Dreamcatcher x DnD

[walleye]

Welcome to the Talkback episode of my Dreamcatcher x DnD series!!! I had a lot of fun working on this and wanted to document the process, methodologies, and other thoughts I had while working on it. Note that for DnD references, I used Wikidot.

You can find all the pieces on my instagram, 22knocks. 

Here we go!

Overall Process

This project took me ~5 months to finish! I worked on it from late March 2021 to early September 2021. My first multiple-piece project! 

It’s funny because I actually started this in January, trying to begin with Minji. I had intended on a totally different style:

But I’ll be real...this kinda killed me lol. A few things:

1. Starting right away with drawing ARMOR was so hard. Trying to map hard, geometric shapes to contour a fleshy softer angled body required a lot of thinking that I simply did not have the capacity for at the time! And:

2. The brush I was using (Procreate’s Gel Pen) was acting up. Lol. I love how it makes bold lines with a stark difference in thickness, giving it a real “comic book” feel BUT. It’s weird because when you apply more pressure, the line gets thinner, so while I was able to make sketches look cool, it was harder to make it more refined. It’s just not very intuitive, and I was very frustrated with how the ends would often just look like sudden ink blots rather than just thicker ends. Grr.

I suppose both of the above would have been improved with practice but um. Guess what! I got kinda burnt out thinking about it all and then didn’t really draw again for 3 months. I would like to try this style again in the future but in a different context. Or maybe even DC x DnD doodles.

I really got into drawing small details and  intricate designs with this project, as I’d been feeling like my art had been missing something and it turned out...it was just more details! 

I was also wishy washy with the little captions I added. I’ll be real. Sometimes I forgot to add them. I included them initially because I was paying a sort of homage to those adventure books with drawings of fantastical objects and creatures supplemented with handwritten captions from travel-worn adventurers. But for some pieces I felt they weren’t needed or kinda redundant or there just wasn’t enough space...

Speaking of space. Sometimes I didn’t have enough to draw what I wanted! Oftentimes I readjusted poses a million times until they were a.) visually interesting enough b.) not super crowded on the page. I went with 8” x 8” dimensions at 400 DPI, and realized that I had to be consistent with the piece throughout in style, so I still have a lot to learn by experimenting with canvas sizes/other settings. It ends up being all for naught when instagram/twitter compression is just...like that.

Speaking of having to be consistent throughout. Oh my god! After the third piece I got really sick of using the 6B pencil to line(it was too “barely there” for me and I felt like after some time I kept trying to press harder and harder before realizing Hm. Not so great for my apple pencil, huh.), so I switched to using the Jing Sketch Pen which is a similar style but not as faint. After this project I’m going to go back to using my favorite bold lines for a bit <3 Though I do want to try experimenting with no lines as well. 

I never had any issues with the gouache pen though. If anything, this experience has made me really enjoy colouring. I used to be a hater (I can spend hours working on lineart and making sure everything looks right there but as soon as it comes to colouring I just. Ugh! So much to think about!) but soon grew to appreciate the process (the pen definitely made that easier).  I don’t generally like using a “painterly” style but the gouache-ish pen provided a happy middle ground that enabled blending when I wanted it and hard lines elsewhere. I learned a lot about how to represent different textures (from chainmail to wood to metal to clothing to skin) and really loved the “chalky” texture the brush left when you used it. Sometimes I feel like quality issues made this look...grainy and strange which I didn’t like but. Hm. From Procreate it looks great!

Another struggle was getting the likenesses down. For some characters it wasn’t too bad. Minji and Gahyeon were the easiest for me, Siyeon and Yubin were okay, Handong and Yoohyeon were a bittt of a struggle but I think overall worked out in the end, Bora was SO HARD!!!! Part of the problem is it was hard to find references for all the poses that I wanted, because it turns out that people only tend to photograph kpop idols from like. A few angles. But I did get to draw each character three times, which gave me practice in recognizing their most prominent features.

The titles I hand drew were like. Sigh. Maybe I should have typed this. Some definitely looked better than others (sorry Yubin </3) but I guess I am glad I tried to make them all different. I get very impatient with lettering.

Last complaint is even though I have my iPad set to only draw with the Apple Pencil, sometimes when I double tap to undo, it would make a pen mark instead and I wouldn’t notice it until it was too late! Nothing that couldn’t be blended away/erased but still. Very irritating -_- I wonder whether it’s related to the paper texture screen protector..

Deciding who was what class was pretty intuitive! A lot of it was just based on “This is so vibes”...Which leads me to....

Character Specific Details (in the order I did them)

Yoohyeon - Artificer (Armorer subclass)

At first, I was thinking Yoohyeon would be a wizard. There’s some similarities between wizards and artificers: Intelligence-based casters, Prepared casters (as opposed to spontaneous), generally curious and knowledge-seeking individuals.

