July MOTM: Figure of Stained Glass - concept sketch + design commentary // sfw?

thanks again to ky for suggesting a stained glass monster!

one can use stained glass for various pieces of art or objects, but for me the term is more or less synonymous with stained glass windows. consequently, i wanted this monster to look like they had stepped out of the huge stained glass windows of an old castle or cathedral. i've considered incorporating stained glass in certain previous designs, but mostly in the sense of clothing or wings that would mimic stained glass but behave in a more organic way. imagine bird wings or cloth that would be semi-transparent, glowy, and framed by black lines, like panes of stained glass set in lead -- but behaving more like feathers or regular fabric, with creases and crinkles.

however, "figure of stained glass" indicates that the whole monster is made of stained glass, and the best way i could think to portray that was to draw them weirdly two-dimensional. i intended to render their lover in my usual style, so it would create an odd contrast of 2D interacting with 3D, which seemed simultaneously interesting and challenging. drawing this monster in 2D would also give me the opportunity to focus more on creating the impression of sunlight through colourful glass and to really have fun with decorative elements, without even having to worry about shadows, highlights, and sculpting the shapes of their body.

i headed to google to look for inspiration, randomly browsing through a variety of stained glass windows. i love how draping cloth looks in many depictions of people, ranging from religious figures in medieval and renaissance churches to the art nouveau stained glass windows by alfons mucha. but i was going to draw the character naked and ~sinning,~ so i needed to focus on what their undressed body should look like (though i indulged in drawing them in a heavy robe on the sketch lol).

i decided to cover their entire body in decorative elements, somewhat according to the underlying anatomy but not restricted by it. i quickly started leaning towards natural designs, because i found many beautiful examples of stained glass flowers, leaves, and branches. some sources of inspiration looked quite natural, like an arrangement of oak leaves and acorns. others were more ornate, similar to the stylish acanthus leaves of corinthian capitals or the drapery of heraldry (aka mantling or lambrequin). i decided to simply mix and match as i saw fit.

i started sketching a very symmetrical figure, because symmetry is a recurring theme in stained glass windows in general -- and in particular in a lot of the decorative designs i drew inspiration from. i outlined the main muscle groups and some other anatomical guidelines, so there would be some method to applying the decor. then i basically experimented my way to placing the leaves, branches, florals, and geometric elements in an aesthetically pleasing way.

some of these elements correspond to a muscle or anatomical detail, like the leafy deltoids, the flower on each pec, and the little leaf on each kneecap. others cover certain body parts more like an accessory, such as the fore arm elements that resemble a vambrace. the branches of the torso vaguely follow the ribcage and the "v-cut" of the hips, and the lines across the back of the hand look like sinews. they seem to have bushy eyebrows and something resembling a line of fur along the sides down their neck. but the leaves across their belly and thighs, and the branches on their arms and legs, are purely decorative. the same goes for the more non-figurative elements of their lower legs and hands. and of course, the crotch leaf hilariously resembles the fig leaves used to censor classical statues.

i admit that i didn't read up too much on exactly how stained glass windows are made or the limits on how they can be constructed, because hey -- i'm drawing a monster person, it hardly needs to look technically accurate or possible. what mattered to me is that the cut glass panes are "outlined" in lead strips, which could easily translate into a prominent lineart. some of these lines are thin, with major elements being framed by thicker lead strips that also make the design look more structured. the natural elements are connected by lines of lead, too, making the areas in-between come across as more ... windowlike.

i wanted to make the silhouette more interesting so i added the long ... tendrils? tentacles? that flow from this monster's neck, back, and tailbone. the concept sketch above shows a few of them starting at the collar bone, but it looked a bit weird so in the painting they sprout exclusively from their back (imagine, if you will, a dock ock situation). these tendrils end with a decorative, acanthus leaf element while the length of them look like a long, thin window. they twist about like ribbons and i like to think that they could wrap around their lover's body, but unfortunately that idea didn't hit me until i was done with both the painting and the sketch.

their face originally looked a bit different -- i had already started working on the painting when i decided i wasn't fully happy with the look of their head, so i went back to the concept sketch and re-designed it. i decided to make it look a bit more leonine, because it's been a while since i designed a feline monster and it goes nicely with the kinda majestic vibe of this character.

as for the colours, stained glass windows can feature all the hues of the rainbow. i thought about using a more intense palette with royal blue, blood red, and other bold hues. but i was already setting myself up for a challenge, with the way i wanted to contrast 2D and 3D, having to render so many decorative elements, and making sure the design actually looked like stained glass instead of a mondrian painting. i often find it difficult to work with too many bright colours at once, so choosing a very brilliant palette would have added another demanding aspect to the whole thing. in the end, i decided to remain within my comfort zone and choose colours that always work for me: green for the leaves, yellow, ochre, a hint of blue, and small pops of red. it's a natural-looking palette that's still vibrant enough, and the use of warm tones would make it easier to create that warm and glowy effect of sunlight through stained glass panes.

aaand i think that's it, but comment below if you have any questions about this design :>

art + character © me.