★ OC Central

[Kaiju Bunny]

Art by Kaiju Bunny and ausma

Ever wanted a place to show off your OCs? Ever interested in sharing their lore? Want a place to ask for critique or suggestions with building your own OCs?
Smeargle's Studio welcomes you to OC Central!

Addressing the obvious: What is an OC?
To put it simply, an OC, or "Original Character," is a custom character you make for yourself! This can be an Original Character from your own original world, or a fan character from an existing franchise (e.g. Pokémon, Star Wars, Splatoon, etc.).

Another question that may pop up is: How do I make an OC?
If you'd like to start creating, our very own ausma has made the following guide below!

How to Make an OC

OCs are a weird concept to grasp at first, especially if you haven’t really made them before. However, in a vacuum, making an OC is not unlike an author writing a story and characters interacting with it; in fact, that is quite literally what is happening. Making an OC more or less means that you’re in that writing position, and have the ability to create the character as you please. However, it can be really difficult to really make a character if you do not know where to start! So, let me give you some tips as someone who’s been involved in the creative scene for nearly a decade.


Advice #1: Be Inspired
To me, I feel like the reason and thrill behind making the character is by far the greatest motivation behind why I do it, and truthfully I think meaning in general is beyond the greatest force when it comes to feeling fulfilled and satisfied with your work. I’ve noticed that OCs that are made for the sake of “well, I should make one” tend not to feel very satisfying, or really have any qualities that feel special or impactful to the creator. You get this meaning, almost always, through inspiration.

There is no real thing as a purely original character, contrary to popular belief. Every character you see nowadays takes traits and attributes from other existing forms of media or real, existing things. By definition… they are “memes', even. Hell, characters you may expect to be purely original take inspiration from pre-existing things. Darth Vader’s design and concept, for example, was hugely inspired by the Japanese feudal era, and moreover, he is hugely rumored to have taken direct inspiration from Doctor Doom (seriously, look it up). In other words, it’s ok to take inspiration from pre-existing things and reimagine these concepts into their own entities. What you personally are inspired by leaves a distinctly individual mark on both the meaning and execution of your character. This kind of inspiration is really important because it is what defines the fulfillment and meaning of the process. Don’t let yourself get caught up in “oh you stole this and that from x character”; the only time this ever applies is if you stole the concept and execution verbatim which is an incredibly rare, subjective, and facetious thing to quantify.

In essence, the journey that leads to the final character tends to be the thing that defines the impact and fulfillment involved in creating and designing characters. Let yourself have fun; it’s ok to take inspiration from things and make the experience fun for yourself.



Advice #2: Be Deliberate
A very common mistake a lot of new creators tend to make is that, without really thinking much about it, they add a ton of things and bloat the content of the character without considering how different parts of the character interact with one another. To be deliberate, in essence, is to know what to apply to one character and what to save for another. Think of it like you’re making a team for your favorite Pokemon Showdown format; you want to ensure that parts of their character all work together to create a cohesive whole. You wouldn’t want to put an Unaware Quagsire on a Hyper Offense since it has little to no offensive presence and only exists to sap momentum, instead that’s something you would want to save for a Stall team to check setup wallbreakers. The same applies to OCs. Making a character a master sword fighter while also making them a dedicated mage, god, and pacifist that runs an animal-safety association are incredibly conflicting because they literally just do not work together unless you add a ton of complex strings to their backstory and history, which can make it really difficult to focus your inspiration and far easier to get overwhelmed in the long term.

Things like backstories, for example, can play heavily into the design of the character. Scars, clothing choices, personality, and vibes are all things that can be influenced by the backstory, and are even things that influence each other. It’s because of this that generally being consistent helps make your character feel more like a distinct, cohesive individual, and with it, you can focus your inspiration far better without feeling like you have to dance from detail to detail just to get everything you want in one character. Being deliberate, though, is adding as much as you feel is necessary toward building the whole of the character or how much you actually want to complete for them in the first place. It’s up to you to decide how much you add and what your limits are for the character; just be aware of those limitations in the first place, watch out for moments when you are getting overwhelmed fleshing them out, and know when to stop.



Advice #3: Make Mistakes
This sounds incredibly counter-intuitive, but to me it’s something that I think can be insanely valuable for beginners. Everybody starts out somewhere and, frankly, it’s not realistic to expect yourself to do everything perfectly and find your ideal imaginative process from the get go. Not only does that make the process not fun, but it also can lead to being overloaded and can defeat the point of making the character in the first place. This plays back into my first tip, where meaning and inspiration should be what drives the process as opposed to making a “perfect character” for the sake of making a “perfect character”, unless that’s what’s inspiring you.
I’m incredibly experienced and even I make a lot of mistakes. People who have known me for a long time know that I make a ton of bloated backstories and make a lot of questionable worldbuilding decisions. Without making those mistakes in the first place, I wouldn’t be able to really understand what makes the process tick for me and recognize my flaws without seeing them in execution. In fact, that is what helps you improve in the first place: retrospection is really powerful for anybody, including creators.
Remember, too, that you’re not locked into the character and details as soon as you “finalize” them. There is no such thing as finalizing a character. Sometimes, characters get completely reworked and go through the wringer numerous times before coming to a point where the creator is satisfied, and even then if the circumstances change, the character may experience even more change. The key thing to consider is that making mistakes is a perfectly normal part of the process and that making mistakes can retain your focus and, above all else, enjoy the process without overloading yourself.

