Wings of Fire Character Design Extravaganza - Block 1
What started as a fun little exercise for me ended up with me creating designs for 15 characters from the book series "Wings of Fire" by Tui Sutherland. My goal was to make each character completely unmistakeable from the others without it looking unnatural.
Clay, the MudWing. The funny and kind big brother figure of the main group of heroes. In the books he is described as strong and handsome, yet his personality is very sensitive and caring so I tried to marry those features altogether in his design.
Tsunami, the SeaWing. She is the aggressive, headstrong member of the group who acts before she thinks. Her colours and bold and adventurous, and she has a scar to prove her recklessness.
Glory, the RainWing. Despite being a member of the most colourful and vibrant dragon race, Glory's more sardonic and cynical personality is reflected in her more muted colour palette.
Starflight, the NightWing. He is the quiet introvert of the main group, and thus his colours and glittered wings aren't especially decorated.
Sunny, the SandWing. Described as the only SandWing to boast bright yellow scales and emerald green eyes, Sunny is the ever-postive heart and soul of the main group. Despite her abundance of optimism, she is also the most emotionally intelligent.
Peril, the SkyWing. Born with too much fire, Peril fights as a gladiator for the entertainment of her queen. I wanted to incorporate more fiery imagery into her actual design such as her horns and wings so as to suggest licks of flame.
Queen Battlewinner, the NightWing. Contrary to her name, the warrior queen has suffered many losses in battle, and as a result of a fight with an IceWing, now have a permanent frozen interior that she combats by living in a pool of lava.
Winter, the IceWing. The haughty nephew of the Queen, Winter is entitled, prickly and suffers from an egregious superiority complex. I wanted to convey some serious Draco Malfoy vibes in his design.
Qibli, the SandWing. Qibli is an outlaw with a heart of gold. He's suffered hardship in his youth as a criminal, but now prefers to use his intellect and wits to get himself and his friends out of trouble.
Queen Scarlet, the SkyWing. This villainous queen delights in being the most beautiful and terrible of her kind - even though half of her face was melted by acid. She is vain, cruel and delights in every moment of her villainy.
Swordtail, the SilkWing. A minor character in the grand scheme of things - but he makes an impression as a rebel, a loyal friend and a kind soul.
Cricket the HiveWing. A bookish, kind soul freckled with black patches, she is described as being initially intimidating at first glance, but once you get to know her is very gentle and kind, as well as a bit of a nerd.
Princess Anemone, the SeaWing. She is generally a very spoiled brat who delights in being pampered and putting those she deems beneath her in their place. Being Tsunami's sister, she shares a lot of physical similarities but is less muscular.
Whiteout the Night/IceWing hybrid. Being one of the most unique characters in the books, she's definitely one-of-a-kind, and I wanted to make her design reflect that. Her blend of Ice/Night features are also tinted blue as that is her favourite colour.
Peacemaker, the NightWing/RainWing hybrid. Long story - this character represents unity and compromise between the dragon tribes. Despite being described as only having a few rainbow speckles in the books, I expanded upon that rainbow concept.