Research

At the start of the project, I explored various silhouettes to design an overall shape that would align with my expectations and the initial vision of a Christmas guardian. Although the idea of a sweet monster inspired by Christmas treats was present from the beginning, I faced challenges in visualizing its physical appearance.

Ultimately, my concept evolved into that of a fireplace guardian, made of glowing stones and burned wood. To ensure a harmonious color scheme, I chose ordinary wood with an orange hue, which was deemed more suitable than the monotone and dark shade of ashes.

I sketched some thumbnails to find inspiration. My goal was to create a benevolent guardian with a cuter rather than majestic character, though somewhat inept in its role. Initially, I envisioned the creature guarding a flower, symbolizing fragility in contrast to its own muscularity and temperament.

To visualize the layout of elements in the illustration, I created a brief 3D model. This helped me determine the arrangement and interaction of objects within the image. I had a clear idea of what I wanted to depict, but not necessarily where or how everything should be placed. This modeling led me to explore three concepts: enormous Santa Claus statues with a child, a cinema-inspired image format, and the use of a short focal length to emphasize the grandeur of my creature.

I also considered incorporating Egyptian-inspired columns into the setting, though this idea was eventually discarded. These columns suggested the notion of cage bars, symbolizing a guardian condemned to an eternal task, deprived of the simple joys that other creatures might experience.

Process

Final Illustration

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