The Gubang Sentinel is an armored protector of the Philippine forest floor, having shed its tiny bug shell to stand tall as a warrior. Its once flat green wings have hardened into sun scorched, iridescent golden armor plates that shine with a vibrant, protective power. Now standing on powerful legs, it watches over the meadow with fiery orange eyes, ensuring the smaller bugs remain safe from any garden enemies.
Evolving the Salagubang for SketchQuest drawing contest
I saw the new theme for the SketchQuest drawing contest of 
I love seeing the character unfold right before my eyes as the design shifts from a simple insect to a big warrior.
The Starting Point: The Humble Salagubang
At first, I had to looked back at my original Salagubang sketch to remember where he started. He has that classic, chunky shape and those shimmering green tones that I used my markers to bring out. This is the Salaguinto actually, that is the proper way to call it as was mentioned in the comments from my fellow creative. I kept the aesthetic very clean and flat, focusing on the typical iridescent look we see here in the Philippines. He is cute and small but for this contest, I wanted him to stand tall and big to show some real protective strength.
Stage 1: The Evolved Line Drawing
When the concept of the evolution is finally decided upon, I started the new line work. This stage now shows a much more human like silhouette while keeping the bug features like the ridged belly and those distinct horn like antennae. I traded the six crawling legs for two powerful ones and gave him bulky, armored shoulders that look tough enough to withstand a hitting blow. The lines remained clean and minimal at first, but you can see how much more presence he has now compared to the original beetle.
Stage 2: The Radiant Transformation
Fast forward and it now shows a burst of vibrant energy as I added the color with my favorite washable markers. I keep the simple green and yellow colors for consistency with the little bug then decided to incorporate fiery yellows, deep oranges, and even some royal purple highlights on his antennae to show he had powered up. I used the markers to create that textured, sun scorched armor look on his chest and arms. Even with the extra details, I tried to keep that clean and flat feeling I love so much. The contrast between the orange plates and the green skin really defines his character as a protector. I was thinking at this point to either make the eyes totally black or leave them white. I could not use yellow nor green because the colors would blend with rest of its body. This shade of orange may not be the right color but I will take it.
The Finished Look: Gubang Sentinel
The final result makes me so happy. Seeing the transition from a tiny Salagubang to this towering Gubang Sentinel makes the whole process worth it. He feels like a legendary spirit of the Philippine jungle, ready to defend the meadow. This evolution really pushes the worldbuilding aspect of the contest as well as the creativity of the artists to think beyond what we see and transform something powerless as a little bug. I am just glad I managed to finish this entry today and I am loving the result.