Kevin's Watch

wayfriend wrote:Be sure to know I only mentioned it since you asked for suggestions. I think any resemblence to sandworms is more Donaldson's fault than yours. But he does mention them having jaws and skulls IIRC, so they are probably more reminiscent of this than of sandworms. Anyway: you have to think about how form matches function - these things push their faces through the ground, chew rock for breakfast. I think that they really are more worm in the earthworm sense than worm in the Smaug sense.

Yup, and I'm really glad for all feedback.

I was going to mention the jaws in my last post, but something distracted me and forgot about it. Anyhow, they were one reason why I imagined Kasty's pets to appear more Smaug-ish. (I also have a vague recollection about skulls--where were these mentioned?)

I'm not yet done with the drawing, but considering I've put a few tens of hours into it already, and dramatically changing the shape of the skurj would require re-sketching about half of Grueburn's pose, I'll likely retain most of the beast's present semblance. But there's always room for an upgraded, more practical Skurj 2.0 (and I just realized Kasty himself in his half-elohim half-skurj form might be fun to portray...) in the future.

Closeups:

Cirrus Kindwind



Frostheart Grueburn



Onyx Stonemage



My inspirations to edit this splattergore further have gurgled down the drain. Think I wasted altogether 40-50 hours re-re-re-re-drawing various odds and ends and cropping the composition that didn't feel right from the start. Something's a mite wonky with the perspective too. Would probably look less chaotic with shading or colors, but feeling too discomfited/exhausted to start that phase in a long, long while.

But, at least gave a visage and whatnot to two more 3rd chrons giantesses; they get scant love here anyhow.

As for the too-dragonish-anime-influenced skurj, there's always that fairly epic scene where Frosty impales one through the throat with a thrust of her sword. If I ever have energy for a remake, I'll probably head for that.

Zorm wrote:As for the too-dragonish-anime-influenced skurj, there's always that fairly epic scene where Frosty impales one through the throat with a thrust of her sword. If I ever have energy for a remake, I'll probably head for that.

Speaking of this ... have you thought of a way to convey how hot these beasts are? Aside from giving them a red-orange glow, I mean. Because I was thinking about how hard that would be. But then I was thinking that there had to be some visual cue thats been established that could accomplish this. For example, a slimy dragon is easy to depict, even when you can't show shininess, because you can show gore dripping off. There has to be a way to do hot worms.

Heat distortion around the body perhaps? Like the air ripples off a road on a hot day?

You can also have vapors surrounding it and nearby fires in the vegetation and clothes of the giants.

Fatal Revenant wrote:Its hide was heavy and hot as slag: the entire length of the creature emitted a terrible heat. Yet the hide shed no light. Only the teeth, the fearsome fangs, long as stakes,-- only the teeth shone. They burned with a sick red slashing radiation like lamps along the passage to hell.

So no orange glow here, and anyhow a challenging light source. Likely my graphics program hides some filter or brush within with which one can achieve a believable 'heat haze effect'. Needs some experimenting, however. Here it would've looked too messy together with the umpteen sketchlines, the same with miniature forest fires.

No doubt about it in my mind: Frostheart Grueburn is one of the most talented artists to ever grace the pages of the Watch.

Frostheart Grueburn wrote:

Closeups:

Cirrus Kindwind



Frostheart Grueburn



Onyx Stonemage



My inspirations to edit this splattergore further have gurgled down the drain. Think I wasted altogether 40-50 hours re-re-re-re-drawing various odds and ends and cropping the composition that didn't feel right from the start. Something's a mite wonky with the perspective too. Would probably look less chaotic with shading or colors, but feeling too discomfited/exhausted to start that phase in a long, long while.

But, at least gave a visage and whatnot to two more 3rd chrons giantesses; they get scant love here anyhow.

As for the too-dragonish-anime-influenced skurj, there's always that fairly epic scene where Frosty impales one through the throat with a thrust of her sword. If I ever have energy for a remake, I'll probably head for that.