Concept Art: Imps

I would like some input on the Imps please! I started the process on Pen of the Avatar:


What we know so far:

• Imps are small creatures
• There is a good Imp and a bad Imp
• The Imp may be a familiar at some point in the game (I don't know)
• They are inspired by the Homunculus

 

Hi Stephen aka caravaggiosWolf - Okay...

INPUT:

1. Top one looks too muscular to me
2. Crawling shadows and the final product have the creepy effect, but look too undefined to me, not 'real'.
3. The crouching guy looks the most like a 'real' creature to me of these.
4. I guess I want to see some glistening eyes, and see if the skin is stone or flesh - ?

 

Will there be different species of Imps or will they be more or less equal except some differences like size or color?

The one Fireangel posted is great but I also would love to see something like this:

 

When I think of Imps I always imagine tiny little demons, Like the opposite of a pixie or faerie. Or if not opposite, a scaled creature with a bifurcated tail, usually red in color. Mischievous.






I could also see them being fat little creatures.. or something along these lines:




I believe you guys are trying to make a different take on Imps though so I'm not too sure how to help out with my input. I follow a more traditional thought process on them, but that might be because for years I've been dreaming of making a game that allows you to play as an Imp, being a little demon.

 

My initial thought is that they are too muscular. But if they are small enough in scale to a human it might not be that big a deal..

Any idea on what scale they will be compared to human?

 

My Mind is to spoiled with Ray Harryhausen Version of the Homoniculus
And i think you are already very close to that one with the crawling one.

I definatly like how the little monster is created in the Movie The Golden Voyage of Sindbad.
He does need blood and uses a dagger and creates him on the table.

Definatly imagine a Imp flying and not without wings. And i think he is very strong

 

(Pan's labyrinth, granted this is a faun )

 

I'm not sure how feasible these ideas are but since you asked I'm going to try throwing it out there... Would it be possible to have the good imp and bad imp be very different looking. Perhaps keep the look Myrcello suggested for the evil imp. I really like that one and I can't believe I forgot about that movie!

Now this might be a little bit out there but what if the good imp is some sort of twisted combo between a lesser dragon and demon?? Who knows in this world maybe we could find some lore to support it? I love the idea of the little guy having the arms and wings attached like the dragons and maybe some viscous claws like a bird of pray on the bottom. Maybe the head is slightly dragonish(if that makes sense). *Disclaimer this idea might create some ugly horrid beast :-/

 

I like the idea of pushing it farther towards dragonling than the usual pig face gargoyle.

 

If this creature is from the book, and is the homunculus, then it's basic appearance is outlined. Only so much can be altered from the original concept.

 

Extreme example of how to make good and bad.
Good is with a fur and cuddle;




And bad is well....
you should not feed them after midnight....




Not so fluffy..... and kind of destructive.

 

@Stephen, I'm not sure what feedback to give except that I don't think these imps are your best works that I've seen..

The examples are fairly rough and I don't feel there is all that much emotion or feeling associated with them.

There is some nice lines in there and the wings have a good structure to them, bony and stone-like. They basically give the impression of generic monsters, which there is always a place for, somewhere...

 

This should inspire..

http://www.stufftoblowyourmind.com//blog/how-to-make-a-homunculus-and-other-horrors
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/frankenstein-monster2.htm

 

I personally think good and bad imps would mainly be designated by color. Warm colors for bad; cool colors for good. Of course good imps should probably have larger, rounder eyes which would give them a kinder look.

 

Agreed. Boogley eyes for good.

 

might i inject a little frazetta into the situa'chuahn...

Swamp Demon
The Brain
Mongol Tyrant
Beyond the Grave
Fire Demon
Encounter
Sorcerer

What you started with kinda looked like the shadow to Creature from the Black Lagoon


etc.. I could do this all day.. gives me a chance to look at my reference books
never fails to inspire for me, may spark something..

 

I think it's best to make the both look "evil" (like me) so you have to figure out if they are "good" or not. I want to be surprised when/if I find a good Imp, I'd like to think they are evil based on their looks. I think RG likes to do that to us too.

 

Thanks everyone, your input is invaluable! The Golden Voyage is one of my all time favorite movies from my childhood. Fireangel is correct we want to stay close to Tracy's description for one of the imps. I'll be concepting more than 1 version for review and there may be more options down the road.

 

I do like the crawling guy as well, Fire is right about one standing, to muscully...
at first I was like... "He's drawing a spiderman pose?" for the crawling one hehe, then you carved out it's looke

 

When I think of Homunculi I'm reminded of the Tool video for Sober ...or Parabola. And more recently, the anime Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

I like the horns on the one at the top. It would be cool if their horns denoted some kind of hierarchical status within their society; or help differentiate between the good and the bad imps.

As it stands they are somewhat plain looking. Could they have feathers? Other horn protrusions? Do they wear clothes? The gesture drawings are cool; they seem to have really elongated limbs; the one on the right evokes the licker from Resident Evil.