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For Stygma VIA the fantasy Xchange. This month's theme was to design a character for my chosen. WIN!
The design was for a god with a beast's body. I've had the design for this guy in my head since I first read what Stygma wanted on the sign-up sheet over a week ago. (I actually started this picture last night, because the other two people on my 'your choice' note requested characters that this guy could have fit the description for... although for one of them, I would have had to add wings. Since I was first on the sign-up list, I knew I was going to have one of them as my chosen so I started working on him before notes were even sent out. >_< )
The main inspiration for this guy was actually Mononoke-Hime. I've always liked the idea of larger-than-life animals serving as forest spirits or gods. I guess it could also be argued that he's a lot like the Great Forest Spirit from that movie, although I didn't specifically have him in mind when creating this character.
I've always loved draft horses and I've never seen many draft-based unicorn, which is why I went with the body shape of one for this character. Plus I've always seen unicorns as proud, noble warriors rather than the passive creatures that I see in mountains upon mountains of fantasy painting and sculptures.
The name on the reference sheet is just a placeholder for now since I needed one on there, but he will likely be renamed by Stygma. So expect an update on this picture soon. Nevermind that. She's keeping the name.
Background texture by MartinSiilak of DeviantArt.
This character has an owner and is not up for adoption. However, if you'd like a character like this one, Blind Character Design commissions are open! - http://tracivermeesch.com/BCDCommissions.html
Image © 2012 Traci Vermeesch-Vezina
DO NOT copy, alter, repost, etc without the consent of the artist! Character/Image are NOT public domain!
Please think before you type...
and please read before asking questions. I will no longer be answering questions that can either be answered by simply reading the image's description or by spending 5 seconds to Google the answer.
The design was for a god with a beast's body. I've had the design for this guy in my head since I first read what Stygma wanted on the sign-up sheet over a week ago. (I actually started this picture last night, because the other two people on my 'your choice' note requested characters that this guy could have fit the description for... although for one of them, I would have had to add wings. Since I was first on the sign-up list, I knew I was going to have one of them as my chosen so I started working on him before notes were even sent out. >_< )
The main inspiration for this guy was actually Mononoke-Hime. I've always liked the idea of larger-than-life animals serving as forest spirits or gods. I guess it could also be argued that he's a lot like the Great Forest Spirit from that movie, although I didn't specifically have him in mind when creating this character.
I've always loved draft horses and I've never seen many draft-based unicorn, which is why I went with the body shape of one for this character. Plus I've always seen unicorns as proud, noble warriors rather than the passive creatures that I see in mountains upon mountains of fantasy painting and sculptures.
Background texture by MartinSiilak of DeviantArt.
This character has an owner and is not up for adoption. However, if you'd like a character like this one, Blind Character Design commissions are open! - http://tracivermeesch.com/BCDCommissions.html
Image © 2012 Traci Vermeesch-Vezina
DO NOT copy, alter, repost, etc without the consent of the artist! Character/Image are NOT public domain!
Please think before you type...
and please read before asking questions. I will no longer be answering questions that can either be answered by simply reading the image's description or by spending 5 seconds to Google the answer.
Category Artwork (Digital) / Fantasy
Species Unicorn
Size 1000 x 773px
File Size 465.7 kB
You have the look and feel of the Shishigami (Deer god, or Great Forest Spirit) down really well.
The story behind it in Mononoke-Hime was actually quite fascinating (and very poorly explained). The Shishigami was indeed the god of his forest, built up over millenia as the forest grew. The Night-Walker form is actually based on a legendary Japanese giant called the Daidarabotchi. He was said to be able to move mountains, redirect rivers. His footprints created many lakes. He was very helpful to humankind as well, said to have helped build bridges and dams.
By day, a god of life and death. By night, a god of the earth itself - one said to be helpful to humans, if only they knew how to ask. Beautifully subtle piece of work.
The Shinto religion would indicate that the spirit of the land would take a shape based on that land. As the Shishigami - a deer - powered himself from the forest and employed wild boar as its protectors, perhaps yours - an Umagami - would be the spirit of a prairie or open land.
The story behind it in Mononoke-Hime was actually quite fascinating (and very poorly explained). The Shishigami was indeed the god of his forest, built up over millenia as the forest grew. The Night-Walker form is actually based on a legendary Japanese giant called the Daidarabotchi. He was said to be able to move mountains, redirect rivers. His footprints created many lakes. He was very helpful to humankind as well, said to have helped build bridges and dams.
By day, a god of life and death. By night, a god of the earth itself - one said to be helpful to humans, if only they knew how to ask. Beautifully subtle piece of work.
The Shinto religion would indicate that the spirit of the land would take a shape based on that land. As the Shishigami - a deer - powered himself from the forest and employed wild boar as its protectors, perhaps yours - an Umagami - would be the spirit of a prairie or open land.
Maybe. But even though unicorns are horse-based animals, I still see them more as creatures of the forest rather than grassland animals.
Also, it seems like Miyuzaki always does a bad job of explaining things in his movies. As much as I love Spirited Away, I actually had to look online for what was actually going on. I got the broad idea of the different Kami... but it was just the little things that I needed explanations for, like the paper airplanes that were chasing Haku.
Also, it seems like Miyuzaki always does a bad job of explaining things in his movies. As much as I love Spirited Away, I actually had to look online for what was actually going on. I got the broad idea of the different Kami... but it was just the little things that I needed explanations for, like the paper airplanes that were chasing Haku.
I think it's because Miyazaki more or less was making his films for Japanese audiences, so he assumed that they had a passing knowledge of Japanese history, culture, Buddhism, and Shinto religions. It wasn't until John Lasseter insisted on doing the Mononoke-Hime dub with professionals, and Disney's full might, that people outside of the otaku actually got a good look at his movies. I know I sure had to bone up on some of the concepts before I understood either Mononoke Hime or Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi!
(And for the record, Kaonashi - No-Face - even confused a fair number of Japanese audiences, since he wasn't a typical yōkai. It turned out he was autobiographical - Miyazaki putting himself in the setting, expressing his feelings for how the entertainment industry bruited him about. There were other subtleties that were very hard to discern, like the fact Lin was a weasel yōkai, the serving-women were slug yōkai, and so on. Miyazaki got too cute by half in that one).
(And for the record, Kaonashi - No-Face - even confused a fair number of Japanese audiences, since he wasn't a typical yōkai. It turned out he was autobiographical - Miyazaki putting himself in the setting, expressing his feelings for how the entertainment industry bruited him about. There were other subtleties that were very hard to discern, like the fact Lin was a weasel yōkai, the serving-women were slug yōkai, and so on. Miyazaki got too cute by half in that one).
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