cyberpunk gargoyle - design concept // march MOTM // sfw (Patreon)

thanks again to bees for suggesting a gargoyle monster of the month design! i added the “cyberpunk” modifier because i enjoy combining “mismatched” aesthetics, like adding futuristic cyberpunk elements to a medieval gothic gargoyle.

i actually drew another gargoyle character several years ago (there’s two nsfw paintings, here and here) so i kept in mind that this new design shouldn’t look too similar. that aside my main concern was bringing a historic monster into the future by “modernising” him with a cyberpunk look. a few ideas immediately came to mind:

first, he’s mostly made of stone (that behaves like flesh and bone, despite being cracked in places) but has a few cybernetic parts, namely his left arm, tail, and left eye. perhaps he had to replace them after suffering injuries, or perhaps he chose to augment himself with superior vision and a literal steel grip.

second, his hair has been reshaped into a punky mohawk that’s also carved from solid stone. the shapes of his locks are inspired by sculptural plant ornaments that can also be seen decorating gothic building facades.

third, his outfit should look directly out of a futuristic dystopian video game where the characters wear hot but impractical clothing. you know — 50% techwear, 50% bdsm nightclub fashion. his barely-there shirt reveals all his assets and a sleek harness wraps itself around his torso. that glove is purely a fashion statement, pockets and pouches hold much of his gear, and neon pink piercings complete the look.

fourth, his colour scheme should bring to mind a neon cityscape rather than a withering cathedral. i’ve previously drawn a seth cyborg with a similar aesthetic, but his palette was mostly pink and purple. in contrast, i chose more metallic and stone-like blues and greens for this gargoyle man.

for his features i drew inspiration from wingless gargoyles and grotesques with twisted demonic faces. i always love a toothy grin and “sculpted” decorative little swirls into his stone eyebrows, forehead, and chin. he’s got classic gargoyle horns and ears, as well as chunky toes with pronounced knuckles and thick claws.

the painting’s background features a futuristic city bathed in neon lights, further cementing the cyberpunk setting. as already mentioned i wanted to show off his fuckboy/proud hoe personality by having him take a nsfw selfie, while the sketch shows him perched on a building like a classic gargoyle. said sketch also features silhouettes of more gothic buildings and towers arranged like tall skyscrapers, and his chosen weapon is a medieval-looking axe that has been upgraded with some kind of holographic blade. he’s also wearing a large coat inspired by 16th century european men’s clothing, again mixing the cyberpunk aesthetic with a garment people might have worn when gothic cathedrals were still being built.

i hope i get more opportunities to draw “unexpected” combinations of monsters and eras/genres/aesthetics. imagine a fancy 18th century rococo orc, for example, or a dryad fighting her way through the zombie apocalypse…!

// art + character © me.