Development: Early character design of Villainess

In this blog post, I will be sharing the journey of creating my unique character, a half-human and half-octopus hybrid, inspired by the mesmerizing creatures of the deep sea. From initial sketeches on paper to redrawing digitally in Photoshop, I'll discuss all with here. Join me as I dive into the enchanting world of the ocean through the eyes of this remarkable female character. 

When I first imagined my character, I drew inspiration from the mysterious octopus. Combining a human and octopus, I aimed to create a visually striking character. With a pencil in hand, I began sketching on paper, exploring various design possibilities.

As I progressed with the character design, I decided to make my creation a female character to reflect strength and grace. The concept of being half-human and half-octopus allowed me to create a creature adapted to the depths of the ocean and also possesses the ability to interact with the human world. I wanted to make the limbs of the octopus's tentacles become a central feature, symbolizing her connection to the oceanic world.

Throughout the character creation, I felt a deep connection with the oceanic theme. As I sketched, I went through so many childhood memories of watching Little Mermaid where there was a villain called Ursula. She was also a half-humand and half-octopus. It took me back to my childhood when I used to scare my little sisters with creepy gestures and chase them untill they cry. The sketch has a deep connection to my childhood memories. 

Image Source: Khwiki

After finalizing the character on paper, I took the photograph of it and decided to work digitally in Photoshop. Working digitally, gives me more flexibility while adding my creativity in a piece of art. I used the soft brush to trace over my paper image and added some extra designs which I could not do it on the paper. I used the actual image of octopus as the reference for the tentacles and suckers. I paid particular attention to the incorporation of tentacles and their characteristic suckers.

The images below are the outline of the character. 

Creating this character has been very helpful to charge my experience emotionally and innovetively. I made my character with grace and a touch of mystery. However, I will upload my futher process and a finalised outcome in upcomming blogs. 

Stay tuned.