porcelain & lace - design concept // may MOTM // sfw (Patreon)

thanks again to ciyu for suggesting the "porcelain & lace" design prompt!

from the start i wanted this guy to look like he's made from shiny porcelain, with some kind of decoration "painted" on. i looked to porcelain vases, figurines, tiles, and tableware for inspiration, but ultimately had an epiphany browsing teaware: this design should embody the aesthetics of afternoon tea. and so, the final design is based on antique tea kettles, delicately painted cups, dainty doilies, and victorian lace collars.

both his horn and his long, gently curved neck mimics a tea kettle's spout, while his hooked tail resembles its handle. some antique teapots have nubby feet to stand on, which inspired his little peets. a curtain of delicate lace spill from his tail, and flow from his lower arms almost like sleeves. the fluff of his ears and cheeks also have a lace-like quality, and he wears a sheer collar.

he's adorned with a pattern of flowers and leaves on a white background, like so many tea sets throughout history. the concept sketch lacks detail, but for the finished piece i tried to mimic the romantic, painterly look of old floral still life.

the porcelain of his neck and tailtip looks like tufts of fur, but takes on more stylised shapes along his arms and legs. these decorative moulded "flourishes" with gilded edges are also inspired by antique kettles and cups. (i'm no expert, but it seems like rococo teaware is an especially good example of that kind of decor.)

many newer tea sets are similarly adorned, of course, but i wanted him to look like an antique sprung to life. he should seem like he belongs in a centuries old home in the english countryside, surrounded by old lace curtains and handmade wooden furniture, rather than the glass and steel of a brunch buffet in a fancy, urban, modern hotel.

that's also why the lace elements are a bit yellowed, and why his hands and throat bear the ochre colour of tea stains in old cups. his main body is a muted ivory hue rather than polished bone white, and the colours of the floral paint is a little faded.

his thighs and upper arms are a little darker than the frilly "sleeves" and "boots." it's subtle, but i think it makes his design look more interesting and "lively" than if his body had been the same hue all over. his forehead is also lighter than the rest of his face, and his eye also looks painted on. and finally he's beefy but not chiselled, because i didn't want the shapes of his musculature to "interfere" too much with all the decorative design elements.

// art + character © me.