Organic Modelling - Zbrush - "Idriga"

The terms villain and antagonist get bandied around allot. When they're used interchangeably, everyone means something different. Whilst they are synonyms, similar things, they do not mean quite the same thing.

Antagonist's are not the same as villains.

If we take Harry Potter's Voldemort villian - he does the bad purposely. Voldemort is a character intended to be completely evil and malicious, he has no good in him at all. If we compare him to Harry, you can clearly distinguish the two, not just be appearance, but motive and personality.

Voldemort is a villian.

But if we look at for an Antagonist, Captian Hook, he is one. Why isn't he a villain? I'll explain. Antagonists usually hold a strong conviction in their righteousness of their actions. Captian Hook is not a malicious, deceiving, character - at least - not completely. He has a reason for doing bad things. Captian Hook lies in the grey area. After all, it was Peter Pan's fault that he lost his hand to the crocodile - Peter cut it off! Peter Pan also starts most of the trouble with Hook too...

Put simply, Antagonists can change. Antagonists can even become good guys. Villains don't change.

What is the relevance of this?

Firstly i felt it necessary to distinguish this at the start due to a topic being broke up in class. I felt it necessary to distinguish this - not to confuse or assume certain factors or assumptions with 'villain' for Idriga.

But...

I'll show you.

My character, Idriga' is an Antagonist.

The name 'Idriga' is a combination of the word Lepidoptera and Indigo. Lepidoptera  is a order of insects which a lot of common moths and butterflies are classed into, namely those characterised by scaled wings and a proboscis. The name was developed alongside Idriga's design, as part of the process.

Idriga herself is a character who stems from my personal comic project, 'Arbvar's Secret'. Within it, several different 'races' populate the world of Esterm. These races of varying sizes, contour and social dispostions, all effect the story and setting in several ways. Amongst many of these races are the likes of the Moff, which Idriga herself is one of. Of all the races within Esterm, the Moff are the most socially inept from normal norms, as one of the new coming races to a level of self-awareness. The Moff rely heavily on primal instinct and behaviours, such as clicking and pheromones. They have recently adapted to language too. As poisonous, bipedal creatures, the Moff seem to sport gender differences - or at least, gender assumed, such as carapace and fluff. Other qualities the Moff sport include their wings - which when flapped excessively, generate a cloud of toxins.

The Moff race live within a place called the Nebulla bed. A continent once believed to have been below the sea level, and as part of its bed. There is evidence to suggest this from folklore and coral reef remnants around the environment.  Within the Nebulla bed is their hive home, Cocoon, a large Moff-mad structure which tunnels below its ground base. A large 'city' of sorts is hidden beneath the surrounding water basin, which, if you dived deep enough, would be able to see through the transparent bottom. And over ruling both the Moff and Cocoon is the Moff Queen - Idriga.

The soceity of the Moff is inspired and influence by the behaviors observed from ants and termites. A Moff queen is always born into a generation. All Queens have the ability to control all Moff within her vicinity. Whilst a Moff Queen is able to produce worker Moffs - she only does so in the case of emegency, as the only real important birth is that of the next Queen. Regal and Queen like traits have gone into her concept and appearance.

A Natural formed crown goes into the design of her head.

A regal kingly reference comes from the likes of artist portraits and interpretations of past monarchy's

. Her wings become an elegant cloak of sorts and the furs are  apart of her body.

Her tall, imposing structure is inspired by the likes of gothic figures and the work of Edward Gorey and Tim Burton. Characters such as Jafar; Jack Skellington and others are sources of inspiration too.

I turned to the Lunar moth for her wing shape and inspiration. The moth sounds nocturnal - and the Moff are like this also.

The art period of Art Nouveau also acted as inspiration for the contour of Idriga and the patterns both on her wings and body.

Her colourscheme was drawn from the colour palette of the environment she lives in and from the likes of other poisonous creatures, such as poison dart frogs. Colours like this are displayed to warn potential predators they are poisonous.

