Character Art Portfolio: Stars of the Duat

Character Art Portfolio: Stars of the Duat

Characters from Seba: Stars of the Duat based on the contrast of modernity and afterlife. Neb-Ankh refers to one's most prized possession, which in this world is life. Death is but a means to explore the Duat, the afterlife.

Ria Sachin Misal

Seba (spectre) version of Dalia is her as she appears in the Duat, the afterlife. A small 7-year-old alone in the afterlife, first scared but eventually growing into her own. In the iterations, I wanted to focus on what a small girl might wear as her best, dream self, mingled with some fantasy. I explored Dalia with wings, feathered elements, long skirts, ba amulets, taped up feet making her look like a mermaid. I kept the color scheme analogous, trying to make the character look more ethereal and planned. Her hair is also longer, reflecting on my own dreams of having long hair as a kid. Dalia as a spectre, after her tragic death. A welcome presence that blurs the line between the living and the spectral realm, the Duat. The only entity able to traverse between the human world and the spectral world, depicting her ba being one with her body. She carries her ba amulet in her chest. When ascended to the afterlife, Dalia was a scared child not understanding much, but eventually after befriending a few seba, she popped back into the joyful child she was.

This creature design is that of a small fluffy bird in the Duat, the afterlife. Inspired by 'Long-tailed tits' (Aegithalos caudatus) species of birds. Cleo is way larger than the regular bird, rising up to knee level. I explored various metal wings, body on the bird, acting as a half cage- half armor. I also explored various spherical guises, the bird condensing into a small sphere as a survival instinct. A subtle contrasting color scheme brings out her personality. Cleo is a bird spectre who has taken a liking for a Dalia, who has just recently ascended into the afterlife. Cleo is a spirit of a small friendly bird who passed away due to inhuman experimentation, resulting in her becoming a half mechanised spectre. She can transform into a smaller-spherical form for protection from being detected.

The character design of Aaliyah is a strong and bold woman, posed in a dominant way. Being the supervisor of a factory, her iterations all donned a 2-piece-suit, lab coat and tuxedo. All the color explorations had one neutral color as the base with accents of bold colors such as red, blue, gold. The final design culminates this all; a crisp white suit with sharp lines, gold jewelry and accents, along with a velvet red bustier. She has a mullet and carries a staff inspired by Set, exuberating power and control. Aaliyah is the chief supervisor in the 'Neb-Ankh' factory where Rami and Nadia work. She is assertive and dominant and ruthless on those workers under her command. She carries around a staff with the markings of Set, despite her not needing one. She dons a long dramatic suit piece with shoulder pads that shows her confidence and command.

Nadia in her more everyday comfortable clothes. Through iterations, I explored various casual clothes Nadia might wear, tank tops, baggy pants, focusing more on loose free-flowing dresses, namely Galabeya robes. For the dresses, I explored leggings, and various color schemes with respect to her complexion. I chose to have a high contrast between the complexions and the dresses to depict her dominant personality. Nadia is a mother who has lost her daughter. Pregnant again, she fears the same fate for her next offspring. She dons a long free flowing dress, along with her embroidered crossbody bag, snake bangles and wedge heels., she struggles with guilt and anger. Neglecting her emotions, she buries them deep down, standing up strong in the face of adversity. She is dominant and decisive.

Nadia, along with her husband Rami are employed in the 'Neb-Ankh' factory, donning similar clothes, fashioned out of equipment they stole from the factory to benefit their own research. The costume design, mirroring Rami's is inspired by the design language and color scheme of Prometheus. Through the iterations, I explored various unique silhouettes for Nadia's skirt, along with the helmet. I settled on a mix of breathability and armor for her character. The colors are earthy with hints of blue, giving a nod to how these alternate world humans perceive the afterlife; very alien, cold and bathed in endless light. Nadia is one half of the husband-wife duo, notorious for their own explorations of technology and following their own beliefs. She dons equipment to traverse the afterlife. Out of the two, Nadia is drawn towards technology and replies on it more heavily.

Rami, along with his wife Nadia are employed in the 'Neb-Ankh' factory, donning similar clothes, fashioned out of equipment they stole from the factory to benefit their own research. The costume design is inspired by the design language and color scheme of Prometheus. Through the iterations, I explored various silhouettes for Rami, along with the variations of the amount of cloth to armor pieces. I settled on a armor focused design with loose cloth on the bottom part. The colors are earthy with hints of blue, giving a nod to how these alternate world humans perceive the afterlife; very alien, cold and bathed in endless light. Rami, one half of the husband-wife duo, notorious for their own explorations of technology and following their own beliefs. He dons equipment to traverse the afterlife. Out of the two, Rami is more traditional and the source of new ideas, leaning less towards the tech.