Space Suit Exploration
Usually I start my characters with expressions and build costumes and poses around that, but I often times find that in the biz, I don't even get much of a description of what a character is like other than maybe their archetype, so I decided to design a bunch of characters entirely based on costumes to focus on shapes and colors. I've done several illustrations starring spacemen of similar design, but here I'm trying to see how I can expand the role from just a standardized space "man" to other unique characters in a cohesive universe and discover what visual elements I like and what visual elements are necessary to tie these characters together,.
Based most closely on some of the spaceman illustrations, I wanted to create a space suit that was asymmetrical and flowing, heroic but soft.
I've given a lot of these characters props to help create a function for their pose and costume to fit. Having a floating armory and magnetic holsters added that nice spacey element.
Trying to create a beefy and heroic female form using similar elements to the spaceman archetype I usually draw. Separately, I've been trying to figure out how to make more interesting helmet bubble shapes and designing them around hair shapes has helped.
My first breakaway from a definitive soft and rubbery suit. I wanted this to feel like a retro mech space suit, complete with grabber claws and jet boosters. I basically combined Robbie the Robot and a space capsule.
Another attempt to get away from a form fitting space suit. I wanted bulk based on the suit, not the actual physical form inside.
Trying to break away from the standard suit shape and I'd already done capsules and cones.
Almost the last costume I designed, I knew I wanted a miner kind of character that did core drilling and sampling. Diving bell suit elements help make her feel more like someone who's always covered in dirt but still have the suit shapes I've been using.
At suit number seven, I was looking to get away from white and black as my mains with some accent colors and switched to red as the primary.
An alternate design I'd had for the hero type, but I wanted him to be the big teddy bear type. In another movie, he'd be that gruff guy on the team who watches over the hunting dogs, so I gave him the space equivalent.
Working on this stuff on and off and getting to 10 variations, it helped to keep the suits up while I was working to make sure they feel like they all go to the same tailor, but not too repetitive :)
Always good to check everything out in a lineup.