Concept art Ambient Bugs

So. As you know there are a lot of different creatures in TES3 most of them bites, but now then the games going to use Skyrim rules of wildlife, we really have to create some additional peaceful fauna. There are two types of this: "normal" - big creatures, that can be killed (like elks, rabbits, deers in Skyrim) and small ones, who only can be "collected" (like dragonflies, butterflies, small fishes etc).

My first minds and drawings are about small creatures. There are just first scetches, no details at all. Simply wants to know in what direction should I move in my concepts later.

______PLEASE_____write down what type of creatures from each picture do you prefer more (like: PIC1: 1,3. 2nd is sux).

PICTURE №1

Flying things. 1,5- dragonflies, 2-roach (to replace butterflies in some regions), 3-bee, 5-some kind of mollusk firefly (not really work enough on it).

Last edited by grumpycat on 15 Mar 2014 - 02:11.

PICTURE 2 "Bugs" and chitin

PICTURE 2

"Bugs" and chitin things. Can be placed underwater (especially 3,7) or on a ground.

PICTURE 3 Some kind of crab

PICTURE 3

Some kind of crab for coasts. (Can be collectabe or killable) 4 types to select. Try to make it looks like houses in Ald'ruhn (they got the same ancestor with their extincted "big brothers")

PICTURE 4 Fishes. Just

PICTURE 4

Fishes. Just various of them here, some are predators, but can't hurt humans (like salmons in TES5). First of all, then i draw them I try to NOT make their silhouettes looks like KillerFishe's.

Those look amazing! i really

Those look amazing! I really like the Cambrian style bugs and sea creatures. An additional reference would be the Molecrab (http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Telvanni_Mole_Crab_Helm), the Telvanni had helmets made from their shells but the creature was nowhere to be found.

They were added in Tamriel Rebuilt, though:

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/File:TR3-creature-Molecrab.jpg

yeah, exactly! and also

yeah, exactly! and also Telavanni cephalopod helm ;) would be a nice monster!

and Dust adept helm, obviously made from some chitin creature too.

These are superb! Model

These are superb! Model these. Naow.

How about some mollusk

How about some mollusk/amphibian hybrids, akin to the sloads? Snail-headed frogs for the bitter coast! Salamanders with inflated man-of-war bubble crests on their heads!

One problem is that I'm not a

One problem is that I'm not a 3d modeller, guys, only an artist =( So we need someone who can use my sketches for good.

Smithehammer, the next part will be about amphibians, after that - reptiles and bigger bugs for hunting.

Hahaha. I made that Molecrab

Hahaha. I made that Molecrab creature for TR over a decade ago. Boy did that thing not age well.

@Fury_on I've heard that there won't be any decisions made about the ambient or Tier2 creatures until March. In the meantime, keep making that awesome concept art.

Well well well, it is really

Well well well, it is really nice to see the strange fauna of Vvardenfell come to life in more forms - As someone who would hoard information about strange and exotic lifeforms of the past (wikipedia, oh wikipedia), it is especially exciting. Also in speaking of bringing more life to Skywind, it would be very good to have different variants of already made creatures -like "ash guar" or "shore cliff racer" with characteristics of a seagull or something like that. Also, stickimg a bit more closer to the thread, the very most "big" ambient creature could be a silt strider somehow using the mammoth skeleton, roaming around in ashlands like mammoths did in Skyrim's tundra. I dont really know weather it was discussed here but I did not dig the topic.

/I honestly apologise for tossing all these unrelated suggestions here, but seeing these awesome concepts I could have not stopped myself and spilled everything I kept in my head/

/In terms of pictures concerning fish -there should be implemented at least one "bigger" fish like a salmon with its meat only, and rest -"smaller" just for ingredients, as it was in Skyrim/

1) 4. Very outlandish, alien,

1) 4. Very outlandish, alien, just like Morrowind. Especially love the Glow idea, imagine them at night!

2) 7. Reminds me of an underwater Netch, perhaps it can be? _____ Netch.

3) 3. Has some personality, I like the eyes so much as well.

4) 1. This was a really hard one to decide on, but I chose it because I love the leafy looking tail.
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After your amphibians bugs and other such creatures, I really hope you do large passive aerial creatures as well, since there are eagles, seagulls, crows, bone-crows found in Skyrim; I'd love to see what kind of birds you can come up with for Morrowind.

