Sometimes to break out of the art swamp you have to chase what you love, and I love bug soldiers.
Some different techniques this time: used a harder, cleaner brush for the linework, which made the flats a lot fucking quicker. Also used a non-black line color, which I think ended up fun. Also threw in some gradient on the flats for some quick shading and interest.
I'm quite pleased with this one. I was definitely remembering the rainy scene in Princess Mononoke with all the straw capes (mino) and I think the colors aren't out of place either.
Thank you. This is the result of a long on and off process of figuring out what to do with anthro insects and their limbs. I'm really liking having a smaller second set of arms that just kind of hang out. Maybe they use them for fine motor skill stuff, or maybe they're largely vestigial.
One artist I watch did just that with his take on thri-kreen, two big arms and two little ones for fine motor skills. And an abdomen, to be more bug-like. I referred to these as primary and secondary arms in some stories I wrote.
Current take on it for a new thing I'm writing has my spindly desert mantis people having six identical limbs that can be used as hands or feet. Two long digits in the middle and two shorter thumbs on either side, kinda like the Sangheili from Halo.