[Concept Art Discussion] Princess Zelda - Attempt 01 (Patreon)

Note: This post has been made public for presentation purposes. 

Introduction 

I've often expressed an interest in telling stories within the Legend of Zelda universe, although with my own interpretation of Link. With boobs. There is more to the franchise than Link, however…

Right now, my Link exists in what is mostly a void of nothing. No other characters, no images of Hyrule, no actual adventures. This is usually just because I've made a habit of producing quick, shallow pinups. As we move towards creating more ambitious works, however, our concepts should follow suit, don't you think? I think so, so you do too.

I've seldom given thought to what the princess of my Hyrule is like. Although I have my own version of Link, I don't have a matching Zelda. So let's explore the princess.

Initial Inspiration

I've previously discussed my Link, which draws inspiration from the older games in the franchise, like the NES games -- as well as the 80s in general. I think I should follow a similar path with Zelda, so let me take the princess from the cartoon TV series -- which I love.

In the image below, I've sketched a rough mixture of the designs from the TV series & Captain N. I really dig the violet/blue colour scheme, as well as her confident apparel -- like the vest and tall boots. There is something about it that just feels 80s.

I think bringing some BotW into the design would be cool too, as her design in that seems to echo the outfit she has in the TV cartoons. Also, I've totally drawn Zelda with short hair before the BotW2 trailer -- they copied me!

One of my favourite things about BotW is how the princess seems more inclined towards being a thinker than a fighter. Someone like that is far more likely to embody the concept of wisdom, after all, because violence is bad. Man, what a nerd!

First Draft

The previous sketches were a bit too straightforward, so let's build on top of BotW's base instead. Let's hold onto a few design traits from the cartoon, however, like Zelda's vest, pants, and boots.

Oh my! This Princess looks so cool, but she doesn't look very friendly, does she?

This Zelda looks a bit cold & detached, as though she were genuinely burdened with the responsibility of leading a kingdom. The princess is an authority figure, so I've widened her shoulders as a reference to the 80s fashion phenomenon, power dressing, in which women would dress in ways to establish authority in otherwise male dominated roles. My Link does the same thing.

Though, unlike my Link, who features a lot of rectangular & round shapes, my Princess looks a bit scary. Her shoulders are sleek, and her design is full of strong, sharp angles. She looks kinda dangerous!

That does pose a question though: Is this a character we'd want to save? Could we even believe that she'd need saving, with how overwhelmingly badass she looks?

One of the things I remember about Breath of the Wild's development is that Nintendo spent a lot of time designing Zelda, and creating a scenario that would foster a feeling of curiosity, so that she'd be a character we'd want to save. 

Brief Exploration

The first idea is almost never the best one, so let's pull away from it briefly to explore some other ideas. This will be a short, free-form process; I just want to see what may come from loosely sketching.

There are 3 different concepts here.

• Wise, tired, and perhaps a little older-looking. She carries a bit of LTTP's Zelda in the design. It's easier to see this princess in need of help with how much more bookworm-ish she looks.
• Much more typical for Zelda. Carries a bit of her LOZ & TP designs. She still has sharp shoulders, but they're much less broad. Her hair looks soft and her bust shows.
• The Initial Draft. Guess I can't stay away from you, can I?

Character

I don't know much about this princess yet, but I'm beginning to wonder about her sense of character. Just who is this Zelda? It's possible that I will have to determine WHO she is before I'm able to arrive at a satisfying design, so this might take several design sessions before then. Still, let's continue.

I've produced some quick mood sketches. Following the direction of my initial draft, this Zelda looks like she's competent, but almost like she's at the end of her rope. Is this someone struggling internally while maintaining the outward appearance of a strong leader? Is she outwardly cold & calculated, but hiding a soft, nervous center?

That's cool, though I'm not sure if it's exactly what I want out of this character. Hm…

Second Draft

This draft follows the direction of the first one, but I've streamlined a few of the details.

The top has been simplified into a single shape. Borrowing from the first sketch in the Brief Exploration stage, there are now vertical lines, allowing the eye to easily travel up & down. Combined with the width of her shoulders, she looks like a "no-nonsense" professional. Very clean & sharp.

Having said all of that, I'm not entirely sure if this is the best direction to go. Is she reading too much like an explorer? It's not bad, I just don't know what I want. Does it communicate what I need it to?

Anyway, it's about time we started thinking about colour.

Colour Palettes

It's time to start slapping some colours onto this design, which will be a pretty experimental process. It's all about swapping colours around to determine what works best.

Each row of sketches contains an arrangement of colour schemes, with the following rows comprised of slight variants of schemes before it. Like I said, it's a pretty experimental process, and there's not always a lot to say. It’s a matter of problem solving; what works here, what isn't working, and what can I do to change that?

Final Stage

Within that arrangement of 12 variants, there are a few in particular that have the most positive response among my peers. That being said, I'm not certain about settling on them. I still feel like there's a lot more work that needs to be done, and it's a bit silly to think I could come to a conclusion within one design session. I do like things about this direction though, I'm just not entirely convinced yet.

I expect I'll play around with Princes Zelda's design a bit more actively until then.

Anyway, I should probably stop for now. I gotta be mindful about not making these posts too long! I had some other ideas for Zelda and the lore of my story, but those things could wait for another time. It's possible that I should keep these Concept Art posts simple -- if I've spent so long talking about Zelda, I shouldn't toss another idea in there.

Thank you for your support. I hope you found this post at least somewhat enjoyable.

Don't forget to eat and sleep!