Design Challenge - 04 2021

[Skoops]

The subject has been bouncing around here and there, so I decided to finally get the ball rolling on what I hope to be at least a monthly design prompt for all the good little boys and girls to participate in. The goal here is to use your abilities to research, problem-solve, and -most importantly- visually communicate a solution.

You'll have no opponents, no time limit, and no scoring mechanisms. This is a community activity where the goal is to test yourself, learn, improve, and help your fellow Newgroundsers to do the same.

This month, I want to keep it simple:

Yep, you got it. Anything goes this time, so long as it integrates your standard vampire tropes with a wild west aesthetic.

Creative juices still not flowing? Here's some sub-prompts to get those wheels a-turnin':

• Period-appropriate weapons or tools modified for defense against / use by vampires.
• Costumes and characters: Daywalking sixgunners, slayer-priests, a blood-sucking railroad tycoon, etc.
• Environments: A vampire saloon, a vampire-proofed sheriff's office, a coal mine that's got more than just bats, etc.
• Vehicles: Stagecoaches for vampos, Vamp-proof train cars, a Penny Farthing bicycle with a shitload of garlic on it, etc.

With that, I release you! Go nuts!

Special thanks to @Template88 and @FlikkiShassART for being the first to suggest community design collabs.

[Flikki]

At 4/8/21 05:16 AM, Skoops wrote: The subject has been bouncing around here and there, so I decided to finally get the ball rolling on what I hope to be at least a monthly design prompt for all the good little boys and girls to participate in. The goal here is to use your abilities to research, problem-solve, and -most importantly- visually communicate a solution.

You'll have no opponents, no time limit, and no scoring mechanisms. This is a community activity where the goal is to test yourself, learn, improve, and help your fellow Newgroundsers to do the same.

This month, I want to keep it simple:

Yep, you got it. Anything goes this time, so long as it integrates your standard vampire tropes with a wild west aesthetic.
Creative juices still not flowing? Here's some sub-prompts to get those wheels a-turnin':

With that, I release you! Go nuts!
Special thanks to @Template88 and @FlikkiShassART for being the first to suggest community design collabs.

Ooh, this is interesting. I'll be thinking about ideas for this while I finish my coursework.

[PerKGrok]

Like the idea. Here is my 5 cents worth. :)

[Flikki]

'Garlicsparilla! The tastiest, healthiest, most vampire-proof drink in the wild wild west!'

Originally made to scare Indians away, the tonic was sold as a preventative and cure to vamparism. It was sold door to door from a wagon, and was sold in all 29 states of the united states (except in Vampire Massachusetts).

Sadly, to cut costs, Bartholamew Collinberry used spring onions instead of garlic, leading to several deaths; but by the time some foolhardy farmhand tried to kill a vampire while under the effects of the tonic, Bartholamew would be in the next town over, selling the drink over again...

[Skoops]

At 4/8/21 03:17 PM, FlikkiShassART wrote: 'Garlicsparilla! The tastiest, healthiest, most vampire-proof drink in the wild wild west!'
Originally made to scare Indians away, the tonic was sold as a preventative and cure to vamparism. It was sold door to door from a wagon, and was sold in all 29 states of the united states (except in Vampire Massachusetts).

Sadly, to cut costs, Bartholamew Collinberry used spring onions instead of garlic, leading to several deaths; but by the time some foolhardy farmhand tried to kill a vampire while under the effects of the tonic, Bartholamew would be in the next town over, selling the drink over again...

I hope we can see this Bart fella.

[Flikki]

At 4/8/21 10:58 PM, Skoops wrote:

At 4/8/21 03:17 PM, FlikkiShassART wrote: 'Garlicsparilla! The tastiest, healthiest, most vampire-proof drink in the wild wild west!'
Originally made to scare Indians away, the tonic was sold as a preventative and cure to vamparism. It was sold door to door from a wagon, and was sold in all 29 states of the united states (except in Vampire Massachusetts).

Sadly, to cut costs, Bartholamew Collinberry used spring onions instead of garlic, leading to several deaths; but by the time some foolhardy farmhand tried to kill a vampire while under the effects of the tonic, Bartholamew would be in the next town over, selling the drink over again...

I hope we can see this Bart fella.

