This day's art was very different from what I was expecting! At first I was gonna do a finished and colored piece more typical of this challenge, so I opened my sketchbook to try thumbnailing, but then I got into trying to work out my personal iterator designs again (something I've been trying to do as of recently) and eventually Day 13's art became a (rather messy) collection of studies instead! It still counts though, right?
Honestly though I've been wanting to share my current ideas for iterator design for a bit now, especially since it seems like practically a rite of passage in this fandom to do one's own visual interpretations of the slugcats and iterator puppets. I'm trying to first work out the basic iterator puppet features so I can then modify things like shape language and proportions individually from more of a character design perspective for each of the main six iterators. In that aspect I want a cross between semi-futuristic robot and cute living ball-jointed doll, and I've been struggling a little with how to merge those ideas in a way that is appealing, yet also makes sense for how I imagine the puppets themselves function. It's mostly in regards to the knee joints, the size of the face plates and what parts of the head they cover, the location and connecting structure of the head wires — which I want to be reminiscent of the Na'vi queue for both looks and that similar concept of an external neural connection structure — and conveying an overall segmented/plated look yet still allowing for more organic-looking squishiness in certain parts.
I've taken a lot of inspiration from other iterator designs as well as real dolls, and now I think I'm getting to a design I enjoy! Hopefully I can then start working more on each individual iterator's appearance soon. Until then I hope these look nice!
Inktober Day 10 - Fortune
I like to think Aziraphale goes to visit Madame Tracy every once in a while for tea as a thank you for the lift during the apocalypse. Crowley begrudgingly tags along (because of course he does)