I have a wish

Final update

HERE IS THE CONCEPT:

First of all, I would like to introduce you to an ancient oriental myth from East Asia.

There are four guardian gods that protect cardinal points.

North by a black tortoise, South by a red bird, East by a blue dragon, and West by a white tiger.

I was deeply inspired by the black tortoise after looking at an ancient tomb mural from Goguryeo in Korean History.

I wanted to visualize a realistic scene with the black tortoise, Hyunmoo, an ancient mysterious guardian.

According to the background of the myth, I wanted to relate the theme with East Asian culture.

Here is my scenario to build the scene:

A man has an earnest and ardent wish that can't be happened in reality like the revival of his wife who passed away.

The man undergoes a hard journey to find Hyunmoo to request his wish.

Hyunmoo has his own kingdom which is collapsed because people forget about him as time goes by.

As Hyunmoo represents water and winter, his ancient palace is located underground, very deep and dark like a cave.

Hyunmoo spends most of his time sleeping.

The man finally could reach Hyunmoo, but it's very different than his imagination.

It is majestic and magnificent, and also overwhelming. The man was frightened so he couldn't move even a step forward.

His legs lost strength and bow down to Hyunmoo.

Hyunmoo noticed and staring the man who is shuddering in front of him.

The story could be continued, but I want to stop here to capture the moment.

pencil sketches

Digital sketches