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Bubblepuff

18 Jan 2023 · Zvery

Reference board for Bubblepuff: pufferfish, sombreros and mustaches

References collected from around the web.

Hooray, I made it. I wasn't sure if I was going to cut it, but I can say that the planning ahead really does work. I immediately start solving visual issues instead of some vague worldbuilding or hypothetical biology. Anyway, here's Bubblepuff:

As you can hopefully see, it's a bubblegum puffer fish with a mini-sombrero, which is also a clam type thing. It also has a sideburns gentlemanly mustache. I am pretty happy with this one. Not only did it take me less than 2 hours to make, it also improved on the thing I noticed yesterday about the second-layer design. This was my least favorite design I had planned, but it turned out great because of the insight I had yesterday. I wasn't satisfied because it initially was mostly just a ball and I though about giving it some huge sombrero or something. When I started though I simply added a fin on the side and then on the other and thought to myself: This kinda looks like a mustache. The rest is giftory. The sombrero is a novel addition. Generally, I would eschew design elements that appear to be crafted, unless I can make it look like it's just part of the creature. This time I wanted to give it that look without relying on crystal, so I made it a smaller Zvery that just does some symbiosis with the larger one. I then went for the friendship theme with the giant gregarious guy and the small skeptic. I think it worked well and the final piece gives me Pixar vibes. That is a good vibe to have, I'd say. I don't know how to recreate it though.

Bubblepuff being pixelled, step by step

Let me know what you think. Tomorrow, I'll be taking some time to plan out future designs (...probably, though I still have one I didn't make from the last session.) You'll see me when you see me, don't wait up, babe.
Zivan

The Bubblepuff card