Talkin 'bout bugs pt1
This is one part art post, one part art post, one part me rambling about world dev nonsense surrounding insect type characters.
So I recently had this random notion to start drawing bug people.
Some first trial sketches in feeling out the character and look I wanted for my 'bugs'. They're not supposed to be completely anthro, but rather their own sort of thing with a set up and cue taken from existing insects. A little bit of fun and liberties taken along the way. I kinda wanted to do the 'helmet' thing with the bugs, rather than just a flat smooth head. By the last sketch was where I think I finally got a feel of where I wanted to go with it.
This was the first sketch set where I really feel I had the process and look worked out, so I started messing with how I wanted them to move, express and emote. Also I kinda picked at the direction I wanted to take the 'beetle' types, as the one in the top right corner was supposed to be rhinoceros beetle inspired. For the sake of their upright walk, They don't really have the 'shell' setup, but rather a thicker, more rigid carapace. This was also where I first finalized Robyn's look, bouncing from the previous sketch.
This was one of the primary motivations for going with this. Coronym, is an orchid mantis influenced character that actually came about through Furcadia, as a bugge character. This is kinda where I took some of my cues from in general influence, not to mention her Antennae. I'm still going back and forth with how large I want the mantid's claws to be, but this is the intent of the general structure for Mantids. Since the first set of arms are not very usable for a range of tasks, the second pair are significantly larger than the majority of the herbivorous insects.
This was the third to be defined, a moth type that was part of my previous sketch page. Fluff on moths vary differently
Another moth, because someone suggested I make a Rosey Maple Moth based one, for the sake of large fluff amounts. And thus it happened. No plans for them.
One of their primary predators consist of birds. I want to keep them more monster looking so I'm trying to go with a bit of a dinosaur angle to them. They're fairly large, but not dragon-esque in size ratio, but something not easily fended off. Other predators are varying form of reptiles, amphibians and some fish, mammals are not as present and are actually quite small, rodents mostly.
And theeeen I ref sheet'd characters in the fastest time I have ever gone from concept to ref sheet for characters, ever.
First Robyn because she was by far the easiest and even had all these great expressions I just couldn't not use. For some reason for the jumping bugs, I felt Aphid fit her better in label than cricket.
And now Mardic, a nondescript moth that can't fly. The best way I can describe him is 'sophisticated grump'. Seasoned and cynical, but fussy about things. (he doesn't like sap because it's sticky.. it gets all over the fluff! It makes it pull out and that hurts, geeze.) Also here you can see that size can vary greatly, Coronym marks in at 10 ft, and she ranks as among the largest.
So for the society itself, since there's no parents like with most existing insects, they aren't named by anything, instead their names are self chosen. There's no real time frame in which it happens, though generally they stick to a name on the cusp of adolescence, or after pupating for those with a larval form. Since names are self chosen there is no real collection of names for them, sure some name themselves after other insects they encounter, but they also name themselves after things they like, or sounds they like. There is also often a sort of sense of fortune telling or omens with a name chosen, especially if it's based on something else. (Robyn took the name of a bird in hopes of becoming more ferocious)
Because eggs are left to fend for themselves, getting past the larval stage or the first nymphal stage is considered a huge feat, this is also why naming often occurs after this time. Siblings will often stick around each other for a time for survival, but only certain groups will stay more or less indefinitely in groups. There are less 'cities' as there are more just, a group of insects that choose to build together, Some though, do have establishments and systems, trade and commerce mostly running on a sort of barter system. Some places offer a currency of sorts, but what is considered of value can vary from community to community. The only true 'cities' are places like Ant, Bee and Termite based colonies, but anyone not of the colony looking to get in is not going to happen, only traders from the outside get to step foot beyond the boundaries, and not for very long.
For the communities, they sometimes have 'incubator' services, to ensure watching over an egg or group of eggs until hatching and/or pupation. Though due to the large amount of, well, mouths to feed, the services are often on a very steep upkeep, daily or weekly 'payments' to offset the amount of food needed to feed the newly hatched young and themselves. Sometimes trades are made where the incubator is permitted to eat half the clutch and leave the rest to survive. The motivation for these is more or less for personal progeny's sake, and not so much for parental need to ensure all their children survive, rarely do those bonds occur. Many look down on 'incubation' services, or even the few instances of classes of insects that do watch over their own, because it prevents them from experiencing the 'trial by fire' way of achieving adolescence. Raised young are often seen as being weaker and less prepared, jokes about why the colony based insects need their walls is because they wouldn't be able to make it 'out in the real world'.
And yes, the environment they are in has very huge plants, oxygen rich.