'Bartholamew Collinberry is a travelling salesman born to an American industrialist father and a Chinese mother with a terrible secret... she was the last of an ancient order of Jiangshi vampires. In his teens both his parents mysteriously died, leaving him with a fortune that he quickly squandered. Today he travels from town to town looking for a purpose, as he's neither accepted in the human community for being a vampire, or the vampire community for being a chinaman. His only friends are a native american man Grass-whisper-on-the-wind of the Comanche tribe, who he meets occasionally on the road and helps him out on his spiritual quest, and a young runaway Elizabeth Connor who left home to become a bandit and acts as his human tether to the world. Where his travels will lead him no-one knows...'

Dangit now I feel inspired to actually draw him and his wagon.

[Skoops]

At 4/9/21 05:20 AM, FlikkiShassART wrote: Dangit now I feel inspired to actually draw him and his wagon.

DO IT. I welcome the addition of some creative writing to the mix, but at the end of the day it's still a challenge about showing. Maybe we can see some other folk's interpretations too, eh? Eh?

[Skoops]

Figure it wouldn't be right if I wasn't adding to the pile myself.

Even though I tried getting this out as fast as possible, I still use reference and construction techniques.

Don't fly blind! Research!

[Flikki]

Semi-related, but did you know the most popular hat in the "wild west" wasn't a slouch hat or the stetson, but the bowler hat? I have a ten-gallon hat, and let me tell you, that thing is the worst to wear in even the slightest of windy days. This got me thinking though; wouldn't a sombrero be the best kind of hat for a vampire since it shields it the most from the sun?

Also, I gotta say, imo vampires and skeletons don't gel so well. I think vampires are on the 'more realistic' end of the spectrum of monsters, while skeletons are more on the other. I think a better fit would be vampire or ghoul horses, or some kind of hell beast. Maybe even a thrall horse, since undead/unnatural creatures have trouble crossing rivers, and a live horse would also provide a lot of fresh blood a vampire would need in the desert.

[XRPFAN]

That's a great idea for a project. This could be the new steam punk.

[Skoops]

At 4/9/21 09:39 AM, FlikkiShassART wrote: Also, I gotta say, imo vampires and skeletons don't gel so well. I think vampires are on the 'more realistic' end of the spectrum of monsters, while skeletons are more on the other. I think a better fit would be vampire or ghoul horses, or some kind of hell beast. Maybe even a thrall horse, since undead/unnatural creatures have trouble crossing rivers, and a live horse would also provide a lot of fresh blood a vampire would need in the desert.

I'm digging your thought process on how to further ground things in reality. A day walker that wants to be less conspicuous would essentially have to be covered from head to toe to avoid that mojave sun.

That said, ain't you neva played Castlevania? Skellies abound. There's plenty of precedent for vampires being necromancers, forming alliances with all sorts of the undead, doing the Monster Mash, etc. But I still appreciate this feedback. I think whatever I do next will have more of those real-world and folklore considerations and involve more problem-solving for the characters themselves.

[Flikki]

At 4/9/21 04:21 PM, Skoops wrote:

At 4/9/21 09:39 AM, FlikkiShassART wrote: Also, I gotta say, imo vampires and skeletons don't gel so well. I think vampires are on the 'more realistic' end of the spectrum of monsters, while skeletons are more on the other. I think a better fit would be vampire or ghoul horses, or some kind of hell beast. Maybe even a thrall horse, since undead/unnatural creatures have trouble crossing rivers, and a live horse would also provide a lot of fresh blood a vampire would need in the desert.

I'm digging your thought process on how to further ground things in reality. A day walker that wants to be less conspicuous would essentially have to be covered from head to toe to avoid that mojave sun.

That said, ain't you neva played Castlevania? Skellies abound. There's plenty of precedent for vampires being necromancers, forming alliances with all sorts of the undead, doing the Monster Mash, etc. But I still appreciate this feedback. I think whatever I do next will have more of those real-world and folklore considerations and involve more problem-solving for the characters themselves.

