It's high time I wiped the dust off of this blog. And how better to do so than with a new character?
The ultimate foe in Galatea is the bird sorcerer Carracal, long thought to be nothing more than a figure in an ancient story.
His motives are straightforward, and as he's very...birdlike, his range of emotions is relatively narrow. He should be intimidating and command a powerful presence, so design would be particularly important.
I explored a handful of different looks for him, striving to avoid the somewhat overused "robed villain" shape. Also, feathers and hawk-inspired elements would be prominent.
A distinctive visage is also a must. His face and hair would also have birdlike features. Additionally, I experimented with how human he would appear. I found that the less human options were closer to the scary look I was after.
The final design! His coloring and many details are inspired by the Striated Caracara (a breed of carrion hawk).
Lastly, I did a test comic panel to make sure the design accomplishes what I want it to.
I'm excited to start drawing him into the story!
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!
