Classic Monsters Conclusion

Ok, so I've spent the last couple of months taking various monsters from fiction and reinventing them. Now that that's done with, let's take a moment to talk about what I've learnt from this project.

If nothing else, I feel this project has more or less validated my Iconic Character Design Theory (Iconic Character = Number of Unique Characteristics, 1 around head + Limited Colour Palette) as the majority of the redesigns are still recognisable as the original 'monsters'. The exception, of course, was the Jabberwock, whose design is not totally defined in it's original source to begin with. In my defence, it's inclusion was suggested by Josh, whereas the others were chosen because their original designs fit the criteria. But, no use crying over spilt milk; the fact is I did a Jabberwock redesign and despite my grumblings it does have some traits from the original.

So, to summarise, the character traits of these monsters are as follows:-

Jabberwocky

Characteristics: 'Fiery' eyes (Head), large claws, whiskers/ hair tendrils (Head), wings/ wing-like sails

Colour: Variable (Jabberwocky colour isn't mentioned in source)

Cthulhu

Characteristics: Octopus/ Squid face (Head), wings, humanoid body

Colour: Green

Medusa

Characteristics: Snake hair (Head), snake lower body

Colour: Variable (Medusa doesn't really have a defined colour scheme)

Devil

Characteristics: Horns (Head), wings, pointed tail, trident, goat legs (optional)

Colour: Red

So... yeah, this project basically went as expected and proved I wasn't talking out of my arse.

The next project will be the final one and will focus on me using this Iconic Design Theory to design some original characters. Beyond that though.... I'm still working on the details. Watch this space.

Classic Monsters Design #3: Medusa

Just about finished Medusa. This was certainly one of the more interesting ones, as least regarding some of the initial designs, and I'm personally quite proud of how the final concept turned out.

 Design sketches for Medusa

As you can see, I experimented with quite a few ideas here. The first few (seen around the top-left) focussed on different variants of the classic 'ogre'-like Gorgon, but later designs started to explore the snake aspect more. One or two designs saw her as literally a mass of serpents. I also explored some interesting variants of how her face and head could appear.

The final design, as you can see, is still largely based on the naga-esque design made popular by Clash of the Titans. However, unlike a traditional naga, which has a woman's upper body and a serpent's tail, my Medusa's anatomy is more akin to a massive snake with arms, with her serpentine hair reimagined as a 'mane' of snakes. She also wears a mask to hide her hideous appearance, perhaps as a vain attempt to retain what little humanity she has left...

As I said before, I'm proud of how this one turned out. In particular, I'm happy with the scale texture, especially considering that, unlike with Cthulhu, I actually painted it as opposed to overlaying and existing texture. Her colour scheme is also based on the colour of real-life venomous snakes (contrary to popular belief, they are not all green; most are various shades of brown).

Next up is the final monster for this project, the Devil himself...

Classic Monsters Case Study #3: Medusa

"Medusa was beautiful once, so beautiful as to tempt Poseidon. When he came for her, she ran to Athena's temple thinking that the goddess would protect her. She didn't. Poseidon took her on the cold floor. She prayed to Athena for comfort but the goddess found nothing but disgust. She made sure no one would ever want Medusa again, one look at the creature she has become would turn any living thing to stone." - Io, Clash of the Titans (2010)

Anyone who knows even a little bit about Greek mythology has heard of Medusa. A hideous monster with snakes for hair and whose gaze can turn living things to stone, she and her sisters Euryale and Stheno are collectively known as the Gorgons, which derives from the Ancient Greek word gorgós, which means "dreadful" (fitting, considering how ugly they supposedly were).

Medusa's tale is actually something of a tragic one. She was originally just an ordinary human woman, who had the misfortune of being noticed by a god; the sea god, Poseidon, took a fancy to her, and in his lust he raped her in the Temple of Athena. Ever the sympathetic goddess (sarcasm), Athena decided to punish Medusa for having the audacity to be violated within her temple, and so she transformed the poor woman into the monster she is known as today. To add insult and injury to this considerable trauma, she was later hunted down and killed by the hero Perseus, who, using a mirror to look at her reflection instead of facing her directly, choped off her head to present to a pompous king. All in all, Medusa had it pretty rough...

A carving of a classic depiction of a Gorgon

Medusa, as she appears in Clash of the Titans (2010)

Despite how well known she is, Medusa has something of an identity crisis regarding her appearance. Classical depictions of the Gorgon depict her as an ogre-like creature, with scaly skin, bronze claws, tusks and wings in addition to the snake hair. More recent depictions, such as the film Clash of the Titans and the God of War franchise, show her with the lower body of a snake, similar to a naga or a lamia, and make her features more serpentine. There are also a lot of versions where her facial features remain human and even vaguely beautiful, which completely contradicts her 'hideous' description. Between these various designs, there are only two constants: the snakes-for-hair and the petrifying gaze.

Not a hundred percent sure where I'm going to go with this one. On the one hand, I'd like to try something closer to the original ogre-like depiction, as I think it'll stick out more from the other designs currently out there, but at the same time I feel the naga-like design that most people associate her with fits more. i do know that I want to push the 'tragic' side a bit. I dunno, time will tell what I come up...