Fury_on, these are just

Fury_on, these are just gorgeous! I'll preface this with the fact that I really like all of the designs, so I'm only going to point out the ones that I have something to say about.

From Pic 1, I like 4 the best. There's nothing wrong with the others -- insects are no doubt needed to populate the Bitter Coast -- just that 4 is a bit more alien and could possibly have a throwback to the netches (though I'm not sure if 4 floats or walks).

From Pic 2, I really like 3. I'm a seahorse fan, so someone else would be better equipped to comment on whether they fit in the world of Morrowind. 2, 4 and 5 I think would fit quite well -- 4 reminds me a bit of a silt strider; maybe it's a very small cousin. 8 reminds me of a Reaper Destroyer, hehe.

From Pic 3, I personally like 1 the best but any of them could work. 2 and 4 have a vibe of mystery since their heads and eyes aren't visible. The barnacles and sea anemones are a nice touch.

From Pic 4, 8 is my personal favourite but any of them could work. 8 has what looks like overlapping plates, which is a common enough element in Morrowind's insectoid creatures, armour designs and Redoran architecture. 3 looks like it wants to nibble on the Nerevarine's toes and would be another reason I never want to go swimming Skywind.

These are, of course, merely my opinions. Looking back on what I've just written, I've more addressed the designs I like rather than what would best fit in Skywind, but ah well. Brilliant work, Fury_on.

Thanks for your opinion,

Thanks for your opinion, folks =) Really appreciate that and got +++ to my morale. If it is not for hurry - thats better, I'll keep going with creating different fauna, we together choose the best ones, I'll make them in color and more detailed and after, I hope, some one who can use 3d will make them "alive"! ))

My preferences are for

1, although 4 is very interesting it's not quite an insect.

4, and same thing with 7.

2, but 1 is also interesting with that ridge.

Anyone opposed to me spending

Anyone opposed to me spending the next few days making a few of these in 3d? I know there are skeletal considerations but the models should be simple enough that I can make them conform later

I'm certainly not opposed

Can we please research the

Can we please research the skyrim versions of small critters/flying creatures beforehand. Work will always be wasted if we dont prepare before hand.
Ask eloth or others for questions, get your hands on nif files, extract from bsa.

1. #2

2. I like every single one of these. The idea of a mene-Netch sounds really cool, and I'm enjoying the thought of seeing Morrowind Sea Horses around the coasts. If I had to choose I'd go with #3 simply because we'll get to enjoy Netches already and Vvardenfell doesn't need to compete with Japan for tentacle domination.

3. Crab #3 seems like a nice, more pacific cousin to the infamous mudcrab.

4. Fish #8 looks the most interesting to me!

The 4th fish kinda looks like

The 4th fish kinda looks like it has a guar's head... lol[External image]

For the insects, 1 and 2 are

For the insects, 1 and 2 are my favorite. I would even think of making an aquatic nymph form of #1 (perhaps modeled after the dragonfly nymph, or an antlion if you want to go with an 'ash' terrestrial form), and a 'grub' form collectible from tree stumps for #2. Imagine a foot-long antlion nymph thing rising from the ash like those ash hoppers in Dragonborn. Even if they were relatively harmless, they'd still look pretty cool.

Antlion

[External image]

Antlion pit

[External image]

Oh, how about something like a water strider? Alchemical properties for water-walking seems a shoe-in, and they could just have the effect active all the time.

For the chitons, I think the first one would be great for a static 'collectible' like kollops, and I am also quite fond of 6 just because it looks Cambrian. I might even go a step further into the Twilight Zone with something like Opabinia.

Cambrian Stuff

[External image]

For the crabs, I like the idea of vegetation growing on their back, but how about something similar to the original mudcrab, with large stag-beetle type mandibles instead of traditional crab claws (assuming we're using the 'normal' looking Oblivion/Skyrim-style Mudcrabs for Skywind)? Or even something like the triops, or the horseshoe crab.

Triops

[External image]

As for the fish, I really like the head for 5. It looks like a placoderm. I would also look into the armored jawless fish, for something truly 'alien' and ancient looking.

Armored Jawless Fish

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Ooh, just discovered this fish called the Sea Robin. Maybe something with large spiny fins would counter the slaughterfish well, too?