In this thread, you're encouraged to share any OCs (Original Characters) you may have created with the rest of the community! In addition to sharing your artwork, feel free to draw fanart of said character(s), share their backstories, and show sketches of new OCs to come!



​

In this Thread:
DO

• Share your art of your Character(s)
• Share your fanart of yours or others' Character(s)
• Share your Characters' backstories when sharing art
• Share sketches of current Characters or Characters in progress
• Ask for critique or suggestions for Character concepts

DON'T

• Beg for collabs or for art to be made of your Character(s)
  • If you want custom art of your Character(s), commission an artist directly! More info here
• Only share your Characters' Backstories; this is still an art-based thread!
• Only criticize someone's Character design; make sure your suggestion(s) and/or criticism(s) is/are CONSTRUCTIVE in nature

Index of Artists and their OCs can be found below:

Mova

Hazel

awanderingcaelum

Skye Masters
Eve

Rainshaft

Rainshaft's Character

RavioliQueen

Mina
Terrence Clemonte

Zephyri

Bert
Kite
Doran

Violet

Violet's Character

Kiwi

Kiwi's Character
Hana Shujin
Kiwi's Character 2

Gaboswampert

Mage
Gaboswampert's Character
Rock Knight
Blindlight
Wing Guy

SimpyShrimp

Amelia

ausma

Ausma
Malgaro
Tyke
Erinne
Carcass
Marlon
ECES
The Solis Knight
Felisileo

 

[Mova]

This is Hazel (she/her). My art mascot, she's a lovely 24-year-old lady who probably has some sort of magical strength hidden behind her cute demeanor. I haven't figured out a full personality for her, other than being kinda sassy? If she has interest in anyone, she is honest about it, although her interests in people lean towards masculine- or neutral-presenting people.

meta backstory

Hazel herself isn't based on anyone or anything in particular, but she was designed during my phase of drawing characters loosely based on IRL acquaintances... in middle and high school. Creepy, I know. Hazel is not, so she was the only one retained. This particular work is a redesigned variant of one from 2015-16 or so, but MS Paint makes works easy to edit, or even overhaul a huge amount of an art piece.

Any suggestions for backstory and fan art should be safe for work. I will only permit NSFW art of her if you know me well. Anything else that includes Hazel's design is fair game.

 

[awa]

ayoooo i wasn't first but hey i'll join in with an older one (dw i will take over this thread someday :3)

introducing... one of my first OC's ever!

Introducing Skye Masters (he/him) right now. He is part of an interdimensional police force making sure no one messes with the space-time continuum too much. For more info about him specifically, look at the bio smh -.-

I mentioned that he has the ability to alter time. Although he cannot reverse the flow of time, he can expand one moment into a million (gaining what looks like super speed) OR condense a million moments into one (having time pass around him). However, to avoid most of the consequences for messing with time, he can only push time 20 minutes in one direction. To help with this, he has a handy watch that counts how much time in what direction Skye has pushed time in.

I am currently on vacation so I don't have all of my sketches of him, I'll edit this post when I get home so I can include all of those!
​

otherwise that's it bye​

 

[Rainshaft]

Ooh, this looks like fun XD
I've gotten a couple of questions about the person I draw for my avatars and computer stuff, and every time it gets referred to as an OC even though I didn't really intend it that way when I made these. But this is as good a time as any to actually figure out what this person is like :P

This is the character that I've been using lately to represent myself for all PS purposes.

That naturally brings up the question of how closely it mirrors my real life, to which I say: not very much because this person is essentially Hatsune Miku with many liberties taken in the clothing and coloration. Anyone who spends a bit of time on the Vocaloid scene knows that Miku (and any other vocal synth) is often adapted in illustrations to fit whatever song situation is on at the moment. This is kinda my version of that, so I'd say this character reflects my real life about as much as any other producer's design of Hatsune Miku might reflect their real life (i.e. more symbolically, if at all.)

Because of the inherent symbolic nature of this person, they don't have any established personal characteristics other than what is consistent between drawings (yes, that means no name, you can refer to them as Rainshaft's character for all labeling needs.) Part of the idea of this character (which wasn't the intent originally, but makes sense based on prior drawings) is that they're kinda like a "person who takes the bus at the same time as you" or "your across-the-street neighbor" or "someone in your large lecture class." Basically someone you recognize and might even have interacted with, someone who looks like they've got a personality and a story to tell, but someone you just don't know. Hence, the lack of other characteristics other than appearance, simply because you don't know that information. (I don't even know that information, so we're all lost there XD)

If you look through the images above you could probably identify some things that are pretty constant, such as hair color, waist-length hair that can be styled, eye color, glasses, square hair bands that can become bracelets or other accessories, the twin-dice necklace (sometimes), and some clothes that match or are a shade of my PS username color. The dice in the background may or may not belong to them, that's up to interpretation :P

Other patterns are that this person dresses neatly and professionally, and they appear in "in-the-moment" daily life captures. Based on previous depictions, they live their life smartly, they put effort into what they do, and they pay attention to the little things in life.

