Stripping a Scorcher (Horizon Zero Dawn)
Done for a Horizon Zero Dawn fan zine! The general prompt was to explore the relationships that Aloy forges throughout the game, whether that's with individual characters, cultures, even the machines or the land itself.
I love the Banuk an awful lot, so I thought it might be cool to draw Aloy trading tips about machine stripping with a Banuk shaman. Originally, I was going to just create an original/generic shaman character, but there was something about that that bothered me. Aloy is a smart cookie and has learned a lot about machines with experience and the help of her Focus, but I didn't want to imply that she could just waltz into Banuk territory and school any shaman there about their area of expertise. So I brought in Naltuk, a younger shaman with less experience that might be a better match for the young Nora huntress.
Final piece. This had a lot more layers than I usually work with, but I was also gunning for a much more "finished" piece than usual! (The darkened border is the intended bleed for the print, which I left on here because I kinda like the effect.)
first thumbnail. It was pointed out to me (rightfully) that the perspective here is all kinds of off, but it did capture the feeling I was going for.
A pass with actual attention to space working the way it should, ha. The characters have had a tiedown pass, but the scorcher and background are still very loose.
A full tiedown pass of everything, waiting for a final "inking." And some digital watercolor tones to help me feel out volumes.
Final "inking" with a tight pencil style of line, with flats. And the first exploration of the main light source of the scene, the activated Focus.