Sea Robin

[External image]

3.1 looks cool, 3.2 looks

3.1 looks cool, 3.2 looks like the grim reaper of crabs, 3.3 looks like a pacifist crab, 3.4 looks dead?

The buildings in Ald'Ruhn

The buildings in Ald'Ruhn where never alive, except for Skar itself, and when built were made to resemble the husks of striders. That being said, I really like the crabs. Would be great to see them on the warmer coasts of vvardenfell.

@Fury_on- I love all your

@Fury_on- I love all your little beasties, and I suggest to you that you look for the works of Brian Froud. In particular, his concept work for The Dark Crystal. You have a very similar art style with maybe a dash of Tony DiTerlizzi thrown in. I am very excited about your work and I hope I get a chance to model at least a couple of them myself. Keep sharing your awesome with us.

To everyone else, I feel obligated to be a wet blanket. If we don't finish the mod, there won't be a mod in which to include these awesome creatures or any of the Tier2 creatures. That said, we should focus on finishing all the assets we need to create a releasable mod before we start working on new content. I worked on TR for years before I left because everyone just did what they wanted and refused to focus on achieving a goal. Over a decade later, they aren't done and I'm not surprised.

I want new and exciting content added just as much as the rest of you, but more so I want to be able to brag to potential employers about being part of the greatest and most ambitious (completed) mod in the history of gaming.

I'm off my soap box. Please don't flame troll me.

To everyone else, I feel

To everyone else, I feel obligated to be a wet blanket. If we don't finish the mod, there won't be a mod in which to include these awesome creatures or any of the Tier2 creatures. That said, we should focus on finishing all the assets we need to create a releasable mod before we start working on new content. I worked on TR for years before I left because everyone just did what they wanted and refused to focus on achieving a goal. Over a decade later, they aren't done and I'm not surprised.

Well said. I'm like the dirty water to that wet blanket, its part of my job to make sure people stay on track. There is a bit of a mix between people wanting perfection and the simply need to finish things. I want the mod to be awesome, but core things need to be focused on. However we do have a lot of character artists who have volunteered and the reality is that they wont do props. So this is good for those who want to do monsters.

Hey Fury_on I found something

Hey Fury_on I found something that I wanted to run by you. I was looking at bugs for the the chitin weapons and I found this picture and thought of you. For your consideration, "Nightmare Fuel"

[External image]

I don't know what this is or where it lives, but I hope on the other side of the planet from me. If I turned a corner and walked into this, I would throw my wallet at it and run screaming like a little girl. If you can make a workable top/side drawing, I promise I will do the 3d model after we get the essentials done. Even if we don't use it, I want it for my portfolio. Also, I don't know which end is the head and which is the butt, so good luck with that.

Why do i want to say

Why do i want to say "Australia" ? :p

Ashking Wulfharth wrote:

Ashking Wulfharth
"Nightmare Fuel"

[External image]

You know, you could make a six legged (and two pincered) version of this spider, using those distinctive back legs and abdomen, and make the 'organic inspiration' for the Dwemer spider automatons. Maybe have them be one of the 'harmless critters' put around Red Mountain? Maybe using the ES portmanteau naming convention (slug + toad = Sload) we could call it a rachrust (arachnid crustacean) or something.

> Looks great. I can see you

> Looks great. I can see you use Ordovician fish as their ancestors.

+ Fresh evolutionary idea/common_feature for fish of region : can you make it non-bilateral? (non symmetric)?

+ One eye on fish's forehead, and only one of two fins on fishes' bottom? I think it will be looks good and quite unearthly.

sorry for being too slow for

sorry for being too slow for now, got a great amount of work/learning for about 2 weeks. Cant wait to return to the sweet Skywind monsters =) Im not dead, Ill be back in 1-2 weeks with some new stuff.

here we go again. First of

here we go again. First of all, I got some fun with drawing baby-guar, I know that is not important for now, but anyway. Make some differences with adult guar: bigger "hands" to dig roots, masking coloring, bigger eyes and head to look more cute =)

Oh my god it's so cute.

and more seriously thing - is

and more seriously thing - is a creating Demon Cephalopod, based on Telavanni's helmets. Rather huge (about 1m) insectoid, hunting on a small fishes, catch them with a sharp mandibules and suck them like a chinch.

and more artistic view of that bug

> bigger "hands" to dig roots

> bigger "hands" to dig roots, masking coloring, bigger eyes and head to look more cute
= if we only had integrated in engine tool to change proportions...