If my current plans (read: more in-the-moment daily captures!) hold, I don't intend to actually give any concrete story to this person anytime soon, so that's off the table in terms of ideas. However, if you're drawing a big scene one day and you need a person in the background doing normal stuff, this character would fit right in XD Just be sure to ask me first. If I have time and I know how to do it, I might even do the drawing for you :P

 

[RavioliQueen]

oh my gosh this is a thing now, I have so many OCs i can post! This is like the third OC i made for my story universe (i’ve been working on it since like 8th grade)

This is Mina, she’s a forest elf whose village was destroyed in an ambush and as a result she was left near blind, relying on her other senses and learning how to “see” using natural auras. She protects her part of the forest from danger, such as hunters and the occasional dangerous creature. She’s more of a healer than a fighter though, but has been learning how to harness the forest’s power to fight, though she prefers to stay out of conflict.

She is part of the group of OCs known collectively as The Outcasts (also the series name of the comic they’re from which me and my friend are working on), and I will be sure to add more soon :D

 

[Zephyri]

oooo this looks fun

i actually made some OCs for artfight v recently after seeing ausma make some really cool ones, here they are

i'll c/p their descriptions from artfight because class starts in 5 mins and i cant afford to be late again (goes from left to right)


Bert is a water demon that wound up in the Balta desert; he never leaves the desert but is willing to help all travelers get through it(most travelers die when traversing through it due to lack of water, high heat levels, and wild animals at night); these qualities make him a bit of an urban legend, as only people that have gotten through the desert will know about him and those that have gotten through it are considered to have "gone mad" in the desert. hes also very owo

Kite is insanely powerful; her strength is constantly being augmented by underworld demons, due to a pact her mother made with the demons who killed her right before she died. The flipside is that Kite gets no sleep; the same demons who help her during the day torment her when night falls, giving her permanent insomnia. This makes her generally irritable.

Doran lost his left arm in an accident at 5 years old. When he became 11, as a result of the constant bullying, he tried to build an arm of his own, but failed to do so and kept the arm in a box that he never intended to open again. Fast forward 6 years, and lightning strikes Doran's house. The box is crackling. Doran opens it, only to find that the arm is now burnt to a crisp but lightning tendrils in the shape of a hand are bursting out of the base of the hand. He wears it and is in excruciating pain for 5 minutes as lightning passes through his body. Surprisingly, it doesnt kill him. He finds out that the "lightning arm" is controllable and functional and he uses it to beat bad guys and microwave pizzas.

 

[Violet]

I'll share a few from a series of pieces with her in it, I have no name or backstory or anything so lol
The design has certainly come a long way tho

+ a WIP

 

[Kiwi]

Thread Revival~

​

Here is a piece containing the 4 ocs I have developed. This is the first piece with the robot but it is based off of a concept I've been plotting for a very long time.

Quick backdrop on the robot: His name is simply 'Ai' for double meaning. Another character I'm developing splits his energy into robots and technology he creates, while he doesn't control them he creates their personalities and rebuilds/provides their energy. Ai stands for both artificial intelligence and the word 'love' for being a compassionate and hilarious robot with a heart pattern.

Guy in the orange shirt: Unnamed for now, but he is the 'spirit' mentioned below in an explanation about character 1, known for causing mischief and being a problematic guy, but really has no ill intention. Have a few name ideas developed but I haven't settled on one.

Character 1
To begin with, I have this unnamed oc which I've drawn like 200000 times. They've been in development for several months and I finally have settled on an overall design/concept for them. Their name is still undecided because I'm indecisive, but i've almost come up with a good one.

Information

This character is a 'half-spirit' human being. Each human possesses a spirit yet average humans are unable to visualise them. These spirits are known for causing mischief and many are dangerous enough to cause mass destruction; unexplained earthquakes, tsunamis and heart complications etc. Half spirits are those who have attained partial blood from a powerful spirit and are thus able to see these spirits. Some spirits are formed to be quite helpful though.

This character is known for his quiet behaviour, typically avoiding everyone he possibly can. He's rather anti-social and would rather be stuck in a hole than speak to someone. However, to his misfortune, he's followed around by a spirit which can be considered his 'friend,' with the motive of causing mischief to this character. However, this powerful spirit, although unable to admit this, hopes to see him get real friends and end his anti social behaviour, thus contouring a series of events to try and help him. However, this results in heavy misfortunes along the way. This character is also extremely weak (Physically), however, is a complete expert in wielding weapons. He is able to possess objects and imbue spirits into them.

Here are some old pieces within the development and planning of this character:

Original Character Development

As I've progressed in development I've decided on a more clear design. Purple eye, one turns yellowish orange when possessing a weapon. Hair is black but has a blue shine when possessing something too, kind of like a lighting effect. The hair also becomes more messy and such when doing so. To make it more clear when something is possessed, yellow marks appear on his face for every object.

Object possessing design

Image 2: Collecting and condensing combined matter to make an impulsive explosion once released.
Image 3: Using a weapon to summon a water spirit with the shape of a snake.

Normal character design

Image 2: Not actually possessing the object, this is another character which I've made

Character 2
This one actually has a name. "Hana Shujin" or flower master. This is another 'half-spirit' character which I've given an approach inspired by Nobara from Jujutsu Kaisen for. Fashionable but also extremely strong, difference being that she's also somewhat quiet. I've done this so they can have a similarity with the character above to provide a way for them to get along. She's also been planned for a while but I've settled on a design similar to the image on the top.

Character design 2

Finally, here are two characters I haven't fully developed. Second one was for the Arts & Culture DTIYS event

Character 3

Basically comic relief :^)

Character 4

DTIYS event

Edit: Reread the top post;

Other's Ocs

Tiki's oc for the AC DTIYS event

Art trade with a friend's oc

(I'll be glad to take any suggestions and recommendations as well!)

