Jorg
When it comes to Jorg, he was the first character that I had a hand in designing that actually went into a game. Like, he was implemented into animation and critiqued all the way through the pipeline. The previous art style no longer fit what Group 6 Studios had in mind so he needed to be redesigned. Under the director’s guidance I opted for a chibi-like stylization that set the tone for all future in-game character art.
There were some hiccups down the road as my work moved further down the pipeline when it came to the abstract understanding of how joints overlap in Spine (the animation software), but the animation lead collaborated with me so we could nail down a fundamental base model for any future 2D based character art.
Groovy Jorg
The reason the team designed the base character model in the way we did was because we knew in the future we were going to use character model skins as in-game purchase options. Since Jorg’s deal is basically being one with the Earth, we developed ‘Groovy Jorg’, a 1960’s based hippy skin. After extensive visual research via Pinterest I provided the team with a few options. (The horns cycle through rainbow colors in-game!)
Kano
While collaborating with another artist on the Battle Casters team, I was tasked with re-designing the character so that it matched the in-game chibi style. Kano is a fish-based character that harnesses the power of the sea via storm magic.
Tropi-kano
The Battle Casters team decided on a tropical skin to increase customization in our game. After some brainstorming I decided to dress him up in a flower t-shirt, some boarding shorts, and a flower necklace.
Vesta
With the in-game art style set in place, I was given the task of re-designing the fierce Vesta. Vesta was based on Greco-Roman looks and was described as a confident and fiery female demon (later called an Infernal Elf). As this was very early in my time at Group 6 Studios, my process started out as rough concept sketches, later developing her look to match the in-game 2D Spine models.
Biker Vesta
As with any other fighting game, Group 6 Studios wanted to develop skins for existing character models that would later be used for in-game purchases. After consideration we agreed on ‘Biker Vesta’ based on the rebellious spirit of Harley Davidsons and the desolate ongoing roads of Arizona. With several visual references I provided the team with some options, later drawing out the assets for Vesta’s in-game 2D character model. (Yes, the finger guns are animated in-game!)
