[Patron-Only Feed] Thoughts as we enter May

Dreams on PS4 definitely broke my flow a bit, so I think it's a good idea to stop for a few minutes and plan out what directions to consider for the month. I like to take a bit of time at the start of every month to think about stuff.

The Typical Directions

As per usual, at least 2 batches of NSFW Sketch Suggestions can be expected this month. The exact amount depends on what I find interesting, as well as any time constraints, but 2 batches have been fairly consistent. 

I'd like to focus some time on illustrations too, I think the previous month was a bit lacking in that regard -- as far as Early Access illustrations, that is. I'll try to be a bit more ambitious and post more than I did last month.

Dreams

Unsurprisingly, I've been creating a Zelda-like in Dreams. Ideally, sometime this month, I'd like to get to a point where it can be published to the dreamiverse. Like a demo that can communicate the most important things about the core experience. 

The current architectural design resembles BotW's shrines, but I'm not necessarily sure that it should be the first style I go for. Something more organic might be the way to go. 

It also goes without saying that I'm interested in creating something for Elayne Beaumont too, but she's going to be a bit more complicated to build than Zelda. I'm also not sure of what the visual style should be... Too realistic is troublesome, but too cartoony might not present the intended tone...

Anyway, I am loving Dreams as  a tool for creativity. It's powerful, accessible, and allows for easy sharing of assets. I look forward to what more is done with it, and possibly even using it for my own art. I wonder what the story mode will be like.

For the record, you can watch me stream Dreams on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/brellom 

Did you know that making games, like art, is really hard? 

Clean up

Earlier this year, I expressed wanting to clean up my environment. I still haven't done so. It may be worth dedicating a period of time towards exclusively cleaning. I'm hesitant to make any purchases for upgrades to my workspace until my environment is cleaned up. 

On the subject of my workspace

I'd like to create a workspace that allows for comfortable working. My current environment is extremely cramped (mostly due to the limitations of the available space) and my chair can cause some back pain when I'm not sitting in it properly.

A new desk is one of the things I'm interested in. Ideally something large enough to provide plenty of negative space while accommodating my computer tower, tablet, and keyboards. As of right now, there isn't a lot of space between things, and some of it is in a pile. Not cool.

Though I'm not really sure just how much I can get out of an "ideal" scenario, as I'm limited by my environment. My desk isn't up against a wall, and I'm apprehensive about it intruding upon the walking space around it... So if I can find a way to curate the surrounding space to allow for a larger desk, that would be great. I think it's easy to feel like I can't change the quality of my environment, regardless of how hard I'd try... So let's hope it's just pessimism.

Female Link Comics

My initial idea for Female Link comics is not one with a lot of strong narrative direction. In a way, it's most comparable to the narrative structure of BotW; much more freeform. I think the most typical way of telling a Zelda story in comic format is to skip a lot of the dungeons and make it about characters interacting. But I think it's important to establish the sense of loneliness and aimlessness that Link's journey, particularly in Zelda 1, has.

How do you tell a story about scouring the world in search of pieces of the Triforce, hidden in the darkest crevices of the world? The hunt for the Triforce would, realistically, take quite a lot of time! It's not like there's a map for their locations. Probably!

So the bulk of the story should just be on the adventures that happen between obtaining the Triforce pieces. Whether that's retelling of actual quests with a bit more life, exploring ideas presented by the games, or just taking a quiet moment to reflect in nature.

There still need to be some major moments of development, and so I need to think about that big picture, or plan for all the little adventures. Perhaps the most immediate priority is the creation of mood through environmental design, colours, and setting. 

But what about Elayne Beaumont?

I think I have even less of an idea for what I'd want out of an Elayne Beaumont narrative. The general idea was as simple as an old video game: The hero goes through stages to defeat the big bad. I've never been certain about the best way to make an ongoing narrative with that, but perhaps it doesn't need to be exactly that.

Anyway, I think I know what kind of tone I'd want. Perhaps I should work on a short story soon to get a grasp for that tone. Comics are NOT my forte so it's a good idea to start developing the skills for it before I'm ready to commit towards bigger endeavors. I'm easily intimidated by the prospect.

Time enough...

That's a lot of big ideas, huh? Working on projects like that can be pretty heavy, and I think I'd genuinely prefer to create them at my own pace. As you likely know, however, I often feel pressured to produce art extremely quickly, so big projects like this can be intimidating. Not to mention the general fear of disappointing consumers who may want said content sooner than later. 

My recent work with Dreams has really nailed home just how long art can often take...

Rushed work is just not emotionally comfortable. This is why, I think, the best thing that I can do is making sure that I am as transparent about my work as I can. For you and I. I'll do my best to make that possible, so feel free to let me know what I can do better.

Anyway...

This isn't a very large update. I just wanted to share my thoughts as we've entered the new month. Perhaps the direction of this month will, in some way, build around these thoughts.

Don't forget to eat & sleep!