 

[awa]

(dw i will take over this thread someday :3)

hi again c:

This is Eve, the sarcastic wallflower. She has insane observation skills, nonexistent focus, and a cold, analytical demeanor, leading doctors to diagnose her as neurodivergent. In reality, she's a natural-born telepath. She is constantly listening to the thoughts of everyone around her while trying to live a normal college life. She's constantly watching her own actions, using her telepathy to gauge her normal-ness, altering her behavior to conform. Years of doing this has made her into the ultimate wallflower, watching and studying humanity. Does she ever smile? No. Does she like boba? Heeeck yeah.

Underneath her guise, she's still pretty cold, but she sports a dry, witty sense of humor. She often responds to the dumber thoughts of others, mocking them for her own amusement. She's actually quite sympathetic, but doesn't know how to show it.

She enjoys bubble tea, being alone, cats, and studying people from a distance.
She dislikes being included, living in a college dorm, being a telepath, and coffee (caffeine enhances her abilities).
She's scared of being famous, and being carted off to a lab.

Quote:

Every Thursday, the coffee shop hosts trivia. If you get a random question correct, you get a dollar off of your drink. This weekly event is the only good thing my telepathy does for me. I love my $3 boba.

okbyenowthanksforreading.

 

[Gaboswampert]

Wut, we have an OC thread?!?!
Well, i had this idea when i drawed the day 28 in smeargle inktober, i drawed a little kirby-like mage =), and, i was thinking about making it my 1st OC that is not my profile picture

His name is Mage, yep, its that simple,
Likes hats, and his wand, travels always, searching how to become his true- i mean searching people to show them tricks and steal their sou- for fun, his wand is his most important thing it obiously doesnt drain the souls of other living things with it =) "wink wink", also, dont try to see in his hat, you wouldnt want to see whats in it, also, likes to eat chocolate and drink soup...
Also if it isnt obious, it floats.

Well thats my first OC, just btw, the stars in his back are background

Also

Name : idk its an ameba
Its an water ameba (dont know if that exists) that evolved and has a phone where it draws and talks in discord and smogon.crom

How did i did with my first OCs =)??? , probably im gonna never have human OCs because im so bad drawing people, but im gonna try

 

[RavioliQueen]

forgot about this thread whoops-
Have a redesigned OC of mine for a story I'm writing.

 

[SimpyShrimp]

This is Amelia, she might seem familiar if you have known me before since she used to be my pfp. I revamped her:
She's technically a deuteragonist of my fiction, that has the ability to knockback physical damage.
I'm not really finished yet, but here she is:

 

[ausma]

1,000 posts, huh? It's crazy how far things have come; it feels like yesterday I just started posting in the SS OU metagame thread with some half-baked thoughts on Dynamax...

For those of you who don't know me already, my name is ausma; I lead the OU Forums that are a bit of a ways away from here, though my contributions there aside, I've dealt my hand on various other forums on the site between a wealth of other metagames. However, by far the next most major set of contributions I've made have been through art. Aside from this being my 1,000th post on Smogon, let's talk about the reason I'm here today: OCs!

Art is something that's very personal to me; I've been an artist for about 10 years now. Though, my relationship with the arts is a lot more nuanced than simply just doing a lot of it. You see, I am also a creator; I've drafted and worked on numerous webcomics (pretty much all have flopped, but that's beside the point), and, of course, original characters. OCs, to me, are a very great way that you can manifest your creative energy outside of art by itself. For instance, they let you concentrate your writing and art ideas into a tangible vessel that you can modulate on a whim, and are a rather fantastic way to express your creative energy in a casual, fun, yet highly personal way. It's for this reason that I really value them, as well as character designs in general, a lot. I cannot tell you how many I've made throughout the years, on top of the highly complicated history they've pretty much all had. A lot are in the scrap heap nowadays, but I've tried my best to readapt numerous of them into the modern era in recent years, and they're in a place I'm really happy with. Also as a mini-disclaimer: what I'm going to be talking about today is nowhere near all of the info. I want to keep everything digestible and approachable so I will be providing overviews alongside basic history and personal meaning to me!

Without further ado, after 2 years, I'd like to introduce you all to my years of history as a creator!

Ausma

"Oh, didja you actually know that these things are actually electromagnetically charged? It's what allows me to manipulate the... er... finger-looking extension, thingies! Not the most formal tech around but, it's pretty special to me either way, ya know?"

Ausma | she/her

This is the character that is probably the most familiar to those of you reading; after all, my moniker is quite literally her own name. As of recent I've been using a lot of profile pictures that show her off to play more into her as the mascot she eventually became, and of course I just love her. As a character's she's gone through a fair amount of designs and core renditions. At first she started as a smaller bat-like creature adorned with comically sized crystal appendages appendages, reflecting the inspiration taken from Necrozma and written as a pseudo-antagonist of sorts. Then, with time, she slowly dipped more into the fluffy flavor as I grew uncomfortable with the juxtaposition of her design, which, alongside her fun shapes and charming character, made her a really ideal candidate as a character I could be more flexibly outward with. I'll, of course, be linking some old drawings to show her evolution.

