Original Character: Kitsune Takiro

As one of my final university assignments, I did an independent study on character design. Takiro, or Taki for short; is the result of the practical side of that assignment. I made it my goal to create an original character, as well as creating a 'splash art' of sorts for them, similar to how games such us League of Legends has portraits of their characters.

Originally starting out as a DnD character where he was a wizard, Taki evolved into what he is today during this assignment. With a troubled past, Taki does what he can to get by. After being brought back from the dead by a cult wishing to use his kitsune magic, Taki managed to escape his confinement and flee to the outside world; with only a magical book to protect him. Unbeknownst to him, the book Taki took in his escape harbors a corrupting power. It will protect him for now, but at what cost?

I created his character sheet first, so I would know what he would look like from any angle. Since Taki is based off of a kitsune, which are used a lot in Japanese folklore, I tried to make his outfit Japanese themed. I ended up mixing a more generic mage cloak with a kimono. After that I explored and concepted his character more, designing his book and his corrupted form. From there I produced up to 4 thumbnails to explore my ideas on what his final 'splash art' should look like. Once I found the one I liked all that was left to do was to work on it until it became a finished illustration!

I had to take into account where Taki was or likely could be with the pose that I had in the thumbnail. I decided to go with him being in a snowy forest, defending himself from cult members. This then influenced the lighting to be very cold in hues, which already fit with Taki's colour palette of blue and purple. Taki's fox features are heavily based off of a snow fox, with a little bit of Lynx (influencing the long fur on his ears), so it would be fitting to have him in a snowy environment.