg

MaVhenan · Jan 2018

Cool idea!! And the model looks great!

doses222 · Jan 2018

really nice

motenai · Jan 2018

Ahhh this is looking very promising, that painted AO looks nuts, well done so far

RogerP · Jan 2018

oh man I love this, great work so far!

Balron · Jan 2018

looks great!!! start on color!!

tarwater · Jan 2018

Slapped on some color, still real early with a lot more painting to go. Colors are subject to change on a whim, and I'll be adding little detail elements here and there, including a face tattoo/war paint with various design ideas I keep playing around with.