Her skirt and colour of it is drawn from the likes of the Monarch Butterfly. Moff are superior to 'Butterflies' - so Idriga literally adorns the stripped wings of a butterfly as her skirt. Nice...

Also as part of the high society vibe, Idriga smokes a traditional, elongated pipe. This is also part of her character as well; habits; stuck ina  certain way. Perhaps even rude to puff out a fog of smoke?

Idriga herself is a rather rude and 'high and mighty' character. She believes herself superiority and righteous in some aspects - and is defensive of her kin, the Moff. Her motives for her apparent wrong-doings seem to stem from an ancestral vendetta against some of the races across Esterm, which seemingly abandoned the Moff in their hour of need. Despite generations on, Idriga holds this grudge, just as the previous Moff queen did.

 A never ending cycle of spite and scorn.

It's for these kinds of reasons, that Idriga is an 'Antagonist' than a 'Villian' as the actions she performs are influenced by various motives. Depending on context and a characters judgement, one can see that what Idriga may do is both 'Right' and 'Wrong' - such is the nature of justice, and its subjective contour. Idriga is a character subject to change - if one is so persuasive enough. She may hinder the protagonists - but she doesn't always do for evil intent. One should not judge people from their covers.

The ZBrush Process -

Firstly i used Z spheres to map out the main anatomy of Idriga. I establish all the core skeleteon early on, whihc will enable me to build up on it.

I then begin to establish the early fur and skirt.

Slowly build up the skirt

.I mesh out rough antenae, more fur and and the wings. I also develop the skirt the more.

More fur is added by using brushes to 'draw' fur.

More detail, the thorax and abdomen.

The final render by using lights in combination with my render set up and material change. Slight purple hue is established from the lights. Aim here was for a metallic look - Idriga can be cold and heartless - akin to the devoid of emotion on her face.

Protagonist Development - Maxwell Farris

So i have my world, its rules and the general populace, such as the races and its shape – but i need characters. I need characters who will drive my story, characters who will take us on their journey. Even before i shaped the world – i had an idea for my main character. Having a soft spot for young childish characters, i found my protagonist taking on that appearance and accompanying traits. I didn't want a perfect character, a character who could accomplish anything so flawless as that would be boring. In fact, as this protagonist developed, i found myself making his flaws more predominant and those flaws  have helped shape his character.

I decided that my protagonist would be called Maxwell and that he would be quite the midget character. He would be an Aestrian, a small Aestrian, as well as being childish and young – so he is twelve years old.  I also knew that he would have a bestfriend too, who would go by the nickname of Charm. A fair chunk of the influence in this decision came from my own experiences and past. As i have already outlined in a previous post, Aestrians are small bipedal and arboreal beings who are swift and acute to natures instincts. Already these traits compliment his budding personality, his hyperactive childish mentality. Going with this, things started to take shape such as his appearance – in giving him large ears and baby traits similar to young children and animals…

Maxwell has gone through a lot of designs, all of which revolve around arboreal mammals, and in particular, mice, monkeys and squirrels. He also brings in traits of cats, pigs and dogs too.

I knew that Max’s eye would be his Magos mark, as i wanted it obvious just like his personality. But how would i display that? The attire too and the length of his tail, ears and structure of his feet all went through transitions.

The feet changed as did everything aobut him. I thought maybe he might utilise a staff as a sort of weapon or means of assisting through climbing such as pole vaulting. The arm here is a plot element, but i was testing how i could visually show it.

More experiments with his appearence and size. More vibrancy in digital colouring and a test of everything.

 

—-

Maxwell Farris -

Age – 12    Date of Birth – 13th August 1068 AD   Race – Aestrian

Magos Mark Location – His right eye.  Magos Mark Type –  Husk/Amplex.

