about leon
Once a human, Leon got infected with the metal virus- an inexplainable illness that infects anyone who steps outside of his city walls. This illness forced him to undergo a slow and painful transformation into a part robot- and lose most of his humanity in the process. Now only being able to drink oil, and eat nuts and bolts, Leon cannot relate to the people he once loved, and is also an outsider among robots themselves. Can he find people who are just like him, somewhere out therein the metal earth? Leon’s robotic arm can turn into a sword at will, and his left eye is an extraordinarily powerful laser- one that drains most of his energy when used.
objective
To design a character that begins as a human, but has a secondary form where he is a cyborg.
Process
Cyborgs have been an interest of mine since I was young. There was always something beautiful to me about how a human can intertwine itself with cybernetic parts, heightening the possibilities of a human body and pushing what it means to be human. To be able to have the skills necessary to design the cyborg of my dreams was an absolute pleasure; so to begin, I conducted research. I wanted the cyborg to initially start out as a human, living in a vastly populated area untouched by the metal virus. The area that formed in my mind was a post-apocalyptic wasteland; except without any overly dominant dangers, and an invisible force field protecting from the outside world, almost impossible to get through. Leon, the cyborg in question, dresses in a rugged outfit, inspired by apocalyptic desert attire. Once I had that in place, I began changing and remixing his design within clip studio paint to be robotic, while still keeping his dominant traits to make him recognizable. It didn’t take me many iterations to accomplish what I desired him to look like. With everything in place, I moved onto the final task; photobashing. Compared to previous characters, such as magnet, the initial design was much simpler and required less parts. This allowed me to expand on his world and develop a background, a concept of what his city could look like. Painting and conceptualizing within Clip Studio Paint and Photoshop, I found the final result to be striking, a perfect example of his straightforward, determined attitude, wanting to push far beyond what his society has done and get outside of the wall.
MEDIUM / TOOLS USED
Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint
