On one hand I've had a lot of activity on my profile today but on the other never in the history of anything ever has my fanfic/random activity ever spilled over into things I actually care about so I expect The Usual Suspects.

First of all... sorry I haven't been answering PMs? You know how I said I was being awkward? Um that all worked itself out. I don't think I've been this happy or well-adjusted in years. I'm more afraid of going back home than anything else but I think that I want to keep getting better. (When am I not on the whole self-improvement spiel, though? At this point it's a cornerstone of my heavily mediocre character.) So!

All that aside!

This chapter is actually more a reference chapter for me, because I finally do have all my Amalgams designs in one place (except arguably Alex but I'll give him his own chapter?). I won't be going over their backstories, save for as they pertain to the design, so if you need me to refamiliarize you with anyone, just say so in the comments. Speaking of such... I really should finish that Q and A, huh? That'll definitely be an after camp thing. 

Regardless. Kids. 

Red

Admittedly somewhat of a sparse page. Somehow my art went from "I'm actually giving up" to "worth going back to" and all I had to do was start incorporating elements of geometric shapes into the designs... seriously this has done wonders for my body diversity. Regardless Red is literally a square and I love his precious dorky rectangle head. I also love his tiny circle glasses and might have to stick with them? I'd say his trenchcoat still needs work but at least his face now looks acceptable almost every time I draw it. 

Elle 

I like Elle in dresses and might give her more jewelry in the future... her dress design is an unsubtle nod to her true form which is based in part off of female fireflies who are known to lure males of other species to their death by mimicking the mating patterns of said species... in the same way, Elle mimics human emotion to try to ensnare a mate, but that's out of her own emotional desperation. Elle continues to scare me not just as a character but for how I'm going to be utterly crucified for her portrayal if I ever write this book.

Regardless, I'm so down with those high, almost uncanny cheekbones. I did curve her hair out a bit but I might go back to making it almost uncannily straight later. I also like the more angular body shape on the right.

Damien

And there's the first focus shot. I probably changed Damien the most but I think my end design for him will end up between his "Chrona's Corner" page and the above. I think this fits his character well but he looks WAY too young, younger than even Trace and Adaline, and that fucks with his dynamics with Gillian and Mary, though especially Mary. I mean, none of them HAVE age, and Mary and him are biologically the same age, but he just looks like too much of a late bloomer... I'll miss his dang chubby cheeks though and I want to keep some of the body weight on, especially because I'm trying to diversify my pallet with males. I'll draw chubby girls any day of the week but guys are a bit of a tough spot for me.

Angel

Yeah I think I'm keeping this Angel. She looks like a babysitter to me and that's totally the vibe I was going for. Plus the sweater. Angel you dork.

Dylan

Okay first of all fuck hands? I like skinny ass Dylan (he's a poooole) but the legs are still a bit too long even for me. I decided to give him birthmark-esque markings instead of White People Viltigo because the former would show up more and is just... so much better for his design? Also I cut down on the formal wear (see the last Dylan chapter) to just a tie and sort of a rim on his shirt that mimics Red's. It's still a bit awkward but I'll get there. The horns are still a thing though, he kind of messes with his markings/horns everytime he returns to his human form hence the bottom pic. My one final issue would be that with the hair and kind of boring head shape he does give me an Evan vibe...

god Evan Drake and him would not get along. I think Dylan would be inwardly upset by how Evan approaches relationships (Evan totally cuts himself off from the WHOLE WORLD for Meg and Adam and expects a similar level of devotion, to some extent? Not that healthy, trust me) and outwardly would likely mock him for what an edgy bastard he is. Dylan might look like an edgelord but he's really like the cool older cousin who just has weird tastes. He's also the best shapeshifter. Honestly the Evan Drake thing may just be the energy ball which ISN'T A THING HE CAN DO IN CANON I WAS JUST BORED 

Mimsy

Local Mildly Schizophrenic Cat Girl Ruins Everything And Breaks My Heart

Mimsy's design has always been one of my favorites. I can maybe imagine revising her body type but I love the messy back hair and the way her front locks shelter her face. Also up there in the middle is the world's shittiest rendition of her true form I sincerely apologize

Gillian

Gillian is a redhead in cast you're wondering and yes she has hair all over her goddamn arms

Finally, hanging around a bunch of well-muscled athletes worked its way into my art... oh yeah, out of all the Amalgams, aesthetically I'd say Gillian is probably near the top of the list for me on dateability. Seriously she thicc 

(I'm a professional you guys) 

In all seriousness though really squaring up Gillian helped a lot with her design. I want to reintegrate that into her true form (drago on the left) but all the true forms are going to need to be redone a thousand times over

Mary 

Gillian and Mary were originally the same experiment, a super-soldier with no fear and regenerative abilities, but then they split: Gillian got the lack of emotions, dutifulness, and the regeneration, while Mary got the complete lack of fear that so defines her character and orchestrates her few thousand deaths Red undos by time travel. 

I love what a lanky dork she is but she and Gillian look N O T H I N G alike. I want them to be opposites while still having some elements in common, something to sort of symbolically tie them together, but their designs are my favorite and I don't want to change them :( 

Also I can't bring myself to chop off Mary's stupid hair clump no matter how dumb and overly cartoony it looks. It's just too fuckin precious 

Trace 

I used to have some real trouble drawing Trace so here you go it Trace

She's shrugging in that middle one which is why her shoulders are significantly wider. Also that top left is her true form, or at least a sketch I've had for a while- it sort of represents the extent to which she is tossed around/treated during the story, but also that she is less a person and more a conduit for a celestial energy far beyond her own understanding, which manifests in her hair. Does this bother her? 

Uh, yeah, a lot, but she also gets God Powers. Now if she could figure out how to control them... that would be great.

Also Trace Face for reference at the bottom. 

Adaline

Adaline's scarf brings me joy. I have what, three characters with that long-ass face though? I mean, they're subtly different, but.... ugh, let's just say making sure all the face/body/etc. shapes are distinct is a pain in the ass. They're at least distinctive by sihlouette now outside of hair/gender which I consider a fuckin' win. Addie's design never changes much in part because she was such a clear, distinctive image from the second I rolled her and started writing down what and who she was. On the other hand, her true form has gone through some large revisions. It keeps getting cuddlier but I still like this long, lithe dear-dragon-crocodile-rabbit thing. The subtle unease about its cute demeanor, from the beady eyes to the long mouth and stitches (Adaline's own restraint, attempting to sew the beast's mouth shut) all make it fun to screw with. It keeps changing and likely will continue to do so but at least I KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, UNLIKE THE GODDAMN TRUE FORMS FOR ANGEL, ELLE, AND KALI. 

Alex 

there's always that one character who won't cooperate and today it is Alex. Look man. I don't work miracles. Today Alex is getting a mediocre/shitty reference. Alex's whole character arc involves him continuously being understated or underestimated so the irony is not lost on me. I will draw Alex later. I'm sure there's some references for him if you leaf around anyways. 

Kali

unsubtle design influence: Sans 

some of these characters still retain a lot of their "gray area fanfic" aesthetic but Kali got bludgeoned by hers more than anyone else ha 

also enjoy Kali halfway through true form transformation even though I don't have her wendigo death form up and running again because true forms aren't on my priorities even though they're like the one thing I need ready to write the book 

Really everything would be fixed if I drew her in a different outfit but like Red's beloved trenchcoat when I try to draw her in something else she stops cooperating 

just kidding only Red is that petty