Maxwell is an upbeat and energetic Aestrian whom originates from the vast depths of Grande Grove. He is a high spirited young boy who is always beaming an apparent endless supply of smiles. This positivity leads him to be highly optimistic and cheerfully bright, even in some of the darkest of times. It is unlikely that you will find Max far from the company of Charm, as the two are nearly inseparable, having grown up together throughout childhood. Somewhat of a loose cannon, Charm is often there to keep him in check as his thought patterns seem to deviate into reckless actions, due to his childish naivety and lack of respect for any apparent authority. These traits have led to him being characterized for having a ‘magnetism for trouble’, as it seems to follow him wherever he goes.

Although more often than not accidental, his intentions have never been criminal. His luck is unfixed and rampant as is his tendency to deviate from the norms he is supposed to be bound too. His older brother, Zakai, has had a part to play in influencing the personality of his brother, such as his brash bravery and capacity to help those in need by putting aside his own goals. His little brother aspires to be like him by being a -somewhat of a hero- whom explores the world outside the walls of trees he is so accustomed to.

Maxwell readily requires guidance from peers to keep him out of trouble because unchecked he will run head first into any danger, oblivious to immediate dangers until its too late because of his naivety and oblivious nature. Often Max’s projection of a childish demeanor gives him the edge in battle due to opponent’s underestimating his potential – as he is not as simple minded as he may first appear.

Trivia -

- Max’s design was intended to complement his spirited youth. As such he draws aspects from all sorts of sources such as mice, monkeys and other small mammals to compliment his energetic and mischievous endeavours. Yet to match his oddities, he has several flaws. His dwarfness, odd hair and magos eye were intended to amplify that. His later conduction of the magos arm is a reflection of the fate of Zakai’s tail.

- When Max was younger he had difficulty pronouncing the phonetic ‘R’s’ of words and so when saying ‘brother’ it would become ‘bother’ and so ‘bro’ to ‘bo’. ‘Bo’ has stuck with him as he still continues to nickname Zakai occasionally as ‘BoBo’.

- Max’s natural hair colour is a light brown. An incident involving sticky staining berries ended up with his hair clotting the red juices. His hair ended up becoming a permanent shade of crimson.

- Ironically red is Max’s favorite colour. He considers it the colour of heros.

- Max’s lack of respect for authority didn’t bode well for his education. He has been kicked out of school more times than he can count up to. As a result he has poor handwriting and reading skills, and can only read ‘staple’ words fluently, words which are commonly seen and said.

- In earlier years, Max almost drowned within the fast flowing rivers of Grande Grove. He’s been terrified of deep water ever since, freezing up like a cat whenever it challenges him.

- Max’s favourite food is honey. He also quite likes to eat duck.

- Max hate’s winter just as the Aestrians have an aversion to it. Perhaps why he has a slight aversion to Zero.

Enviroments & Places - Grande Grove

Esterm, said to be one of the first worlds to develop upon the Arbvar, has seen better days in its time. Although seemingly recovered, it still remains scarred from the Shadow Sweep ages, notably in areas most devoid. Apart from its apparently -almost- purged Hyjinxes, Esterm is a vibrant and exotic world full of unique creatures and beings.

—-

Grande Grove -

A blight of rainbow in the day and a softly glowing blanket of flora at night, Grande Grove represents what beauty sprouts when a land is left in the tender care of Mother Nature. The rainforest grows upon a wide spread of mountain and roots deep into chasms, grottos and pastures. Almost all Herbs and medicines find their origin to this signature landscape and are harvested only by its native inhabitants, the Aestrians. Although breathtaking and wild, the  appearance of the rainforest masks its invisible danger, an ever present fog of toxic spores. Adapted and accustomed to the poisons, the Aestrians remain immune due to their specially adapted eye membranes and their specialised immune systems and so are undoubtedly the best choice for harvesting the bounty upon the trees… as well as evading the crafty arboreal predators that stalk the canopies.

