Warrior Cats Clan Generator Challenge | With Audio Commentary!
Entertainment
Introduction
Hey everyone, it's Possum Breath, but you can call me PB for short. I'm a little late to this trend, but I'll never turn down an opportunity to stretch my character design muscles, so I'm doing it anyway.
If you want to see the original video that inspired this challenge, as well as the generator I used, links will be in the description down below. I went to the Clan Generator website expecting to randomize it a few times before I got a clan I was really interested in, and instead, I immediately got Bush Clan dropped at my feet. Three things stuck out to me immediately: first, their leader is a hairless cat, which is my favorite kind and meant I was immediately excited to draw her; second, there are only 10 of them; and third, the only adult male who isn't an elder is the medicine cat. A normal clan doesn't look like this, and I was immediately intrigued. There was a story there, and I wanted to figure out what it was.
Before I started designing, I wanted to decide on a basic theme and cohesive colors. Going in, I wanted this group of cats to look unified when seen all together, and I wanted their characters to all embody some sort of shared larger idea. Bush Clan is described as apprehensive and energetic, so I decided that all of them would have some kind of fear or obstacle in their way, informing their actions. Some adversity they are all strongly motivated to overcome. That's when their story started taking shape.
Bush Clan lives in a scrubland heavily inspired by Southern California. The clan wasn't always this small. In fact, there used to be almost double this number of cats, but in the past several moons, tragedy after tragedy has befallen Bush Clan. A coyote attack robbed them of a queen and several kits. An apprentice was bitten by a rattlesnake while on patrol and couldn't be seen in time by the medicine cat. An unusually cold and wet leaf-bare brought a sickness that took almost half of the remaining cats, leaving the clan a shell of its former glory. Their territory has also shrunk massively. They are bordered on all sides by rival clans, and those clans have taken advantage of Bush Clan's misfortune to expand past its borders, knowing full well a struggling clan can't fight back.
To go with the story, I decided to go with a more muted palette of primarily reds and blues to give them a washed-out, almost sickly feel. It tied in well to the colors the generator gave me, so I ran with it. You'll notice the final renders look a little different than the video, and that's because once I had all 10 designed, I went back and unified their colors to make sure they looked like a cohesive group.
As a note, I tried to follow the generator as closely as possible, but I've taken liberties here and there. I'm not a cat genetics expert, and I figured a unique design was more important than getting spotted tabby markings exactly right. If you see any pauses in the speed paint, just assume that's when I was frantically Googling pictures of cats in another window.
Introduction
- Warrior Cats Clan Generator Challenge
- Clan Generator
- Bush Clan
- Apprehensive
- Energetic
- Scrubland
- Tragedy
- Coyote attack
- Rattlesnake bite
- Leaf-bare sickness
- Rival clans
- Muted palette
- Reds and blues
- Cohesive group
Introduction
Q: What is the Warrior Cats Clan Generator Challenge? A: The Warrior Cats Clan Generator Challenge is a trend where artists use a clan generator to randomly generate a clan from the Warrior Cats series and then design characters for that clan.
Q: What inspired the artist to take on this challenge? A: The artist, Possum Breath (PB), was intrigued by the generator's random result, which gave them the Bush Clan. They were immediately excited by the leader being a hairless cat and saw potential for a unique story within this clan.
Q: What challenges did the artist face while designing the characters? A: The artist wanted to ensure that the characters looked unified as a group and embodied a shared larger idea. They also had to consider the traits and markings given by the generator and make adjustments to create visually unique designs. Additionally, they had to research cat features and markings to ensure accuracy.
Q: What is the story behind Bush Clan? A: Bush Clan has faced numerous tragedies, including a coyote attack, a rattlesnake bite, and a leaf-bare sickness. These events have significantly reduced their numbers and territory. They are now bordered by rival clans who have taken advantage of their misfortune. The leader, Thrift Star, is fearful for the future of the clan, while the medicine cat, Cindertail, struggles with guilt over the losses suffered. The clan's resolve is tested as they strive to overcome adversity.
Q: Will the artist expand on other clans and their stories? A: Yes, the artist is open to generating and designing other clans and their territories. They also have their own fan clans with unique stories and characters.
Q: How does the artist establish a cohesive look for the entire clan? A: The artist unified the colors of the characters to give them a cohesive appearance. They also ensured that the designs reflected the traits and markings given by the generator while incorporating unique elements to make each character visually distinct.
Q: What inspired the artist's choice of colors and palette for Bush Clan? A: The artist wanted a more muted palette of primarily reds and blues to create a washed-out, sickly feel that matched the clan's description of being apprehensive and energetic. The colors given by the generator also influenced their decision.
Q: Are there plans to continue exploring the designs and stories of Bush Clan? A: If there is interest, the artist plans to further develop the story of Bush Clan, generate other clans and their territories, and share their own fan clans' stories. They are open to expanding on this creative project based on viewer feedback.
Q: Are the designs in line with the generator's descriptions? A: While the artist tried to follow the generator's descriptions as closely as possible, they also took some creative liberties to add unique elements to the characters. The focus was on creating visually interesting designs rather than strict adherence to the generator's markings.