For the sci-fi comic I'm working on I wanted to create an antagonist of sorts, I had a few initial ideas that seemed too obvious, a tyrannical space pirate or an overlord of the cosmos. But the more I worked on my alternate version of Sandy (Rise of the Guardians) and the more he developed, the more I favoured him.
While he started similar of appearence to the bringer of dreams, Sanderson ManSnoozie, he started to develop more into an other character, something more mindless and monstrous, eldritch. While at first I had no images of him, I had an idea, and before I drew the image at the top, I used this as a reference;
(http://amethystbarron.tumblr.com/post/119504805607/design-for-a-eldritch-abomination-character-who-is)
However, I slowly started to work on what my character would look like, I wanted something similar to the image above, something insectiod, monstrous, terrifying yet beautiful.
The lineart took the longest, getting the base down was a long and complex process. I wanted a large number of appendages, something terrifying to think about and in the end i managed a total of 25 total appendages including the tail and antennae. I liked the idea of a creature that'd scurry about and be able to handle losing a few limbs without being impeded too much, given I'd already decided that Elaxi could regrow limbs after a certain period of time. I also wanted something with a large number of eyes, something that brought the thought 'always watching' to mind.
Next was base colour, it was somewhat a relief to put something solid onto the mess of lines to bring out some definition and separate the body from the legs. It also helped the eyes stand out more, though it did disguise the sharp teeth somewhat.
Finally I could work on the detail. I really liked the idea of Elaxi 'blending in' to darkness and space. Imagine exploring a cave and admiring the glittering roof, before golden orbs open and peer down at you. Some terrifying final moments. It's also hard to see, but his mouth has a thin line under the teeth;
I decided to give Elaxi ‘gular skin’, which is the same as a pelicans, it can be used to store food or just take a bigger mouthful. For Elaxi it's mostly used to hold victims while he makes room in his stomach.
Hope you enjoyed!
December || 2016
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