Kio

Hello there!

This is my artwork of a Reptilian tribesman. It's my first entry for a contest, so I appreciate any feedback :D

I'll guide you through my work progress and explain my thought process.

 The Beginning

The first thing I did was collect references about reptiles, scales, and tribal masks (from African and South American tribes). My primary reference focus was the Nile crocodile.

Based on this, I began to mark out where I would place different types of scales.

As you can see in the picture, the white lines mark the underside of the crocodile. It's a bit tricky since this is a humanoid model.

For the mask base, I used a simple wood texture with displacement. I also employed a tile generator for scales under the mask. I started experimenting with it before finding the right settings. Additionally, I began working on the ground, introducing some color and displacement.

Start and Repeat

I began by completing the mask first. I wanted to finalize the face to better arrange the scale direction later. I added eyes and a mouth to the mask. As the mask appeared somewhat plain, I painted some tribal patterns to enhance its aesthetic.

These were some of my references, but since crocodile hands are not that precise (due to the long claws), I simplified the shapes and made them less accurate.

Now, the challenging part: Scales. I found that using a triplanar tile generator does work to some extent, but encountered two problems:

1. The tile generator produces artifacts in the scale flow.

2. The scales were not adhering well to the model.

To address the first issue, I created a simple skin texture using, once again, my trusty Tile generator XD. Since I didn't want to replicate a crocodile, I opted for a skin texture resembling that of a Komodo dragon.

For the second problem, I employed multiple layers and masked parts of them. Additionally, I created an extra height layer for the scales on the back to make them stand out more.

Looks still rough so....... To the next Phase!!!!!!

Refinement

This is my favorite and biggest stage. I usually delve into more detail and have to restrain myself from pushing further. For this stage, I aimed to blend the scales better by adding details to them, paint proper hands and feet, finish the floor, and incorporate some tribal accessories for this little fellow.

Starting with the head first, I extended the back scales and painted a proper blend from head to body. I also painted details to the sides to prevent the head from appearing too empty, creating a better blend.

I also added more white paint since young crocodiles have more white skin that hardens as they mature.

The hands were created using simple height and color layers. Most of the work involved blending scales between them. The only challenge was a space issue; I couldn't define the model without stretching the texture too much. (specially proud of this one)

As you can see, I decided to give him a two leather bracelets. In my imagination, the bracelet signifies the tribe to which you belong, the mask showcases special characteristics, and the stone bracelet indicates the role you play (the more stone rings, the higher your rank).

For the Ground I decided For a muddy Jungle ground

And that concludes most of the process.

Meet Kio: a young reptilian from the tribe Kalach. Kio is a calm tribesperson who is focused on his role in his tribe: collecting mud.

If you have any further questions or tips, feel free to ask ^^

Final Renders