In her latest (and most honest feeling rendition), I turned her into an eccentric technomancer with a thirst for adventure. Utilizing her body's one-of-a-kind magnetic charges, she is capable of manipulating and warping electricity and alloys to create advanced forms of technology at will, in which she often utilizes specially-designed gauntlets to conduct this magnetic energy in a way that lets her adapt to her environment on the fly, which are further controlled through insulated gloves underneath. As such, creativity, adaptation, resourcefulness, and ingenuity are things she naturally excels at.

However, there's something really important about her I'd like to discuss: her overall vibe, fun-to-draw design, and eccentric character have been really critical to helping me find my own identity. I owe a lot to her in an era where discovering who I really was was incredibly scary and difficult, especially considering she grew with me. In fact, I feel that's another really huge reason she's stuck with me for so long and is why I use her name as a pseudonym despite us not particularly representing the same person. In recent times I've realized she directly represents my creative side, and I think that in tandem with how much she's helped me find the kind of person I am gives her a lot of personal value that transcends being a mere OC. She feels apart of me, if that makes sense? And almost as though she is me but also not? It's hard to explain, but that's how deep the connection goes. That's a bit of lore for you if you've ever wondered by I go by ausma!

Ausma's Evolution

December 2017

April 2018

July 2019

June 2021

The Universal Trio

God, where do I start with these three? Of the OCs I'll be talking about today, these three have been, by far, the longest lasting and have arguably gone through the most change out of any of the characters I've had, ever. Because these three are pretty much three parts of a whole, I'll be talking about all three in this section, but I'll make sure to break up each character so I don't word/picture vomit you. Feel free to open them at your own leisure!

These three characters each formerly represent apart of an omniscient being known as the Ascended, the creator that once built everything with three key elements that comprise the confines of the universe: visaimatos, vestibulum, viscaquem. These elements each represent different components of the creative process: focus, passion, and growth, respectively. The manifestation of vestibulum--Malgaro--is a highly chaotic being that shattered the balance of the Ascended's and tore it apart from a desire to control. The three now roam the universe as their own components, all with their own goals, ambitions, and experiences, and the strange, interdimensional monster that held them together now ravage the universe.

Malgaro

"WELL, IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU'VE COME TO BAT! SO, THEN, INSPECTOR GADGET, LET'S SEE WHAT YOUR KIND CAN REALLY DO!"

MALGARO | he/him

Malgaro is a merciless individual, and the emissary of chaos. Boasting a thoughtless, self-centered, power hungry demeanor, he thinks little of others and tends to go to the extreme in order to get his way. He is very dangerous due to the volatile nature and usage of his power, and moreover is driven by a sense of superiority. Verbally, he is loud, aggressive, and impudent. His origin shows in his volatile, extensive, and intensive abilities/demeanor; it is represented, often, in toxic substance and wicked flames. He boasts a staff that acts as a conduit of his power. Erinne and Tyke refer to him as Malparstion.

Malgaro, of my modern characters, has definitely had the most shifty history. He started off as a really weird, detached Latios-based character with strange tendrils, into a sociopathic child possessing a puppet and a primary antagonist, then into a Bill Cipher-styled divine entity that's gone through way too many designs to even pin down properly. A constant with him, though, have always been his hypnotic eyes, sociopathy, and deranged body parts as a way to represent his maniacal and controlling disposition. Though, despite how much he's gone through, he's been around for years and has been a staple of my earlier creative phases. In a way, his existence and prominence in context of lore is a representation of the different creative hyper-focuses I've went through. Between my fandom-defined DeviantART and roleplaying era, webcomic mania, then to the casual writing and creative experience I've now been working with, Malgaro has been through it all really! He wasn't my first OC per se, but of the ones I actively use to this day he's definitely the oldest.

Malgaro's Evolution

July 2014

August 2015

March 2016

October 2016

April 2017

July 2017

Tyke

"hey, hate to break it to ya but it's closin' time. one more drink? heh, alrighty pal, i suppose ya make a fine case. just don't let yer pals know, they really won't let me hear the end of it."

Tyke | he/they

Tyke is a relatively lax, observant, and intuitive entity that works to maintain balance within Libertas and the surrounding universe. His residence is in Libertas, living among the many residents and even passing himself off as one of them. He works as the owner of a bar and is a well-versed barista, being a well-known presence by many and a friend. However despite this, his past and history is elusive to the masses. While he initially was eluded by the technology and society, he learned about them and even grounds himself in the universe, bringing him greater motivation to protect it from potential threats to its stability. Furthermore, he is the "brother" of Erinn and Malgaro, both of which refer to him by Fovospartion. He is the incarnate of focus.

Tyke is another major staple of my creative history, though doesn't go as far back as Malgaro, he certainly comes close. Tyke's inception is moreso a representative of my Skype roleplaying era when I first began to seriously question my identity. His very very first design was a custom made for me by an old friend, which I decided to inject the Cheshire Cat/Sans into and pretty much gave him a permanent, shiteating grin. His scarf, grin, and color palette have always been a mainstay, though his shape certainly has not. He went from a four-legged, small cat with a hubris into a redeemed guardian, and then into apart of the Ascended while mixing different attributes of his growth. He's another character that means a lot to me because, while his transformation isn't as extreme as Malgaro's, he's been around for a long time and is also fairly emblematic of my later works alongside some characters you'll be seeing in a little bit. I also just really love his character; friend-shaped characters are always just really fun and natural for me to write.

