The challenge is to design an alternative mascot (or mascots) to represent NAG's rAge expo, with an emphasis on promoting inclusiveness in the industry. Please post your concepts here for feedback. Final work will be submitted here as well.
-Representing the good things about games (fun, humour challenge) are encouraged.
-Emphasize inclusiveness and diversity, rather than reinforcing negative gender, race, etc stereotypes
-Avoid using any branding associated with products and companies (including NAG and rAge).
-Consider the potential use of your mascot(s) by Cosplayers or by costumed expo staff, they should potentially be identifiable in a range of different outfits and settings.
-Consider that the character(s) could potentially be used to invite and welcome people to rAge and act as a guide throughout the expo itself.
-Please produce concepts before polished submissions to allow for feedback.
Discussion on the finer points of the challenge is ongoing (in this other thread), and so are still subject to change. Judging (if there will even be any) is also yet to be decided, but the thread is being provided now for participants to begin contributing and getting feedback.
Note: This is not a NAG sanctioned competition. It is unlikely that any of these concepts will ever actually be used by NAG (though if they do, transferral of rights will need to be discussed). If at some point submissions could be used commercially, negotiation of terms will be left up to the artist - MGSA won't be involved.
-Representing the good things about games (fun, humour challenge) are encouraged.
-Emphasize inclusiveness and diversity, rather than reinforcing negative gender, race, etc stereotypes
-Avoid using any branding associated with products and companies (including NAG and rAge).
-Consider the potential use of your mascot(s) by Cosplayers or by costumed expo staff, they should potentially be identifiable in a range of different outfits and settings.
-Consider that the character(s) could potentially be used to invite and welcome people to rAge and act as a guide throughout the expo itself.
-Please produce concepts before polished submissions to allow for feedback.
Discussion on the finer points of the challenge is ongoing (in this other thread), and so are still subject to change. Judging (if there will even be any) is also yet to be decided, but the thread is being provided now for participants to begin contributing and getting feedback.
Note: This is not a NAG sanctioned competition. It is unlikely that any of these concepts will ever actually be used by NAG (though if they do, transferral of rights will need to be discussed). If at some point submissions could be used commercially, negotiation of terms will be left up to the artist - MGSA won't be involved.
Thanked by 1Pierre
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And ultimately, I just want to have fun trying out some sketchier ways of painting. I've generally been too precious about stuff in the past, so the end result's unlikely to be as "polished" as Warren or Caroline's versions of Roxy, but if I capture the right feeling (I freaking love the Sargent-like energy of the "rage" in image O), then I'm happy. :P
(Please also take a look at this post for where I'm currently struggling with this.)
That's also a very twisted position for a sword to come from (her hips are fighting her shoulders like crazy) there's almost no power in the swing and no stored energy to slide that sort of sword through a motion (assuming katana-esque curved cutter from the handle) - it's the legs that decide how well something is going to cut. To me this looks like she's jumping away from something that's unburrowing from below her and trying to maybe bat it away if it gets too close. How did her sword get to be in that position in the first place? Blade-high behind your back like that isn't a position that an experienced swordsperson is going to end up in: If you watch swings, even ones that do actually go behind someone, the blade is usually always lower than the handle - it's how our arms work, conserves momentum AND hides the possible arc of a strike.
So yeah, basically - it's obvious that this pose was chosen to look cool ;) Using a sword effectively in a way that actually DOES look cool is pretty rare. You could fix it a lot by lifting her elbow up, dropping the blade down to match (turning the cut into a diagonal downwards slash from high right to low left) and maybe even swapping the legs so that she's pushing off her right leg with her left in the air (that way the coiling of the shoulders makes sense for the strike and the story of power is that her left will come down, letting her right pivot past as the sword makes contact).
Obvious space marine reference is obvious, but I can adjust that if I go with one of these. The composition and pose is the important part.
I dunno what I was thinking with this. I've watched Jupiter Ascending, so maybe a soldier with robot wings, whatever. Just an idea that didn't work.
Character looks like a man, would have to fix that.
Social Justice Warrior vs Literal Troll.
Some retro sci-fi.
Just the character.
Not necessarily suitable as a mascot, but whatever, going to do some more when I'm unwinding from other work. ^_^
Aiming for that John Carter/Flash Gordon look.
This is the last thing I worked on that had some potential. The idea was along the lines of "You looking for the Slayer of a Thousand Suns? If you got the credits, then you're lookin' at her."
Totally understand, and thanks for the efforts nonetheless :D
Initial line sketch thing. I've decided to go with the same scene and setting as the original mascot in question, minus the "lol I'm a pretty girl with a gun, look at mah shiny butt".
Not sure if the limb slicing might be too violent (the goo is going to be slime green to make sure it doesn't look like blood). Equivalent to chopping fish maybe? Too violent?
Probably going to redesign her outfit and equipment some more to look more like an 80s astronaut suit to match the fishbowl helmet.
Edit: Oh, also I gave her a sword cos they're more sportsmanlike, so her monster killing is more a battle of skills hence her grin.
Edit#2: Laser katana.
And no, I don't think slicing tentacles is too violent, and this shows tentacles on their own are ok.. it's the creeping up the leg bit that leans towards Hentai.
How about robot tentacles?
Will consider robot tentacles when I get around to rendering.
Realized that the pose looks odd now cos the sliced tentacle was a last minute decision, the pose was initially cutting towards the thing... maybe I can get away with saying that she's coming around for a second slash. Otherwise i'll just revert it to an intact tentacle.
Why nobody else posting anymore? :(
So...finally starting with color but cant decide whether to stick with the original colour scheme to make a point...
,...or to emulate a more vintage sci fi palette....
And while I prefer the vintage approach visually, making a point FTW :)
Welp, here it is. Ended up deviating a bit from the original colour scheme cos I'm not overly fond of pink :P
Would spend more time on it if this was for a client but for an exercise it'll probably do...anyways that was fun :D
And yeah, the firmly-planted legs look much stronger and more confident/badass than the crossed ones did.
Thanks everyone! Aiming to finish it off this weekend...
And those decals are awesome. Great work man!
Unless of course @johnny_final_02 will be submitting something?