For February 28th 2024, this is my 10 minute drawing session. I'm working on Grand Beast of Earth number 3.
And I am really struggling with this guy.
I want to copy an idea that my kid gave me, but I don't want to copy it and I want to change it just enough.
I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to proceed with this character design.
I definitely like it being a quadruped beast.
But the last time I went very much like cattle.
This time I tried to go more cattle, and then I went like canine, and then it ended up looking like a goat.
People came over and said, oh, you're drawing a goat? I guess I am. I guess I am drawing a goat. I thought I was drawing a bull guy.
My original design, number 1, which was done with the other Grand Beasts, it had more of a bull form to it.
But something about a goat appealed to me. But then I started blending in other things.
I kind of gave it like elephant feet, sort of. I think it's the Pachyderms, how would they call it?
I kind of gave it like elephant feet. And I thought, well, elephant feet are cool.
Like a camel has a split hoof, but it has like these wide hooves, right?
And I think giraffes, because they're so large too, their hooves are really wide and they really protrude.
Like, you know, it bevels from the ankle or foot or whatever.
And I thought maybe I can do that, like give them a real, oh, you know what, maybe I should give it thick elephant feet in the back.
Thick elephant legs and feet in the back and give it some sort of other legs in the front.
That way I kind of mix it up and mix and match different stuff, kind of like I did with the whale.
So maybe what I'll end up doing, and this will just be the design principle behind it, is I will make each one of the Grand Beasts have elements from different beasts that inhabit their biome, for lack of a better word.
Because that's not the right way. That, you know, thrive in that element, I guess I should say.
And blend those together in an interesting way that looks good.
So on the next one, I'll play with mixing in different elements of different creatures.
And maybe I can also still have like the shrubbery or the bushes or the mushrooms or rocks protruding from him or whatever.
But like those details matter less.
One, because I, you know, the artistic skill I would need and the time I would need to pour into making that look really good.
Not look cartoony, but look more realistic would be difficult.
So for now, let me work on blending animal body shapes in order to create this four legged beast.
And then afterwards I can think about how I want to texture him with different types of flora and dirt and rocks and different mineral life like that, that, you know, embody the earth as he's this beast, Grand Beast of Earth.
Yeah, I like that idea.
I hope you enjoyed that.
Go to MJMunoz.com to leave any questions, comments or other feedback you might have.
There you can find all of my analysis, art and fiction.
I cover books, tokusatsu, comic books, anime and more.
Look around. You're sure to find something else that you'll enjoy as well.
This has been a story over everything production.