This fits Yoohyeon well! She’s naturally very studious (loves to learn languages), is very curious, and is shy in a way which I think makes sense to Intelligence-based casters which would be more likely to stand at the back of a battle rather than rushing forward like say, a barbarian or fighter. I think Artificer makes sense because of the tinkering element: she likes to both play video games and watch gaming videos. She can play multiple instruments. I see these traits as tactile and hands on. That’s also why I thought the Armorer subclass made a lot of sense, because it requires that element of creation. I also think Armorer is interesting when you think of the Armor as something that gives Yoohyeon strength in situations where she may otherwise feel timid, and I do see her as a defensive class.  Plus I wanted to draw a giant gauntlet.

Art process-wise, I really got into using a pencil-style pen (at this point, Procreate’s 6B Pencil) to ink and a gouache pen (I think this one) to color. I really loved drawing Pie (The trick to animals, for me at least, is minimalism) and the gauntlet and the smudgy stains.

Handong - Rogue (Phantom subclass)

I didn’t know what to make Handong at first...I actually had to ponder it for a while. First I was thinking monk, but then nah, that didn’t really seem to fit. I did think she’d be a non-magic-focused class though. I don’t really know how to explain why without drawing a comparison to Asami from Legend of Korra. She’s not a bender (magic user) but is very resourceful. I think Handong is the type who’d be quite charismatic in social situations, but she can slip through places as she needs. Part of her charisma applies to not just wooing the living, but also the dead: Phantom subclass. Her job as an information gatherer is just as important as being sneaky and unseen. This ties into her being an ISFP (open minded, good at seeking out new opportunities).

I also think it’s funny that her nightmare concept is scopophobia. What a fun twist to be the rogue when you represent the fear of being watched <3

I imagine that when she first came upon her ghostly powers, she was actually totally terrified of ghosts, but over time was able to vibe with them just fine.

Art-wise I loved to draw scary shadow Handong (which is the result of me being ??? with not knowing how to draw her with so little space), the design on the back of her gloves, and her dagger. Nothing really changed in terms of my process.

Bora - Bard (College of Glamour subclass)

First thoughts: she has gotta be a barbarian. Second thoughts: Haha unless....

I know they could have an all-bard party. Because they’re bards in real life, duh. But in terms of who would most lean into the role in a fantasy setting...Bora! And she’s a Leo! She’s certainly eye-catching and musically talented, and I think the drums would be her instrument of focus. It ties into her role as a main dancer — when I think of “keeping to the beat” I either think of drums or dancing — and it’s loud and exciting, just like SuA. She would be the wandering type of bard, performing in various taverns all across the land for one-night specials, making hella bank and being doted on by every hamlet/town/whatever she came across.

As for College of Glamour: Being blessed by the fae is a quality I would expect of Kim Bora now, so of course fantasy Bora has that in the bag. I can imagine her romping into a fey kingdom, charming everyone there, and then studying dance and drumming and singing under their tutelage. I also think Bard works well for Bora because she is a great motivator and very supportive of her other members, tying into a support role well while not relinquishing her role at the center of attention. :’)

Artwise, this was the same as the last three except it was around here that I got very sick of this too-thin pencil. I thought it would be funny to draw a little “concert” poster for her.  Anyways can’t wait to see her perform at The Cockatryce Egg at dusk next summer solstice <3

Yubin - Ranger (Fey Wanderer subclass)

I think Yubin is SO SMART. Whenever you toss a riddle or a puzzle her way, she just solves it. I just know she’d be able to figure out which way is North while hanging upside down blindfolded in a cave or whatever else it is that rangers do. In contrast to the other members, she’s the most quiet, contemplative, and always prepared. I thought at first maybe she’d be better suited as a paladin, because I think she is very dutiful to her members, but then I figured she’d opt for something more lowkey, like a ranger out in the woods watching for incoming threats approaching her village. She’d be the first to know about a lot of things, and good with animals. Good with animals rings a bell because I’m specifically reminded of those times that members (at least Gahyeon I think) were scared to interact with Pie/Cherry but Yubin served as a kind of protector who eased them gently into the experience...

As for subclass, I picked Fey Wanderer. Much like Bora, I think Yubin would be blessed with some gifts from the Fey. While Bora utilizes her abilities in more outgoing ways, I think Yubin would be one to stand back with nature and be a bit more “grassroots” with her powers. See also: 

Beguiling Twist: Beginning at 7th level, the magic of the Feywild guards your mind. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

^ Contributing to my headcanon of Yubin being the best one to reason her way out of a frightening/stressful situation. 

Also imagine Flower Prince Dami...

Art process: Enough of the 6B Pencil. I began to use the Jing Sketch Pen here, which I really liked. I also drew a horse, which is something super weird to draw for some reason, but then once you do it, it’s like “Why did I have a problem with this.” I went armor-lite for her outfits, just because if I did too much it seemed like it would have been clunky. Also Yubin in this universe is jacked (I feel like you have to, to be talented with archery)...

