Adventures in Sketchtopia Part 7: Weapons Master vs Monsters

A hero arises...

We'll finish our exploration of the Looseleaf Sketchbook Pages.

To begin, we have our hero, the Weapons Master. He was inspired by the character of the same name in one of the early Shannara books. In the top picture, he holds nothing but a blade and a homing crystal. In the bottom, he has, well... a few more weapons at his disposal.

Facing off against the Weapons Master, there are a variety of monsters. A single Kappa--an imp from Japanese folklore--grins evilly.

Next up, a Black Annis--a female witchlike creature from English folklore--clutches a bone from a former victim. In a tree above, a massive Harocpy-the mix of a roc and a harpy--readies her wings for flight.

Also capable of flight, but less intimidating, an Agagoyle--some sort of gargoyle--sits on the ground. In another context, it'd be almost cute. Beside it, the confusingly named Beast of Berlin crouches, ready for the kill. Why I named it after a real-world city in Germany escapes me. Let's rename it here. Beast of Bedlam.

Taking a turn to the infernal, a series of Severed Demons hobble closer. They are in no shape to put up a serious threat. Perhaps a demonic item will be a greater threat. Opening the box in the middle will unlease the Wail of the Demons, and the Blade-in-the-Wall may materialize out of the nearest wall at any moment and strike when the Weapon Master's back is turned.

That's all for the Looseleaf Sketchbook Pages. We'll turn to another medium next time.

Bonus:

Computer generated elves, men, and monsters from one of my brothers. Fantasy figures in all their pixilated glory.

Comments

Creative Tool: Idea Mutation

It's mutating out of control! Here is another wild method of improving the creativity of ideas through the process of introducing random 'mutations'. I call it Idea Mutation. Method: Start with an idea. Add it to a circle on the far left side of a piece of paper. That is round 1. Make two branches off the first idea. Each branch has a new circle. That is round 2. For each branch, roll a 10-sided dice and select the 'mutation' from the table below. For each branch, create a 'mutated' idea incorporating that branch's mutation. Continue branching and mutation ideas for subsequent rounds (3, 4, etc.). Modifications: Include different mutations (ex. Add Thrill, More Collaborative, Clearer, etc.) Add null mutation (no changes for certain branches) Change probability of mutations (same mutation for more than one number) Examples:

Creative Tool: Idea Bracket

Let the Best Idea Win. How to generate great ideas? Why not create an Idea Bracket ? It is analogous to a sports league play-off. Ideas are pitted against each other, with the winning idea moving on to the next round. The last idea standing is the winner. I do have a few additional rules. The Three M's : Modify, Merge, and Markup. These rules allow for both idea modification and saving sub-winner ideas. Simple enough, right? Let's try it out on some examples. Story Beginning Location Floating City and Haunted Graveyard merged into Floating Graveyard Screaming Wastelands modified into Blasted Wastelands Winner was Floating Graveyard and Sundered Titan merged into Floating Graveyard of Titans Artistic Inspiration Shack Brainstorming and Review Idea/Notes merged to Shack Review Ideas TCG View modified to TCG Mashup Shack Review Ideas marked for later Monster App and Walk and Song merged to Walk and Song with Monster App Priming Winner was T...

The Mark Williamson Creative Universe

Search This Blog