Ah yeah sorry, only Castlevania I have any experience in is the show. I'm more thinking in more real world terms, like Slavic folklore. But this is what I really like about this; this difference in viewpoint! It's really interesting to see what and how others think like. I think this kind of discussion is really interesting and fun. Now if only others joined in... :P

[Skoops]

At 4/9/21 04:45 PM, FlikkiShassART wrote: But this is what I really like about this; this difference in viewpoint! It's really interesting to see what and how others think like. I think this kind of discussion is really interesting and fun.

Agreed! It's always a hoot seeing how different artists and designers can put such different interpretations into the same prompt.

Now all we need is more people proving me right 🐵

[Oddlem]

I really really fricken wanna do this, this seems real dang fun

[Template88]

ill need time for this one. you picked a relatively challenging one.

[NotGWalker]

Cool concept!

[misterbright]

This whole thread reminded me that this exists...

[Skoops]

At 4/13/21 02:09 AM, misterbright wrote: This whole thread reminded me that this exists...

Of course there's some wacky PS2 game that beats me to the idea. It's an immutable law of the universe.

[misterbright]

At 4/13/21 06:50 PM, Skoops wrote:

At 4/13/21 02:09 AM, misterbright wrote: This whole thread reminded me that this exists...

Of course there's some wacky PS2 game that beats me to the idea. It's an immutable law of the universe.

It's still a good idea. It's not like this game got a sequel or anything.

EDIT: I may even contribute to this challenge if I remember to

[NotGWalker]

Nosferatu harlot. I was too far in when realized it might not read as western enough.

Here's the reference:

[Skoops]

At 4/13/21 09:01 PM, FittleTeeler wrote: Nosferatu harlot. I was too far in when realized it might not read as western enough.

If you find yourself getting deep into the rendering on something before thinking that it isn't fitting the prompt, you can address it by gathering a few more references and adding a few elements from each that jump out at you. Always best to check at the sketching stage, but you can always salvage it.

As for this, I like how silly it is as an idea, so I think you should lean into that by exaggerating some of the proportions and doing some tweaking to make their personality a bit clearer. Maybe they're wildly successful, and that can be reflected in more opulent clothes and accessories, contrasting with a creepy ugly nosferatu face. Maybe they're the new recruit and they're more nervous than you'd normally see a nosferatu be. Maybe they've been in the game for 3000 years and they're not as keen on keeping up appearances as they used to be. If you have a clear image of how this character behaves and what their background is like, they become a lot easier to design.

[CenzArt]

Here is an OC I made in October that I made with an old western aesthetic. She is part of a group called the Circle of Ravens. Not much is known of the group as of yet other than that they wield insane power, skills, and magic.

Here is the link to the Newgrounds post: Valaine

[Skoops]

At 4/15/21 10:37 AM, CenzArt wrote: Here is an OC I made in October that I made with an old western aesthetic. She is part of a group called the Circle of Ravens. Not much is known of the group as of yet other than that they wield insane power, skills, and magic.

Here is the link to the Newgrounds post: Valaine

Noice! The crossbow usually communicates stealth over firepower, but in this context it makes me think they're in the business of hunting other vampires; stakes to the heart and all that. Lots of storytelling potential here.

[Flikki]

At 4/13/21 09:01 PM, FittleTeeler wrote: Nosferatu harlot. I was too far in when realized it might not read as western enough.

Here's the reference:

I think if you finish it, and take into account what Skoops said, I think this will have the potential to look really good! Heh, can't imagine a Nosferatu girl being too popular in the world though, at least not with humans. Got me wondering what vampires find pleasurable however; since they're dead (in most fiction) they wouldn't really feel most worldly pleasures, what with having necrotized nerves and what not. Maybe they're more into eliciting emotions from others, or taking perverse interest in degrading/shaming or something.

[Flikki]

At 4/15/21 10:37 AM, CenzArt wrote: Here is an OC I made in October that I made with an old western aesthetic. She is part of a group called the Circle of Ravens. Not much is known of the group as of yet other than that they wield insane power, skills, and magic.

Here is the link to the Newgrounds post: Valaine

I do like that crossbow and how it has revolver elements in its design, although I'm not sure how effective it would be in wild west times, especially when compared to a colt or a rifle. From the little reading I did, the effective range of a crossbow is about 40-90 yards, while a colt is 100-200 yards, and a rifle 300-400 (in expert hands which I assume the character would be), and range is p.important in the flat plains of the wild west. This would leave the crossbow only effective in more close quarter encounters, but at that point wouldn't a shotgun be just as good? No need to stake a heart when you can blow a heart to smitheroons. Maybe they have developed 'stake' shaped bullets or cover bullets in garlic oil, although I can imagine even regular bullets could incapacitate a vampire long enough to stake it manually.

Sorry, I know it's a little against the spirit of the challenge, I just like getting into little anal design details like these. I like your design!

[CenzArt]

At 4/16/21 04:24 AM, FlikkiShassART wrote:

At 4/15/21 10:37 AM, CenzArt wrote: Here is an OC I made in October that I made with an old western aesthetic. She is part of a group called the Circle of Ravens. Not much is known of the group as of yet other than that they wield insane power, skills, and magic.

Here is the link to the Newgrounds post: Valaine

I do like that crossbow and how it has revolver elements in its design, although I'm not sure how effective it would be in wild west times, especially when compared to a colt or a rifle. From the little reading I did, the effective range of a crossbow is about 40-90 yards, while a colt is 100-200 yards, and a rifle 300-400 (in expert hands which I assume the character would be), and range is p.important in the flat plains of the wild west. This would leave the crossbow only effective in more close quarter encounters, but at that point wouldn't a shotgun be just as good? No need to stake a heart when you can blow a heart to smitheroons. Maybe they have developed 'stake' shaped bullets or cover bullets in garlic oil, although I can imagine even regular bullets could incapacitate a vampire long enough to stake it manually.

Sorry, I know it's a little against the spirit of the challenge, I just like getting into little anal design details like these. I like your design!

You're all good! I like the amount of detail you went into the post. These are things I never thought about, but are very good points to think of in the future. I'm glad you posted because, I feel as though I can learn from this post and grow in character design. That and I learned some cool details about the weapons I chose to model the crossbow after. Also, thank you I'm glad you like the design!

[CenzArt]

At 4/15/21 10:06 PM, Skoops wrote:

At 4/15/21 10:37 AM, CenzArt wrote: Here is an OC I made in October that I made with an old western aesthetic. She is part of a group called the Circle of Ravens. Not much is known of the group as of yet other than that they wield insane power, skills, and magic.

Here is the link to the Newgrounds post: Valaine

Noice! The crossbow usually communicates stealth over firepower, but in this context it makes me think they're in the business of hunting other vampires; stakes to the heart and all that. Lots of storytelling potential here.

Thank you! Yeah one day I'll put her and the rest of the Circle of Ravens in a story. I'm currently working on the first chapters of a comic book and I was thinking of putting them as the antagonists of the second set.

[Skoops]

We've got more than a week before the next prompt, and since there's no time limit, folks can still make submissions as late as they want. That said, I wouldn't mind opening discussions about potential prompts for next month.

[Flikki]

At 4/19/21 09:54 PM, Skoops wrote: We've got more than a week before the next prompt, and since there's no time limit, folks can still make submissions as late as they want. That said, I wouldn't mind opening discussions about potential prompts for next month.

Maybe cast it to a vote? Also, as much as I love western themes, maybe something with a broader appeal would get a little more interactions next time. Something with sci-fi would be a good palette cleanser after westerns. Popular IP's, but with a twist mabye? Just spitballin', you probably have better ideas.

Regardless, I think what people have made so far is great!

[Skoops]

At 4/20/21 01:49 AM, FlikkiShassART wrote: Maybe cast it to a vote? Also, as much as I love western themes, maybe something with a broader appeal would get a little more interactions next time. Something with sci-fi would be a good palette cleanser after westerns. Popular IP's, but with a twist mabye? Just spitballin', you probably have better ideas.

Regardless, I think what people have made so far is great!

I think something a bit more mainstream is fine, though I'll be steering clear of preexisting IPs. Iterating off of other people's work is totally valid, but I would never require it.

I want to simultaneously listen to the general consensus and not totally follow it, since I know how much people like to vote for things that they're relatively good at already. If a bunch of artists that specialize in sexy monstergirls say they want the prompt to be about sexy monstergirls, best believe I'm gonna find a way to nullify their advantage over everyone else, or at least make them have to work for it.