Tyke's Evolution

March 2016

July 2016

April 2017

July 2019

Erinne

"You've been doing a great job, but just remember, it's not about brute force! Your spirit, your... willpower, are not weapons. They are extensions of your being."

Erinne | she/her

Erinne is a keeper of magic and a well-reknowned teacher of the arts in Libertas. Although she appears unassuming at a glance, she is incredibly passionate and an empathetic individual with a mysterious background. She was once apart of a singular being with Tyke and Malgaro. Erinne is passion incarnate, and has a natural affinity for nature and water elementals. Tyke and Malgaro refer to her as Amiparstion.

Similar to Tyke, she experienced a similar design pipeline, going from a quadruped animal into something more humanoid. However, unlike Tyke and Malgaro, Erinne was designed pretty much around her inclusion in the Ascended and her relationship with Malgaro. While her character was always crucial lore-wise, she never really had charm or a really distinct feeling until her latest rendition, where amiability and compassion give her a lot more depth. That being said, Erinne had some incredibly dark writing points and was my first formal hand at writing trauma. However ironically it's for that reason she has always been a character I've been scared of elaborately depicting, hugely because of how sensitive of a topic her character explored was. Honestly compared to some other characters I may have underrepresented her a lot more than I wish I had. I'm glad I was able to pull her into the modern era where her growth, core character traits, and prosperity can be highlighted.

Erinne's Evolution

July 2016

July 2017

Carcass

"Can't really hold grudges at this point, nor do I want to; grudges aren't why I'm still here, either. I made a promise to him a long, long time ago, and I intend to uphold it, whatever it takes."

Carcass | he/him

Carcass, real name being Riley Benzin, is... a very weird character with even weirder lore. However, next to the Solis Knight, he is my modern-year attempt at building a combat-centric OC. I've always thought combat to be a really interesting thing, especially in writing where the bounds are limitless. When you attach combat to a power-system, that's when it gets especially fun. What makes combat so fun for me to explore, though, is just the feeling it gives me in my head. I love envisioning combat sequences between characters because of how flashy and rigorous it is descriptively and imaginatively. Carcass embodies that quite a bit, with numerous, jagged blades, consisting of a longsword and a long parrying dagger, alongside having potent reaction times and the ability to actively weaponize the spikes on his body as bow-strung projectiles and generate a strangely familiar fiery material...

Carcass himself has gone through numerous very odd phases. Initially starting out as a bat bowman into a bat generalist, and then suddenly dipping hardcore into a mantis swordsman is already one thing, but the fact he was written as a militant human (and brother to the upcoming Marlon) who got corrupted into an entirely different species altogether due to interdimensional anomalies probably will raise some eyebrows. A lot of ausma-lore enthusiasts (consisting of 0 people) will know I think transformation media is something that's incredibly fascinating from a character perspective, especially when you consider the stigma or unequal views that people have for non-human species. As such, a giant portion of his character explores this interaction very directly, as well as how his moral compass is centered around him coping with his situation and finding his own sense of justice in spite of how others view him.

Carcass's moral compass as well as how it ultimately grows is a major standout of his character, and is something I pride myself heavily on no matter what incarnation his character dons. Though, those incarnations are rather interesting and very dependent on the lore that I've had in place at a given time.

Carcass's Evolution

December 2016

October 2017

February 2018

April 2018

Marlon

"Yes, what do you need? Hm... ok, I suppose that should be fine. Bring it to my desk and I'll see what I can do."

Marlon | he/him

Marlon Benzin is the manager of a faculty dedicated to researching the dimensional fabrics surrounding their world, as well as peculiar monsters that infiltrate Libertas. Marlon is the son of a man named Dr. Benzin, a rich scientific prodigy that founded the faculty he currently runs. He is very independent, and usually manages and does everything himself. This puts a great deal of stress on him, but having his friends and loyal robotic partner ECES remedies this to a degree. He is creative and intuitive, much like his father, but is no prodigy. He is wry, introverted, and has a short temper; furthermore, he passionate for what he takes interest in and takes said things very seriously. While typically staying to himself unless it is absolutely necessary, he is fairly open socially with those he knows or has to work with. When provoked, he can be blunt and impulsive, regardless of his generally cautious and logistic approaches.

Marlon is my obligatory scientist character, and boy oh boy does he have history, and some major gay energy to bat (gotta have it somewhere). He's really important because, not only has he been around for years, but he also had a very interesting transition that ironically contrasted my own growth, and even was a main character of a WIP webcomic at one point, originating years back in the form of an entirely different character. This honor has pretty much only been shared by one other character who I will be discussing very soon, but naturally he's had a lot of history and a lot of weird shifts. Also as you will also see from his evolution: he is trans!

Marlon's facility was my first college try at creating cohesive worldbuilding and building an actual setting. Naturally it wasn't the best at first, but as I figured out the functions of the building and managed to better develop what it was there for and how it got there, it really helped me better understand how to apply worldbuilding concepts on a larger scale. Plus, of course, it was where a lot of very fun character interactions were localized, so naturally I'm quite fond of those.

Marlon's Evolution

given he's trans i'm going to be blocking out his deadname hopefully that is respectable

January 2017

August 2017

ECES

"Wait, you... what??? Are you crazy, or are you crazy? ...Fair enough, crazy it is!"

