Mid-Development Source / Timelapse Link: https://youtu.be/oki2XhFDNBo

I wanted to do something swamp/wilderness inspired. I initially had the idea of the "Bog Frog--a strange alligator-frog hybrid--and came up with the hero afterwards. Originally, I thought of having them in a swampy setting (hence the initial torch) but later opted to instead do more of a concept art page style... something I could imagine being in an "Art Of..." book.

The guidelines for this challenge were pretty interesting and I approached my line art with polygon-count in mind. I'm no expert on the matter but I attempted to keep the lines simpler and let more details (like the scales on the armor and Bog Frog) come out through a texture, rather than lines or hypothetical polygons. I hope I achieved that aspect. I imagine a lot of the details, like the armor chest plate and helmets teeth could be rendered as flat surfaces and then have a texture overlaid that would show that detail. That was my mindset and approach, at least.

In my head I created a little bit of lore or whatever to help me with the design. I imagined a kingdom that would be set in a swamp or marshy kind of area where these Bog Frogs would be pretty top-of-the-food-chain amongst the wildlife. Early settlers in the area would be wary of these monsters and observe them, adapting the Bog Frog's natural armor (it's scaly hide) into their armor designs. I imagine that either the people of this kingdom could've then gone on to start taming these guys or maybe our Swampy Hero tamed one of his own to join them in battle. Either way, these Bog Frogs would be a respected part of their kingdom and ecosystem and their reverence for these critters would begin to show in ornate helmets or shields bearing likenesses to Bog Frogs. Many of these people would also be hunters and I felt that fur pelts and leather hides would find their way into their apparel and armor.

The idea for the sword came the Hawaiian leiomano, something I remember seeing a lot in Hawaiian History growing up in Hawaii. I love the idea of a club lined with sharks teeth and felt a similar idea could apply here. Hawaiians respect and revere sharks and I feel the people of my swampy kingdom would follow suit similarly and line the edges of their powerful swords with the sharp teeth of Bog Frogs... They would've observed the ferocity of the Bog Frog and would harness that in their weapons, though perhaps only heroes like this fellow would be the only ones worthy of such weapons. Idk. These are just the thoughts I had while designing these two. :P

I hope you guys dig em. Good luck to everyone on this awesome Challenge of the Month!