Gahyeon - Sorcerer (Wild Magic subclass)

THE ONLY ONE I NEVER DOUBTED! WILD MAGIC SORCERER GAHYEON! I feel like there is something to be said about the maknae being new to the world of magic/adventuring, coming into her powers by accident, eventually earning her place amongst heroes of legend. Am I biased because in my game I play as a Wild Magic Sorcerer? Perhaps a little. But sorcerer is the class I most associate with falling into the world of adventuring by happenstance, and I think in some ways that fits Gahyeon too (how she was accepted to JYP/YG and picked DCC, not being in Minx but later ending up in Deukae, that kind of series of lucky maybe-not-coincidences).

Art process: Drawing the detailing on the mirror...VERY fun. I also thought it would be cute to give her a camera/magical polaroids that she’d use to document her journey to becoming a very powerful sorcerer. Maybe that isn’t entirely historically accurate but...If you’ve seen The Green Knight (2021) and remember the part with the light-sensitive paint, then maybe you can apply a bit of that medieval reasoning here as well. If you haven’t seen it...watch it now! I also decided to draw a little comic for her, because I just felt like Gahyeon’s piece would be more item/lil bits-centric and I think it most ~youthful~ and new. As for the comic: sometimes polymorph has you forgetting that the transformed creature does not stay like that forever...

Siyeon - Warlock (Hexblade subclass)

Me and Siyeon used to both be ENTPs (until she became an INTP </3  as for me? who knows now) which is maybe why I vibe with her so much. As such I think we would both make a pact with a greater being for power. Aesthetically speaking, I think Siyeon portrays that “haunted doll”, possessed look quite well, one that I’d normally associate with warlocks. Who is haunting her? Clay wolf-owl obviously. I hadn’t thought too much about the “origin story” of the patron, but, I think something innocent-seeming made sense.

Then I picked Hexblade because 1.) The weapon focus. I just thought a very luxurious looking dagger made SENSE. Also related to Pact of the Blade I suppose so maybe it’s a bit redundant but ah well. 2.) Haunted doll look ties into wielding curses against those who cross her. 3.) See below:

Accursed Specter: Starting at 6th level, you can curse the soul of a person you slay, temporarily binding it in your service.

^ Siyeon has this air of charisma I think where it makes sense for her to command ghosts/spirits of those she killed to do her bidding. Great bonding material for her and Handong, our necromancer-passing party members.

Art: I experimented with lighting more in this one, and had lots of fun drawing candles. I also have gotten more into the groove of drawing clothes, so I’m proud of her pinstripe pants on the left. I was OBSESSED with Siyeon’s burgundy-ish hair from the Summer Holiday comeback so I knew I had to use that style for her here. I gave her a fancier dagger, one I figured that would match her entity, and a small clay idol to represent the entity itself (seemingly simple in presence, with rich history/artifacts behind it). Next time I would try experimenting more with the fire/special effects, just because I did it at the very end, wasn’t superrrr happy with it but was too tired to change anything about it.

Minji - Paladin (Oath of Glory subclass)

You knowww she had to be either a cleric or a paladin. The question is...which?? Ended up going for paladin because it is the more combat-heavy role. She still serves a higher cause, but by being a paladin, she is more able to actively fight for her members/stay true to her oath. Paladin gives off more “leader” vibes than cleric does, and Paladins can still heal, albeit not as well: Because it would kill her if any member of her party went down and she did nothing, she carries a box of medical supplies which she is skilled with, and treats in case anyone needs a pick me up.

I went with Oath of Glory for one main reason. Here’s the description text for it:

Paladins who take the Oath of Glory believe they and their companions are destined to achieve glory through deeds of heroism. They train diligently and encourage their companions so they're all ready when destiny calls.

In real life terms, I suppose you could say part of the reason why people become kpop idols in the first place is to achieve glory (through musical skill and talent yeah, but we’re not doing an all-bard party!). I see the role of the leader of a kpop group especially to help guide their members through that, and so though parts of other paladin oaths also probably relate to Minji (aiding the defenseless, devoting herself to justice, etc), the primary motivation for her being in a party and adventuring almost out on her own is that she believes she can achieve something great.

As for the art: Armor, my final foe. I save you for last. Boss battle. It was actually not too bad, especially once you find a good reference photo. I think because I made it so dark, in the end...it didn’t even really matter. Chainmail is SO fun to draw, and it looks pretty too, like scales. Cherry was a bit difficult just because white-animals are harder to detail but I think it ended up okay. I also made the necklace and box a bit too small. oooops things always look better proportioned in lineart until you color them and I just forgot to resize.

Conclusion

If you’ve made it thus far...thanks for reading! I had a lot of fun doing this and hope you enjoyed the art/reading about the process. If you have any other comments (i.e. alternative class ideas/multiclassing ideas/etc) feel free to let me know. Bye!