ECES | they/them

ECES is an attempt to refurbish a synthetic experiment initially drafted by Marlon's father to create artificial life. Their name is an acronym for Elemental Consciousness: Experimental Synthesis. They were worth months of theoretical concepts and experiments, at first starting as but a simple intelligence with no vessel created solely of specific compounds of the three major elements. Once Marlon took notes and geared the coding, ECES's mind was complete and a vessel was accordingly created that ran off of Int-Wiring (which compromised respective compounds from his mental coding). In their vessel, they are capable of mildly manipulating the material to create sheets of code to manipulate Marlon's facility and to collect/sore data. They are pit with simple defense mechanisms of discharges and weak plasma shots. They enjoy talking to people and being of assistance, but for the most part can be comical and even exceedingly arrogant. Despite this, ECES is a very loyal assistant of Marlon that eventually even becomes a friend. ECES lacks a supercomputer-esque construct of a mind, though instead learns and perceives like a natural human. This was apart of Marlon's theory, which he later took credit for through ECES's success.

ECES among the characters I'll be talking about today is easily the least changed, with their evolution being completely centered on their backstory as opposed to any fundamental concept or design. In fact, design-wise, they are easily the most consistent character I've ever had, and I think that's rather interesting to think about. Anyway, ECES is my stab at a simple friend robot. They were never really an overly nuanced character and definitely has not nearly as rocky of a history as some of the above characters, but ECES's consistent structure and concept is fundamentally indicative of how well they stayed true to their concept and inspiration, and I also just enjoy writing their interactions with my other characters. ECES has consistently been a favorite among some of my friends and despite their greater simplicity compared to my other characters, that simplicity can them a lot more straight-forward and enjoyable.

ECES's Evolution

Fun fact: ECES has actually had no evolution, at least as far as their main design goes. Their character, structurally and aesthetically, has historically remained the same, which I find to be really interesting considering how old the design is. I guess it goes to show that sometimes designs are fine as is! However, I do have a couple extra little versions of them you guys might enjoy: their earlier incarnations before being built a proper body.

The Solis Knight

"Why am I doing this? Sometimes I wonder that myself... I guess when you're passionate about a cause, sometimes you just go for it. In a way, there's not always a reason, I suppose."

Foton | he/him

The Solis Knight is a character that takes a lot of tones from Carcass, though he was hugely designed to be his pupil with his own tools of the trade to work with, manipulating light energy akin to Ausma and utilizing a sharp rapier for fencing-style combat designed to disarm and compromise foes. In a sense, he is akin to a vigilante. He dons the title of the Solis Knight when in his battling guise, however in casual, day-to-day contexts, he's a batty bookworm by the name of Foton, who is highly involved in studying the properties of magic and the surrounding universe. He seems to completely transform without the mask, growing much more talkative and generally more prone to fluster. Without a doubt he is just as witty and quick-footed, but you could easily mistake the Knight for someone else.

The Solis Knight, or Foton, was one of few characters that got the premium title of being a "main character", being the main protagonist of the last webcomic I attempted. He's also gone through a decent amount of changes, but being a swordsman was definitely a mainstay. The main things that changed were his circumstances and lore, which have oscillated a lot between complicated and more straight-forward depending on the context he was written in. A lot like Erinne, he existed as a flat slate for a long time, too, which made him really unengaging as a protagonist until recently where I really realized the potential in the vigilante archetype.

The Solis Knight's Evolution

admittedly some of this has been lost to time, definitely recall specific images but unfortunately they're either dug in some inaccessible areas or i just couldn't find them before posting this. but here are some very loose ends that are worth something

Foton with OG Felisileo - April 2018

August 2018

July 2019

Felisileo

"Existence is not, and never will be, confined to one realm; anything, and everything, exists. Though, soon... you and I--we will know with certainty."

Felisileo is, for the lack of a better term, a mad scientist and philosopher who become shattered within the Ascended's dimensions that bind the universe together. After the fact, his interactions with magic became highly volatile. Upon returning to the physical world, his magic was crucially warped to where it actively breaks the logic of the surrounding world. He is cunning, manipulative, and above all else: ambitious.

Felisileo is a very strange character, but one that I've come to really appreciate a lot in recent months. For context, he was originally designed to be the Solis Knight's primary antagonist and to be my hearty attempt at writing a more nuanced villain. He ended up exceeding his origin as my attempt at writing off of and improving the vibe of Infinite from Sonic Forces and became something a lot more interesting as time passed. At his core though, I just love reality warping powers and I think there's so much you can do with them to where that can obscure a lot of the writing at times.

Compared to other of my OCs, Felisileo himself is much more recent, but his sheer impact on a lot of my recent character creating style as well as him representing a lot of different extremities I enjoy in both character designing and creation as a whole makes him a recent staple and one I'm really looking forward to working more on now that I'm writing more casually.

Felisileo's Evolution

admittedly some of this has been lost to time, definitely recall specific images but unfortunately they're either dug in some inaccessible areas or i just couldn't find them before posting this. but here are some very loose ends that are worth something

Felisileo with OG Foton - April 2018

May 2018

It's bizarre to think about the fact I've been here for so long, and have gone to depths I couldn't even dream of. I think a lot about what brought me onto this site, as well as what's consistently kept me here in the first place. I made my account back in 2016, and originally just used it as posting fodder for when I wanted to say something. I think the most prominent examples were with some of the original SM threads and a random SM UU suspect that I was passionately incorrect in my stance of. Either way, a lot of my activity was incredibly sparse for years, until SWSH hit and I decided to start really getting involved in the community. Truthfully, to this day I'm not 100% sure as to what drew me onto the forums and made me start posting as much as I did. I just... did. When I started, never did I expect to last this long, much less become an OUFL, a councilman, and a moderator in several other subforums. There are a lot of ideas I throw around in my head as to why I've been around for as long and as consistently as I have, but truthfully, they don't–and frankly shouldn't–matter. I've experienced so much, talked to so many people, and expanded to so many edges of the site that it all has become so natural to me.

