"Street Shark", etc Brainstorm: Blizzard Student Character Art Contest
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Ok, I need to spit this out onto a public forum because I can't let this simmer on my own.
So I don't have a clear vision going forward with what sort of character I want to do for this year's Blizzard Student Art Contest, but for some reason, all reasons are compelling me to do something like:
Humanoid Shark that is essentially a violent Aquaman.
I'm still iterating and trying to brainstorm ideas. And admittingly I'm trying to stay anthropomorphic because that is what won last year were two species that did not exist in the WoW universe yet.
So, I guess as a base line question:
Is a humanoid shark that is a violent "Aquaman" a good idea?
If not, anybody else have any other ideas? I am all ears.
My measly first set of thumbnails, just trying to unload all vague ideas I have at this time.
So I don't have a clear vision going forward with what sort of character I want to do for this year's Blizzard Student Art Contest, but for some reason, all reasons are compelling me to do something like:
Humanoid Shark that is essentially a violent Aquaman.
I'm still iterating and trying to brainstorm ideas. And admittingly I'm trying to stay anthropomorphic because that is what won last year were two species that did not exist in the WoW universe yet.
So, I guess as a base line question:
Is a humanoid shark that is a violent "Aquaman" a good idea?
If not, anybody else have any other ideas? I am all ears.
My measly first set of thumbnails, just trying to unload all vague ideas I have at this time.
Replies
Any who, I like the shark idea.
If you wanted to do the wise shark type of idea i would go with the Frilled Shark, though that is a challenge.
I thought about this back when playing wow and I always thought of a Walrus race, maybe you want to go with that - I'd like some sort of mention if you go in this direction & win. :poly136: I iz serious. :poly124:
Trying to find a genre/place WoW has not touched already is very difficult.
So is that why I have recently seen a platypus being posted in what your working on? I don't think that user mentioned why he is making that but i enjoyed the outcome thus far.
Just thought i'd chime in about the duck thing since they are pretty close.
Yea them walrus people, but i thought playable characters and not just nothing they haven't done already.
Is this comp to bring in a new idea and or race into the game to keep w.o.w. going?
I'd go the insect route, unless it says to do animal only?
Last year's winners were two characters who were not part of the WoW Species list already for either player characters or non-player characters.
I would be interested in doing insects if that had not been vaguely done already by the Sithilids and the Mantids in WoW.
From what I can tell from past winners, they want a whole new character race.
Hiya!
I might suggest picking a theme before trying to determine a specific animal to anthropomorphize. Similar to when you make multiple sketches of a design, each time making adjustments to harmonize ideas with each iteration, I wouldn't suggest locking yourself in so early in the process. (For instance if you want to make something majestic and regal then it would be easier to arrive at your goal by picking a lion then it would be to use an insect.)
Try picking something that really excites you and see what fits well with the theme. (Going back to the example though, if you wanted to really make an insect being look regal and majestic to provide a stark contrast then that's fine too, the main point I'm trying suggest is that the plan needs to be more then "I want to make a shark dude.")
Imo, interesting and unique characters come from the interplay of well thought out ideas and the contrasts created by the artists not only in visual shapes and colors, but also abstract ideas that are communicated at a glance subconsciously..
What is there was a superhero in the World of Warcraft? Or at least, a parody of superheroes in WoW?
So whatever that species that character was, he/she'd be a superhero.
If you want to do humanoid sea creatures, try looking at the naga for reference, maybe even fishmen. If you don't really know what to do on the competition, just draw categories starting from species from a hat.
Example, start off with fish, aviary, mammals, insects, reptiles and choose from it. Then pick an animal. After that just do a little bit of research on prehistoric aspects of the animal and know how/why they came to be currently. Then after you remove/add things to the animal to fit WOW theme. Or you can even look at extinct species.
So, say you want a reptile, look at the different reptiles and pick one. Say you pick a cobra, then you research the origins of a cobra. After that think to yourself, what does a cobra need or not need when it is humanoid. Then you add armor and you have yourself a character. Remember that you don't have to pick the human figure for every animal, you can also choose neanderthals or even monkeys for the shape of the animal.
Insects:
-Silithid - Egyptian Bugs - Beetles
-Mantid - Japanese Samurai Bugs - Mantis
-Nerubians - Dark Evil Mole People - Spiders
So you could maybe do something with like Scorpions, or ants!
Like a super militaristic ant society.
Blizzard doesn't really have too many anthro-avian people. (I say this while looking at my girlfriends stuffed Chocobo.)
WoW doesn't have a superhero figure because aside from faction leaders the players are supposed to be the strongest figures in WoW.
I think playing with some funky setups would be kind of interesting, like maybe a desert sphynx cat type of people?
That could be kinda cool.
I'm sort of at a loss for think of Amphibian types though, Frogs could be cool.
For me it's usually not being able to come up with an idea that's the problem, but it's like I can't seem to picture it clearly in my mind for more than a quick second.
It usually happens to me in situations exactly like this one where:
-had an idea
-had a pretty clear picture of what you wanted
-something comes up
-pretty much have to scrap the idea and design something different
-go to the toilet to think
-brain keeps snapping back to the original idea
-get frustrated
-browse internet in hopes for idea?
What I have discovered for me that helps me design something new is to:
-take a step back
-pick an idea (usually an idea that I came up with on the toilet that I thought sounded could be 'cool' but still kind of felt meh about it)
-describe (to myself in my head) whatever it is i'm trying to design as if i'm writing a book about it.
What I tend to do is turn on my ipad and type out a detailed description of whatever it is i'm designing.
This allows me to focus on a very important aspect. The details, and how they relate to the viewer/reader.
I find that when I eliminate any visual aspect of a design, and simply just describe it, I can use what I know about the world to create something that would have a purpose.
example of a quick description:
the wall is crudely patched with what looks like different types of wood, rocks, parts of broken barrels, and even some rags of cloth to cover holes in the ceiling. As you get closer you realize that the cloth is stained, stained with what looks to be blood. You realize that the cloth is actually clothing, and that they must be in poor shape in terms of supply if they are resorting to using dead's destroyed clothes.
I have found that describing the scene instead of just trying to imagine it allows me to get more detail that portrays a story, where as normally I probably would have just thrown up some dirty cloth texture over the holes. Once you are finished with a discription, re-reading what you wrote forces an image into your head and for me that image is almost always completely different than what I had originally. Not only do I have a better picture, but now I know exactly what details i'll need and the details will add more to the scene because they have a purpose.
I am admittingly not listening to a lot of these pieces of advice and taking a visual abstract approach. Hoping this works, because I legitimately do not have a specific character that I want to make perhaps beyond the superhero shark man.
Does anyone see anything with these thumbnails?
I'm personally leaning towards 2, looks like a lone deer swordsman, I can maybe jimmy something out of that. 5 and 24 look interesting, but feel too Diablo 3 and/or spooky for The World of Warcraft. 14 I like, but that looks more like a structure. 8 is also interesting, but once again seems too . . . Lovecraftian for Warcraft. Those are just my thoughts, everyone feel free to chip in, I would definitely like to hear ya'll thoughts.