Welcome to The Incarnate Process Episode 59 – Apsu Tonals
Project: Ascended Kings
Character Tonals: High King Apsu
This is a continuation from Episode 9. Discussion below:
Here we are. I don’t believe we ever got a final confirmation on the crown or staff design. But feel free to select whichever suits your fancy and I’ll be sure to include them in the final piece.
Let me know what your thoughts are on posing for Apsu. I know he too holds a staff (which we changed from the scepter) much like Zhoth. But as far as personality we’ll need to differentiate his posing from the rest.
Cheers!
Before I mention the adjustments please bear in mind that I am not saying that Apsu should be turned to be profile like the kings in these images, I am only talking about adopting their gestures to be posed within the orientation of the stance you already have created in tonal #2.
So for the adjustments to the pose we look at the depictions of Babylonian kings in the file. You’ll notice nearly every image has the kings right arm raised up at a 45ish degree angle. I would like to extend the length of the Ylem Staff so that he is still grasping it just below the bend; but his arm will be raised at a 45 degree angle so it will look natural. The staff will now be roughly just as tall as he is while the staff is still tilted at that 25ish degree angle.
Now his left arm. Again we see that several of the images show the kings left forearm approximately parallel with the ground, holding or resting his hand on a scepter/unknown rod looking thing. I would like Apsu to have this mysterious prop. What is it? I DON’T CARE, IT’S AWESOME! I’ll just call it his pimp cane. HA! But seriously, I really like how in some of the images it appears that this prop is actually sheathed somehow through the draped cloth fringe of the garments. So I would like those features, and his hand gently resting on it with his fingers outstretched slightly… (like in some of the images) Lets also make most of his arm showing skin (sleeveless) by adjusting the garments as in some of the images. Oh, and you can go ahead and design the pimp cane however you envision is best.
Next is the bracelets. They all have two matching bracelets. I like the ornate kind of style from the image with the three bracelets in the zip file. Something like those I think would look good and we just socket Ylem gems in there.
The kings in the images also share the spiraling sort of arm band things. I would like for him to have these spiraling type armbands as well, although lets not incorporate whatever animal head that is on the armbands. Just gold.
Another similarity I found is that most of them also have a secret set of scrolls, or some such thing, tucked away in their garment. There is a blown up image of this on an Assyrian statue, the file is called “scroll type things”. Lets give him those too, and lets go with a double concavity design for the gold knobs on the end.
Instead of having tassels or fringe/flanging edges though, lets try making something unique out of that concept. I was thinking we could have the “fringe” instead be gold cords that run down the garment and connect with the edge with a piece of trim. I’m not sure if I’m describing that very well but it kinda already looks like that on tonal #2. Those lines just made me think of gold cords.
The sandals of the kings are super unique. They only have the back sole wrapping around the heal of the foot and the rest of it is like a sandal. I like this idea and would like to have Apsu wearing a fancy pair of those.
Apsu will NOT have that massive beard though. He is clean shaven, and has the short to medium length bushy hair. I found what I think to be a good example actor that I’d like for him to be based on that also has a similar hair style.
That’s it for the zip file images. Which brings me to the final bulleted list, as per usual.
- I would like <removed> to be the basis for Apsu’s look. Let’s age him just a bit, Apsu is appears almost 40 at the time this is taking place:
- But lets give him the complexion of this guy: <link removed>
- Let’s go with the garments from #2, but add the loincloth flap from #3 and the circle design thats on the lower right side of the skirt from #1
- If you think he would look better with earrings we can do that but it’s totally up to you
- Last, but definitely not least, he needs a modest but noticeable necklace (not too big not too small). This necklace has a single Magatama bead on it made out of Jade. <spoilers removed>
That pretty much wraps it up. I apologize this is not as organized as I would like. I will post a summary of all of the points I posted today in a concise list that will serve as easy reference. Let me know if there is anything I left out, or if you have any questions. Thanks so much!
- Would you like the twisted gold armband to be on the upper bicep area or the lower forearm section near the elbow? (The answer to this will help determine how high up we need to cut the fabric to expose that portion of the skin) And I think the opposite arm can remain covered in fabric.
- We can rest his hand on the hilt of the pimp cane, but to make it feel natural, the elbow is going to be slunk back a bit and the back of the cane pointed more towards the ground. So the idea will remain the same but the position will be a bit more relaxed.
- Just to clarify you’d like the Ylem stone in the crown to have the acuteness of the philosopher’s stone triangle? (tall and peaked rather than shorter and equilateral)
- Braided chords can work for the torso wrap. I just need to be sure to group clumps of chords so that area won’t draw a lot of unwanted, noisy attention with hundreds of individual strands.
- A lot of the fabrics have a decorative trim. With the exception of the circular design on the lower wrap, I assume the rest of the cloth will remain relatively plain and un-patterned. I only ask because the loin cloth also has symbolism on the front and I don’t want the two pieces of fabric to feel overly busy when layered on top of one another. I think a plain loin cloth on top of the patterned leg wrap would overlap really nicely.
I think everything else is good. I’ll let you know if I run into any issues.
Cheers!
END EPISODE # 059
Stay tuned for EPISODE # 060 – Apsu Rough 1 which will be posted soon!
Thank you for stopping by!
Artwork © 2015, Dylan Pierpont.