Rich in species of exotic plants and animals, the rainforest of Grande Grove is consistently coated in a warm and moist climate. It is one of the most prized biomes of Esterm,  and is unparalleled in its biodiversity. The broad leafed forests of Grande Grove consistently spend around 80% of its time in frequent and often daily rains. The canopies of Grande Grove act much like a blanket, trapping heat and leaving the forest in an almost permanent summer state.  As such, the rainforest rarely experience the cold, as the inhabitants are sheltered from its elements inside the foliage. When Grande Grove does experience a winter -it undergoes a stark and radical transformation. In the wet season of winter months, the constant heavy rains freezes over in the clashing exposure of trapped humidity and bitter cold. The cascading rain literally becomes still - encasing the forest in a shell of ice and snow making it appear as if all had turned to sparkling Magos. When the rain continues uninterrupted, the valleys and forests are continually  layered with ice. Animals of the forest find themselves trapped within the walls of ice layered trees, some of which are forced to hibernate in tree hollows. This event is referred to as the ‘Cold Snap’ by the Aestrian Inhabitants, who grow a winter coat at the trigger of temperature shift. However, even with this coat, Aestrians can still succumb to the cold and so instinctively conserve their energy by sleeping more through ‘Torpor’, a state of temporary hibernation. As such when a Cold Snap does occur in Grande Grove, it becomes shut off from the world - and the world shut off from it, until it thaws in the spring.

Civilisations -

Chaparen[Cha-paren] -

Titles/Alias’s – “Aestrians Abode” – “Canopy crossroads”

Chaparen, one of the core pinnacles of Aestrian communities, is a town situated upon several islands of soil surrounded by one of the Grove’s thriving lagoons. It has three layers to it, with a part of its town submerged beneath the soil, even breaching into the waters of the lagoon, another third situated on the soil, and the last third within the towering trees above. Chaperen is the connector to the Aestrian communities, known as the ‘Canopy Crossroads’ it houses a complex series of bridges which lead to other islands and communities within Grande Grove. Water is Chapreon’s natural barrier against the predators of Grande Grove and the notorious Hyjinxes. Chaperon is a vibrant home abuzz with Aestrian activity.

—–

Important Areas Of Grande Grove -

Honey Hollow -

A sweetly smelling spot of Grande Grove, Honey Hollow boasts sticky and shiny foliage centred around a bowl of sinking earth. Hanging above this earthly funnel hangs the humming hive of the Apoids. Honey Hollow was formed through the efforts of Apoids and Radix’s co existing together.

Apoids, branched from the same family as bees, operate daily in a buzz of pollinating activities. With an abundance of flowers and their precious pollen, their production of honey happened at such a large rate, that it had caused erosion, similar to water breaking a river’s banks, and effectively flooded a segment of the rainforest in a river of honey through flooding from the hive. Drawn to the scent, Radix’s, Grande Grove’s root moles, became attracted to this source of sugar and tunnelled a funnel to lead into a series of caverns and complex’s. These tunnels had a radical transformation effect and formed the now present Honey Hollow through draining the leakage into their nests. Both species sustain each other in a controlling sense of equilibrium.

Radix Labyrinth -

This labyrinth was forged by the Radix’s, the root moles of Grande Grove, as both their home and a drainage system for the leaking river of honey from an Apoid’s hive. Beneath the soil lies their many tunnels which branch out all across Grande Grove. Housing a large populace, the Radix’s home is complicated and on par with the similar behavior of ants. Although confusing at a glance, there is a pattern of placement to the rooms of the Radix’s such as the locations of their nurseries or larder chambers. The funnel entrances to their labyrinth are strategically placed such as the holes beneath the hives which are intended to collect the deposit of trickling honey and channel it to locations ideal for consumption. The convenience of these tunnels and the sharing of a mutual relationship to the Aestrians has led to them being used to export goods outside of Grande Grove, a route much safer than topsoil methods.

Titan’s Tarry -

Titan’s Tarry, a string of coves besides one of the main fast flowing rivers of Grande Grove, Angues, is a guaranteed spot in finding pods of Titan Pillars. These gigantic, omnivorous, honey-yellow caterpillars are indeed one of the most consuming creatures native to the rainforest as they are easily capable of stripping trees clean in a matter of hours. A main nesting site of the Titan Pillars, pods of the creatures cluster here to breed and raise their young and so the location is hard to miss with the colossal caterpillars dotted around. Generally lax around outsiders, the caterpillars are quite passive about other species, presumably due to their sheer size and bulk, that they need not fear most residents of the foliage. However, although apparently large, slow and bloated, if provoked, Titan Pillar’s can suddenly become alert and rampart on the unfortunate stressor, moving startlingly quick. As if being chased by an organic freight train wasn't enough, they are known to hound their prey down until they are crushed, extinguished or the Titan Pillar dies first. In other words, don’t tick them off.

Flight deck -

Nicknamed the “Flight Deck” by the Aestrians of the Grove, these plateaus of green radiate with the seeds of the large flora here. This area of land is all that borders between the boundaries of Aestas field and the receding forest of the Grove. The seeds of the large flora, are reminiscent to those of the Dandelion kind with their umbrella heads and light quality and are often used as a short cut out of the forest. A common past time is for an Aestrian to pluck a seed and then take flight from the ‘deck’, to descend softly into the pillow of pollen that is Aestas field, carried only by the wind.

Esterm's Races - Sky Breakers

Sky Breakers,  a name given to those whom have conquered the Scion and live within the realm of clouds, effectively, having broken through the sky. A lot of about the Sky Breakers is shrouded in mystery as only fragments of fact are shared by the few who ever reach their fabled home and the fewest who ever return from the comfortable paradise. What we can say is that they greatly resemble humans in a way, sharing almost all characteristics apart from their winged appendages and feathers. The Sky Breakers all share winged ears, feathery, bird like wings. They often have feathers growing on their arms which are more than likely left over from evolution. Sky Breakers can fly temporarily with these wings, although it is exhausting, so they prefer to use them to slow descents or leap higher and longer distances, a sort of glide. Sky Breakers also have far paler skin, bordering on white and a bigger lung and heart capacity than normal, to deal with the thinner oxygen of the way-up-highs and its pressure.

The Sky Breakers acknowledge the presence of the land beneath the Scion, as well as the living races across it, though rarely visit. They are not ignorant and, infact, welcome outsiders to their gilded realm, if they can conquer the Hyjinx infested forest of Keskewn Jarden and the pillar of the Scion and its Sky Plateaus…by walking. Outsiders that do this and reach their beloved kingdom, are welcomed with open arms, for having accomplished a formidable feat…and rarely do we ever see any of these people return. From those that do return, we know of their culture and some of their lives. They treasure art and creativity, with murals across many of their buildings and in particular their transport, the Sky Sails. The kingdom of theirs runs under a monarchy of the Venessas. The Venessas, are all born with unique butterfly winged appendages as opposed to feathers wings and all females born of this bloodline have a special and inherit gift. The Sky Breakers adore their queen…more than their own lives.

Esterm's Races - Serenade

The Serenades are aquatic water dwellers that are although can live both in salty and fresh water, prefer the latter, because apparently it tastes better. Serenades are mermaid like and are rarely seen from the water although are undoubtedly heard. Serenades treasure the power of the voice and take pride in fine marble architecture. Even with these simple beliefs, the Serenades are known for their sense of fun and enjoyment. Their city of Nariah’s, is one of the best hotspots in Esterm for holidays with seamless sandy shorelines, aquatic sports, an impressive water theatre and carefully crafted buildings. Although the city appears above water, the majority of it is actually submerged beneath the waters that canal the surfaced streets. It is here that the Serenades congregate and thrive, in a utopia deep down beneath the foundations of two cities built upon each other.

Female and Male Serenades have drastic and distinctive anatomy changes to each other, making it easy to tell them apart. Although they primarily share similar light-blue sea skin, their limbs differ greatly. A female Serenade has a streamlined body that ends in a fish-like tail. At the tip of their tail are tendril like appendages that can create propulsions like jellyfish. It is from this extension, that female Serenades spawn their clutch of eggs in the mating season.