I'll be posting more on this later, along with some concept nonsense on arachnids and food chain stuff.
So I recently had this random notion to start drawing bug people.
Some first trial sketches in feeling out the character and look I wanted for my 'bugs'. They're not supposed to be completely anthro, but rather their own sort of thing with a set up and cue taken from existing insects. A little bit of fun and liberties taken along the way. I kinda wanted to do the 'helmet' thing with the bugs, rather than just a flat smooth head. By the last sketch was where I think I finally got a feel of where I wanted to go with it.
This was the first sketch set where I really feel I had the process and look worked out, so I started messing with how I wanted them to move, express and emote. Also I kinda picked at the direction I wanted to take the 'beetle' types, as the one in the top right corner was supposed to be rhinoceros beetle inspired. For the sake of their upright walk, They don't really have the 'shell' setup, but rather a thicker, more rigid carapace. This was also where I first finalized Robyn's look, bouncing from the previous sketch.
This was one of the primary motivations for going with this. Coronym, is an orchid mantis influenced character that actually came about through Furcadia, as a bugge character. This is kinda where I took some of my cues from in general influence, not to mention her Antennae. I'm still going back and forth with how large I want the mantid's claws to be, but this is the intent of the general structure for Mantids. Since the first set of arms are not very usable for a range of tasks, the second pair are significantly larger than the majority of the herbivorous insects.
This was the third to be defined, a moth type that was part of my previous sketch page. Fluff on moths vary differently
Another moth, because someone suggested I make a Rosey Maple Moth based one, for the sake of large fluff amounts. And thus it happened. No plans for them.
One of their primary predators consist of birds. I want to keep them more monster looking so I'm trying to go with a bit of a dinosaur angle to them. They're fairly large, but not dragon-esque in size ratio, but something not easily fended off. Other predators are varying form of reptiles, amphibians and some fish, mammals are not as present and are actually quite small, rodents mostly.
And theeeen I ref sheet'd characters in the fastest time I have ever gone from concept to ref sheet for characters, ever.
First Robyn because she was by far the easiest and even had all these great expressions I just couldn't not use. For some reason for the jumping bugs, I felt Aphid fit her better in label than cricket.
And now Mardic, a nondescript moth that can't fly. The best way I can describe him is 'sophisticated grump'. Seasoned and cynical, but fussy about things. (he doesn't like sap because it's sticky.. it gets all over the fluff! It makes it pull out and that hurts, geeze.) Also here you can see that size can vary greatly, Coronym marks in at 10 ft, and she ranks as among the largest.
So for the society itself, since there's no parents like with most existing insects, they aren't named by anything, instead their names are self chosen. There's no real time frame in which it happens, though generally they stick to a name on the cusp of adolescence, or after pupating for those with a larval form. Since names are self chosen there is no real collection of names for them, sure some name themselves after other insects they encounter, but they also name themselves after things they like, or sounds they like. There is also often a sort of sense of fortune telling or omens with a name chosen, especially if it's based on something else. (Robyn took the name of a bird in hopes of becoming more ferocious)
Because eggs are left to fend for themselves, getting past the larval stage or the first nymphal stage is considered a huge feat, this is also why naming often occurs after this time. Siblings will often stick around each other for a time for survival, but only certain groups will stay more or less indefinitely in groups. There are less 'cities' as there are more just, a group of insects that choose to build together, Some though, do have establishments and systems, trade and commerce mostly running on a sort of barter system. Some places offer a currency of sorts, but what is considered of value can vary from community to community. The only true 'cities' are places like Ant, Bee and Termite based colonies, but anyone not of the colony looking to get in is not going to happen, only traders from the outside get to step foot beyond the boundaries, and not for very long.
For the communities, they sometimes have 'incubator' services, to ensure watching over an egg or group of eggs until hatching and/or pupation. Though due to the large amount of, well, mouths to feed, the services are often on a very steep upkeep, daily or weekly 'payments' to offset the amount of food needed to feed the newly hatched young and themselves. Sometimes trades are made where the incubator is permitted to eat half the clutch and leave the rest to survive. The motivation for these is more or less for personal progeny's sake, and not so much for parental need to ensure all their children survive, rarely do those bonds occur. Many look down on 'incubation' services, or even the few instances of classes of insects that do watch over their own, because it prevents them from experiencing the 'trial by fire' way of achieving adolescence. Raised young are often seen as being weaker and less prepared, jokes about why the colony based insects need their walls is because they wouldn't be able to make it 'out in the real world'.
And yes, the environment they are in has very huge plants, oxygen rich.
I'll be posting more on this later, along with some concept nonsense on arachnids and food chain stuff.