QUIET ADVENTURERS - THE GARDENER
Character spot illustration, meant to accompany NPC or adventurer class descriptions in RPGs and video games, part of an ongoing series.
For this project I wanted to present a different, quiet type of adventurer. No sword in hand, not seeking fame, treasures or monsters to kill: what better than a druid, going around the forest, planting seeds and healing the land? We need those people in the real world, even more than in a fictional one.
I wanted to transmit warmth and care, so I leaned on a „Father of the Woods“ esthetic. Add a little contrast with the small horned skull trinket, and a pinch of animal unpredictability through its ferret familiar: the closest mammal to a snake.
I am currently working on more Quiet Adventurers, and the fantasy setting they move in, the forest of Dunwald. So if you want to see Mushroom Pickers, Fire Collectors, Shelter Builders, Wayward Spirits and all sorts of Treefolk… come back here, or check my Instagram!
Scroll to see how this illustration integrates into a role-playing game manual and to review my workflow.
Spot Illustration - Character Design(NPC) - RPG / Tabletop Game Art
Process: I usually start from a very loose sketch in which I try to block the main feel and characteristics of the character. Then I proceed to mock up a color study. On this base I bring in more volume and brainstorm possible elements of storytelling: trinkets, familiars, and objects that say something about the subject.
Once the pencils are refined, I proceed to block in the main light source and the resulting shadows. On this basis I can bring in the colours.