Other differences from males is that a female Serenade presents a pair of additional arms from their head as well three pairs of eyes at the respective sides of their heads, giving them a large field of view. Aquatic membranes are found commonly tethered to the wrists of Serenades and their backs, creating kite-like ‘water wings’.

Male Serenades, unlike females are capable of emerging onto land. They have incredibly long arms with fins and webbed fingers and  a pair of legs which enable them to tread the earth. Their tail is less bulky compared to a female and traditionally ends with a fin. As well as this, males have shell like additions to their skin. Commonly pattern like the shell of a turtle, this shell helps protect their heads and backs as well as preventing them from drying as quickly as they would on land.

Esterm's Races - Sapyr

Planet fawns, the Sapyr’s are sunlight reliant. Time has left them no longer capable of reproduction, now they rely on their Projection to populate them from Haven’s Heart home.

Unlike any other race upon Esterm, the Sapyr’s are sunlight reliant and unable to reproduce by themselves. Now infertile, the Sapyr’s survival depends solely on their guardian home tree in their home of Haven. This tree, is a Magos Heart and has its own kindred Projection by the name of Pan, whom protects the tree and nurtures the Sapyr’s that grow from its branches. The folk of Esterm like to believe that Pan’s tree is a reflection of the health of the Arbvar itself, and in a way, it is similar, due to its impact as a heart.  Despite these impending restrictions, the Sapyr’s are free from the likes of famine and hunger due to only requiring sunlight and water to sustain them for photosynthesis.

The Sapyr’s beloved home of Haven, is found within Aestas field where they coincide with the Fairies. They often mingle together throughout their lives, benefiting each other with their positive impacts on the environment around them. Both share strong relationships to nature, as both are born from a plant origin. For Sapyr’s, the stalk upon their head or body  is the remainder of the branch and pod they were once attached to and stays with them throughout their lives.

The birth rate of Sapyr’s is slow as it takes at least three years for full maturity of a single Sapyr. Because of this, each Sapyr is special in Haven, and the birth of one is celebrated with a festival of flowers just as it begins to detach from the tree. Thankfully, Sapyr numbers have boosted greatly from the small units they once were, although still remain diminished from the Shadow Sweep ages.

Esterm's Races - Moff

Male Moff. Less fluff more carapace.

The Moff are a recent occurrence to the family of sentient beings within Esterm. As such, they are rugged and still attach themselves to instinct. The Moff are insectoid beings and follow a collectivist culture. It is rare to see a Moff astray from their swarm in the Nebulla bed where they base themselves in their city of Cocoon. The Moff are mostly nocturnal as they are at their busiest in the night, where they soar the skies they are so native too.

At the heart of Moff society, is their queen, whom births all the Moff who start off as eggs. From then on, Moff eggs are distributed to adults who care for them until they hatch into the first stage of development, larvae. Working together, adult Moffs, both female and male, care for the young larvae until they mature through a series of moults into fine Moffs. Then the cycle repeats again, as they work together as a unified entity, raising young, producing food and surviving as a swarm.

Although now Bipedal, the Moff retain all of their defining features. Their wings are typically broad and start from just over their shoulders. When not in use, a Moff’s wings drape like a cloak against their back, effectively like powdered fabric. The Moff have two pairs of wings, with the secondary being smaller and attached to the larger. Often, tufts of indigo or distinctive fluff cover the shoulders, neck and head off Moff’s, but this is more common in females. In comparison, the males have a greater emphasis on their carapace, with their head adorned with a nail-shaped extension. The males sport less fluff and instead have tougher shell skin and a thinner, lighter body. All the wings of Moff’s have a fine layer of powder that takes effect when the Moff beat their wings extensively. This fine layer of toxic powder is a defensive mechanism used against predators, and is capable of inducing nausea and delusions to their attacker. When in danger, most Moff’s release pheromones that switch on their swarm instincts. Most predators can not stand against such a fierce wave of Moff as they envelop them in a fog of toxic powder and bodies.