Hey Hive fam, and a big hello to everyone hanging out in Alien Art Hive 👋
I’m back with another page from my public sketchbook. There’s something so freeing about opening a blank canvas and just seeing what happens, and I'm excited to share my latest creation with you all. This time, I wanted to cook up a character that’s equal parts weird, menacing, and just a little bit funny. The result? Say hello to my Cyber-Crab.
I don’t really have a deep backstory for him yet—right now it’s all about the vibes and creating a fun design. I was mostly chasing a look: sharp, intimidating teeth (with goofy braces, because the contrast just felt right!), mismatched eyes for a bit of craziness, and a few robotic parts bolted on to hint at a bigger story. I love the idea of building a character with that “I’m angry but also awkward” kind of energy. Is he a deep-sea experiment gone wrong? A veteran of some underwater war? Or did he just have a killer dental insurance plan? Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. 😅
The process started, as it usually does, with a mess of loose shapes and lines just to nail the posture and get a feel for the character's weight. Once that felt right, I began to refine the sketch—giving him his angry mouth, the mechanical shoulder, and his little floating buddy. I felt like every grumpy mutant crab needs a sidekick, right? Maybe it's his pilot, or his conscience... or just a little symbiote that tags along for the ride.
After the detailed sketch came the clean line work, and then my favourite part: colour. Seeing a character come to life with the first splash of colour is always a magical step. I went with a punchy orange to make him stand out from the deep-sea gloom he probably lives in. From there, it was all about adding shadows and highlights to give him depth, and finally, that crackling electric energy to give him a spark of power .
And finally, here he is in full form
I’m still learning every day, and every piece is a new challenge, but making this crab was a blast. I’d love to hear what you think about the design! Every comment and bit of feedback is super valuable as I'm still figuring things out. Most importantly, he definitely needs a name. Any ideas you can throw my way would be awesome!
Thanks again for checking out my work and for giving me space to share my progress with you all. Being able to post here and connect with other artists is what keeps me inspired. 🙏