The Sun Lord's Dragonslayer

OOC: Design Works

(GOT MY ARTBOOK. FINALLY. YAAAYYYY.

It’s… interesting. While it is no doubt an amazing reference and just beautiful to look through and marvel at the design work that went into this game, I’m not entirely sure it was worth the $67 I paid for it. Not because it’s not quality enough, it’s just that Play-Asia’s Hawaii shipping is horrific. I might’ve been able to get a better deal if I had waited it out, especially considering how long it took to get here.  However, I feel it’s mostly worth it, the armor and weapons alone are to die for.

One thing I really need to note is how this artwork more or less confirms that, while I DO consider this to be one of the best games ever for armor design, my favorite things in this game are still the monsters. I think the bell gargoyles and the capra demons are my favorite things (I love beastly skulls on mundane bodies, it’s just a thing for me), though Bed of Chaos is a lot cooler looking when broken down than it looks in-game, and I LOVE how the Hydra has a giant, myliobatid body under the water rather than being a generic lizardy dragon.

While I can use it to ref Ornstein, especially his leggings and back (those give me the hardest time since they’re hard to get good caps of off other people’s videos), the front-shot is pretty rough and hard to make out…fortunately, I’m pretty fine with those based on the references I do have from in-game.

What interests me is how they did something with his helmet in the concept that didn’t make it to the final, which would have made more sense. The bit under the ‘chin’ of the helmet’s muzzle looks like an overlapping plate on the final, but in the concept it is actually separate from the ‘neck’ of the helmet, and the gap between them would’ve formed the visor eyes. Given that’s how the Black and Silver Knights, as well as the new concepts out for Artorias and Gough have their helmet view ports laid out, it would have been consistent for Ornstein’s to be the same way. As it stands, though, I’m fine with it. I already make the head on the helmet move WAY too much for emotive purposes than should be physically possible, what difference does it make?

What IS interesting is a concept for his helmet that didn’t make the final.  While it would have been a pain in EVERY ASS to draw over and over, it just looks totally sweet.

I think I’d rather wear that in-game than the current helmet, honestly.

Actual Ask-related update: I’m still torn as to what I’m going to do with the Knights-based questions, though it’s looking like I may just backlog them - rather than doing away with them entirely - until more information is inevitably leaked out.  I’ve been a bit busier with life stuff lately, so art has been a little more scarce. SirKai caught me at a really good time for that request/commission/whatever that most of you have probably seen by now, but I’ve gotten a little more tied up since then.

Hope you guys are having a great April! Keep being awesome!)