CATALYST - concept phase (character design) (Patreon)

Today I'm showing four WIPs and the overall setup of what program I use, Photoshop CS6. I've also attached a high-res version as well.

The hardest challenge for the project is the character design. Not only is the amount of characters a enormous amount of work, but it's also trying to keep the BIONICLE aesthetic within human iterations.

In my humble opinion, half the appeal of BIONICLE is the fact that they are biomechancial. So take that away and...what do you get? Part of me does not blame others who get iffy on humanizations. You're taking away a huge facet of what makes BIONICLE strong.

But that's just a visual aspect. What's the heart of Bionicle? What conveys the feelings of them, their world, the story, and so much more?

In some ways, doing this 'mere' fanmade project is loads harder than the original webcomic I'm working on. In that, I can make characters however I want with no preconceived judgment or concern. But this? There's a basis of concern and a lot of pressure.

Let's talk briefly about Tahu. When we think of him, what visual aspects do you see in your mind, or words that describe him? Red. Fire. Strength. Leadership. Some possible humanization is easy: I like to match the eye colours of the sets with their human counterparts. But as I dug deeper, I realized the straightforward route is not always appealing. Just because his mask is red, does not mean I should make his hair red.*

BIONICLE, mainly the first few years, were vaguely based off polynesian/maori concepts. I then decided Ta-folks, and in particular, Tahu, would look fantastic with that look. Tanned skinned, dark short hair, a powerful looking face, but still many features that pay homage to the pacific islander. I wanted to convey that Tahu, who is someone you think of first with BIONICLE characters. He's a staple.

(*This does not mean if you designed Tahu with red hair that qualifies your work as cheap or lazy. It was just not the approach for me.) 

Other characters are not as easy to design. Some have no set designs and others I have to completely redesign from weak character designs I've grown attached to over the years from back when I first started humanizing. Perhaps down the road, I'll show some pieces of my first attempts at it. *shudders*

We have to mix other concerns as well, than just faces. What about expressions? Clothing? What is too much 'Bionicle' and what is too little, in terms of mood and aesethic? Art style? And how the heck do you wrap all that into comic pages?

It's a lot to think about!

I'll end my ramble on my process of character design, but if you have any questions, feel free to bug me.

So, besides working hard on the script itself, it's lots and lots and LOTS of character design work this week. It's a lot of fun, but challenging! We'll see how that goes!