I moved back to my 2D art program, Procreate to roughly conceptualise some alterations to the armour’s composition. As with the previous design, I wanted to make it functional in terms of mobility, taking into account that the character is active and deals with constant threats. I wanted the overall silhouette of the previous design to still be present, though I feel that I should have experimented a bit more. I gathered several references of real pieces of armour, focusing on the chest-plate area as that was the area that I was most unhappy with regarding my previous design. I thought that rather than making its overall shape unique, I would use several patterns and intricate details in order to achieve this. I did not want to omit the chest-plate all together as I wanted the armour to cover the main vitals of the design such as the heart, head and knees. I wanted to replicate the distinct uniqueness of the armour sets from Dark Souls III, Elden Ring, Lords of the Fallen and more, but making sure to stay within the line of realism.
With the moodboard as a reference, I composed several armour sketches with the previous design as my basis to test whether or not I could incorporate the old chestplate into the re-worked version of the design. I also played with the formation and composition of the plating, taking into account that I would have to make this in a 3D form. In the end, I heavily referenced the more coherent chestplates that I saw in the moodboards,
FINAL DESIGN
I went with a similar structure overall, making sure to tweak the armour so that there would be compositional harmony. I decided to still go with the upturned amour above the shoulders, and doubled the plating in response to some feedback regarding the armour composition. I also stayed with the chestplate being slightly longer as it looked cohesive with the design and was preferred within feedback. Looking into the era of clothing and points of inspiration that I constantly referenced; Victorian male fashion included capelets which they would be attached to their coats. I decided to put a capelet onto his design as it was a nice dark contrast, and also showed that he is of a high rank within his current affiliation, which I wanted to convey using the capelet. I accentuated this fact by keeping the garment in tact, as I had previously made it appear dishevelled and torn. And I further translated this by adding gold accents to the capelet when I had added colour to the design, invoking an air of status. To harmonise with this element of the design, I added a gold trim to his hat, as well as the feather- a feature that I thought should be somehow present and consistent to those who bear the title of Tidal Soldier. I wanted to convey his old, years past affiliation with another faction that had been lost to time and also the fact that he had awoken from an imprisoned slumber. So, I made his cape colour contrast with the oceanic themes of the design by making it red and more torn and singed than the capelet, to hint to his affiliation with the Sun. I thought this was much better than the initial green that I picked, not only having a lore-related reason, but having a pleasing warm/cool visual contrast. I thought this would also have an interesting implication as the Tidal Captain would have to work underwater, meaning the red would actually make him stand out more within the blue sea, showing a sense of justice and selflessness in battle that has brought many victories to his soldiers.