Avian Creature Sculpt
work by Mark D'Antonio
Render
Mood Board
Concept Sketches
Process Images
Orthographic Views
Artist Blurb: Design Thought Process
I used a combination references and personal experience to conceptualize this creature. I felt that keeping humanoid elements made for the most unsettling design, since the contrast between our familiarity with certain proportions highlights the aspects of the creature which make it inhuman. While in its resting pose, the creature is on all fours. The two front limbs act as a hybrid between legs and arms, yet the length leans more towards the idea of these being arms that are supporting the disproportionately long body to balance itself. This also gives the creature an imposing, hunched-over figure that mimics the motion one might expect if it was trying to inspect a smaller object. Given that this is the resting pose, the implication is the creature is very large compared to most other animals. Moving on to the torso, it features a bony frame with wings sprouting from the top of the back. I always thought that including seemingly useless body parts lent well to horror since it adds clear points of interest, and a subversion of expectations. This design element is reminiscent of Stephen Oakley’s design for Hraezlyr which has two decayed wings on its back. Dragons are known for their majestic wings, so the choice to have these be almost stumps gives the design a creepy aesthetic. Similarly, I wanted my design to mimic this. The wings are shaped in a way that implies that they were developed incorrectly. One wing has the bones curled up in an odd shape, restricted by the skin. The other wing is completely stunted. The lack of wings removes what could have been a beautiful trait on this monster, and transitions an avian predator into something that must scavenge on the ground; potentially posing danger to humans. Last are the neck and head. These are the most bird-like features, but small adjustments have been made to continue the theme. Most obvious is the head, which is a skull. I further removed this from nature with the eyes being solid, and the mouth being a protrusion with thin tendrils coming out. I imagine a blind creature with this type of mouth would be more unsettling than a regular bird skull. The neck is another trait that adds a certain effect. I designed the creature with the 3rd, upright pose in mind. I always liked the idea of having an already imposing creature stand up to its full height and look down at you to reveal how extremely tall it is. This is displayed well in Souls games such as Elden Ring. Many of the bosses are several times the size of the player, and I love the feeling of seeing one of these designs for the first time and thinking, I have to fight that!?
