Though I'm a person predominantly making original works, we all get passionate about other things every so often. For me, there is certainly an enjoyment to let go of the reins a bit and explore another side of myself through someone else's original voice.As such here is another, perhaps more varied side to my passions.
(This tab currently leads to the sketchbook section):
A collection of ideas and exploration over the years from my iskar- sketchbooks.
My most ardent and beloved project, "Iskar" is a setting exploring and seeking to capture the heart of norse mythology and culture, the connections between people and the fascination of history and mythology captured within. A world that progresses not merely alongside me as a being at heart, but captures my true voice, and develops alongside my own understanding and knowledge of the past in both theory and fact.
Winter Wonder Taric (League of Legends)
The final render/turnaround will be updated as soon as it's complete, as will I be discussing the process of this design shortly.
In the meantime, enjoy imagining Taric whipping out a cup of hot coco outdoors in the snow, before a fire. At heart, that idea is what drove this entire design.Sounds like a good, cozy time to me.
Swamps and Goblins (Minecraft)
A quick ideation for a "shroomlight" variation of the swamps biome;I wanted to bring to life "a cozy place to be" in a biome which, at the time, did not have much to it either in content or variation.
- Besides, who doesn't love glowing mushrooms.
And I thought what better creature to inhabit a shroomlight swamp but some lovely, friendly little shroom-mutated goblins.I often express the sentiment that my best ideation comes out of pen and paper. This process began right there, allowing me to quickly move from thought to shape as much as to explore and understand elements of what is already in the game. As such I can build a more structured idea before I go into digital and give it a more clear form.
Valheim
Striped and Serpent armour;
I think I might have found Grimer's right sock.
I am a placeholder.
The serpent armour however required a little run-through to figure out.
predominantly I needed to figure out how to approach the scales.
Valheim often has a subtle sense of tackyness that I simply adore. There's this old-school roughness to much of its designs and visuals, where it's not afraid to be silly or inelegant. And yet, it takes those elements and presents them with well-made design and grace all the while, creating the lovable sense of Valheim.And I knew that was something I wanted to capture.
Originally I looked to the serpent scale shield. Taking from what's already in the game and expand upon it, thinking to create a design that would match with it as a set. Though by the time I was starting to catch a sense for it, I just wasn't happy with the large clunkyness of the scales.Somewhere in my mind I had the thought that I wanted to design a long chainmail tunic sooner or later, and I'd wager the subconcious blended with the concious as I began experimenting with using the scales as they appear on the sea serpent itself to lay out the texture.
More and more I leaned into a rather slender design, and as soon as the scales were working for me, it was as if all else simply fell into place. From the inner red tunic to allude to the serpent's fins and accents, the almost tacky helmet with wiggly eyes and fin, fang and eye doodads scattered about and the usage of fangs to tie the leg wraps - whilst still retaining that bronze trim from the shield all throughout. It turned out to be a design I got really giddy and excited about.
Critters and Creatures
Here's those sketchbook sketches sneaking in again.
You simply can't have a deep north without Nissar. This is simple fact.
Especially ones with tiny kotte-friends who run around your homestead and bring you luck.Or why not frosted goats who scream like banshees in the night- but really, it was just the goat all along.I had so much fun exploring these little ideas, and I quite long to do more like them, and expand them further.
Furthermore I wanted to make a sled for the Nissar to ride. Thus here is a sled, for Nissar to ride.One iteration drove itself using bottled northern light, whilst others leaned right into reindeer- sleds.
At one side I really wanted an ornate element in some regard, whilst in another I kept telling myself not to overthink it all too much. In the end I settled to give some extra love to and paint out the design that had grabbed my attention from the very start.
Early explorations to invoke ideas for what a "Deep North" could be.The mountains must be my favourite biome in the game. I love how mechanically it burdens and challenges you, but more than anything, it's the winter and snow. The mood and the music, the landscape and the storms. It is exquisite and marvellous; truly capturing that deep sense of the snowy north.However, it's all up in the mountains. I long for the deep wintery woods, frozen rivers running through the lands-
And those are exactly the kinds of things I set out to explore.
