(refresh for horns. In fact, refresh the other sketch a days, I've had to add in the days in the bottom right for most...)

This is a redesign of an older character of mine. His stage name is Sapphire.

There's a reason why you haven't seen him at any of my accounts. I'll try to make this short...

Quite a while ago, as some of you may know, I was trying to make my way into certain communities based around comic arts. This was one of my first characters that I liked who looked like the others' characters--aka not a cutesy cartoon animal.

"Sapphire" as most people know him, was a maximum security Ogrish prison guard. The system is a bit different over there--their jail is much like our average prisons, and their prisons are where inmates become living property for their durations, their treatment at guards' full discretion. Something mysterious happened one day, so mysterious, that um...(Alright, I never actually worked this plot point out.) Sapphire was out of a job, and not allowed to come anywhere near where he used to take residence. So, he took up his backup career--prostitution. He's experienced to say the least, he's done it with every one and every thing--that might look good on an Ogrish resume but in the comparatively prudish human communities, it doesn't get you very far.

ANYWAY so I tried once having Sapphire enter this comic community, and the response was lukewarm. I could go on and on about specifics, but there's just something about a lukewarm welcome, you know what I mean? I decided not to pursue this avenue.

one of the first things I heard about this character was that I should "Just discard the story". Excuse me!? That doesn't have anything to do with character design or art (which previously they were quite eager to attack my feeble attempts at drawing)! Someone didn't really like the backstory I gave him. Well, if you don't find what I read worthy of an Oscar or whatever, fine, but hell if you could see what pale, uninspired backstories people COULD get away with back then.

The other complaint was that before he didn't look very much like an ogre of any sort--a point that I now agree with.

But.

Just because I didn't take that advice doesn't mean I never would have gotten to where I am. This redesign came about naturally, just as it always would have if I never ran into those guys. If the cost of getting better quickly is being trampled over and having to sacrifice my own enjoyment, it's not worth it.

I wanted so badly to draw something sorta cute and fun tonight but for some reason I couldn't help but bring up these memories again with this character.