> Demon Cephalopod
= perfect idea

Alysander, I'm really ot of

Alysander, I'm really ot of some technical details of the engine, so can only make some ideas, if they can be realized - great, if not, well, at least some one maybe find them pretty =)

The only thing I'd change

The only thing I'd change about the guar pup is to set the eyes farther back and lower on the head, and make the forearms much shorter. I like the idea of markings that fade with age, like certain pigs or fawns.

By the way, Fury, did you see my thread on biological systems of Vvardenfell? I wonder if you might be interested in drawing up some concept art for juvenile stages of other creatures like Silt Strider eggs, nymphs, and juveniles.

From where are Dusky_alit,

From where are Dusky_alit, Least/Greater_Kagouti and Dreugh_Man_o' War ?

Thanks for detailed info. I.E

Thanks for detailed info. I.E. there is no lore or some concepts, that could limit art :0

Ok, I'll make some changes in

Ok, I'll make some changes in guar's pup, no promlem!) Next are coming: Molecrab, nixhounds nest and larva's, netch larva (that flying thing on number 4 on a 1-st concept).

Not sure if nix hound need

Not sure if nix hound need metamorphosis. Larvae can live in moist or water environment usually, and Nix Hound is adapted to ash desert. May be you could draw some unusual eggs or cocoons.

yes-yes, no water for nix, I

yes-yes, no water for nix, I know that. You will see what it is going to be;)

Lovin' 'Em

Fury_on wrote:

Fury_on
and more seriously thing - is a creating Demon Cephalopod, based on Telavanni's helmets. Rather huge (about 1m) insectoid, hunting on a small fishes, catch them with a sharp mandibules and suck them like a chinch.

and more artistic view of that bug

[External image]

Fury_on wrote:

Fury_on
here we go again. First of all, I got some fun with drawing baby-guar, I know that is not important for now, but anyway. Make some differences with adult guar: bigger "hands" to dig roots, masking coloring, bigger eyes and head to look more cute =)

I love this baby guar, its perfect![External image] Somebody, please make this happen!

Well, that's a Mole Crab's

Well, that's a Mole Crab's time. Thanks for SmiteHammer for the idea "I like the idea of vegetation growing on their back, but how about something similar to the original mudcrab, with large stag-beetle type mandibles instead of traditional crab claws ". So I only redraw my crab into a Mole crab, with some changes. Tell me what you think about it=)

And also made some work with

And also made some work with NixHounds. Sorry if I do something wrong, but I wont find any topic with discussion of their life cycle.

I imagine Nix Hounds are mostly insects than a reptiles. They place their eggs on a sticky organic glue on the rocks or trees. That eggs got some kind of spikes on it, that firstly soft and after planting becames solid and rather sharp. But they are not only for defense of eggs, but for pretending them from drying. In the nights water condencate on that spikes and slowly stream into the area on the agg (a black line on it) that can absorb it. After a while, larva's came out and spread all over the land. They are not protected by the adults Nixes anymore and must find a place for feeding themselves. They are rather vulnerable in that journey, so only their hard skin and carapase (that after became an inner bones of adults Nixes) can protect them from huge predators. When larva finds a free place for hunting it burrows like an antlion (Smithehammer told, that antlion would be a great type of lifeform for the ashlands, so...;)) Under the ground it sheds and after turns into pupa (we can't see them ingame, cause they are..right. under the ground), and here we got an awesome adult Nix!

If you find some issues, please write! and please watch you steps in the ashlands!

Great concepts.

These concepts are amazing

These concepts are amazing furyon! Make sure to upload to deviant art and them submit the to our http://tesrenewalskywind.deviantart.com/ group if you want. I know we want you to :)

fast concepts for a flying

fast concepts for a flying firefly-like netch's larvas. What do you think about this?

I think 5th is the best. May

I think 5th is the best. May be it would be more bilateral/elongated like Netch itself or Siphonophora.

Biologically speaking, I

Biologically speaking, I think #4 would be the closest to the Netches of Morrowind as it incorporated many of the same elements and gives enough leeway to determine the netche's gender at later stages of maturity. Should use the glowbug animation too! I'd love to see dozens of little baby netches illuminating the coasts of the Ascadian Isles!