A major reason I know I can attribute to how long I've been here have been because the friends I've made on here, as well as the people I've worked alongside. I'd like to talk about those people really quickly, as they deserve your support and some words from me for how much they've supported me and how incredible of people they are in general.

Shoutouts!

Violettes: You have made the past year of my life the nicest it's been in so long. I was terrified when I admitted my crush on you October 15th of 2020, but off of that we began something genuinely special. Your reciprocity, support, and sheer character have revitalized a feeling in me that's been missing for years. Aside from your incredibly sweet, soft character, you are endlessly creative, empathetic, and blatantly fun to be around. Between building in Minecraft, sweating in Overwatch, making Fakemon/Mega Evolutions with you, and drawing with you alongside me, there is not a moment of it I regret. Even in moments of strife, just being around you and hearing your sweet voice is enchanting and so relaxing; it makes me feel everything will be ok. I know things are really hard for both of us, but words cannot do justice for how grateful I am that you've come into my life and become such an intimate part of it; I love you so much, Violet. <3

May: You are genuinely one of the most reciprocating, understanding, and wise people I've ever met. Our friendship has really only kicked off in the past few months, but it's a treat to have the opportunity to have so many really fun, yet thought-provoking conversations that really help me visualize my perspective on life as well as my perspective on people as a whole. I also highly appreciate your blatant honesty, as you're willing to call me out for the mistakes I make socially and instead of shaming me for them, actually help me improve. And this isn't even mentioning the dedication, effort, and passion you've invested into your work; it is endlessly inspiring how much you do, and how amazingly you've bounced back from some horrible situations and even turned them into something constructive. You're an incredible gal, and it's been amazing getting to know you so well the past few months. Let's keep that up!

Magnum: It's kind of funny thinking about how far you and I have come as friends. Considering our humble acquaintanceship in Arts & Culture, I really didn't think too much would come of that, aside from maybe the occasional howdy. However, I'm incredibly happy and thankful our friendship has prospered into something so incredible. I've meant everything I've said to you; you're one of the most honest, nice people I've ever met with so much energy and infectious vigor, and that drives you to wild thresholds that only compound and reinforce your skillset as a contributor. I know it seems like you haven't helped me or others much, but the sheer effort you've put into messaging me literally every day the past month or two has been beyond meaningful to me and always gives me a little bit of extra hope which can make the difference for me in getting through a hard day, and speaks volumes to your character. You've been dealing with some horrible, incredibly undeserved situations, but the fact you're keeping your chin up in the midst of so much vitriol and pain is amazing to me; I have so much faith in your future and I know the sky's the limit for you.

Lumari: It's also kind of crazy how far we've come too. I really didn't expect much to come of our interactions, but I cannot express how happy I am that we've become so close. I'd like to start things off by saying: words cannot even hope to accomplish how proud I am of you and your growth over the course of the past year or so, and how happy I am I was able to be there to watch it happen. Much like with Magnum, you've messaged me pretty much every day the past 8-9 months and I've pretty much enjoyed every single conversation we've had; in the midst of some really lonely times, you were there to give me a friend and someone fun and relaxing to talk to, and I really cannot thank you enough for that. Here's to more late-night talks mari <3

lei: LEI!!! I LOVE YOU!!!! TREAT YOURSELF BETTER!! Similar with Mari, you've also made an obscene amount of growth both as a person and an artist, and you've been coming to your own in defiance of some really awful situations and feelings, and I cannot express how proud I am of your willingness to push through even the deepest of lows and even prosper with some super gorgeous pieces that only seem to get better and better. Although your art is amazing, you are not just your art; you are, in fact, such a fucking sweet, fun person to be around. There's a reason I've attended pretty much every call in your server the past half year, and it's 100% not because I pity you or any super silly reason like that; it's because you're one of my best friends and one of few I feel like I can genuinely trust to be myself around. For that, I thank you so much for putting up with my silly rambles and quirks even if we've had our share of miscommunications.

rumia: You and Lei make such an adorable pairing it's comical; but just like Lei you're an insanely sweet, understanding person full of love and squishy energy that makes you really fun to hang around. Furthermore, you make 1v1 look a lot of fun for me and inspired me alongside Lei to give it a college try, and 1v1 was something I haven't really paid much mind either. I appreciate you taking on some sudden rambles as well and it's great to get to talk to you when we can. I'm also really proud of you for your own growth and prosperity in similarly debilitating situations, and I know your future is going to be bright in spite of the pain. Keep your head up!

Hematite & inkbug: It's been absolutely fantastic getting the opportunity to get to know you two so well!!! I honestly was not expecting much to come of our friendships because I wasn't really expecting much to come of M4A which was the main catalyst for us talking, but it's been an absolutely crazy ride and in doing so I've gotten to meet two of the most creative and talented people I've ever met. The dedication and effort you two put into your work is legitimately astounding and is a massive inspiration for me from a creative standpoint. Hematite essays are a delight to read and learn from, and ink your artistic prowess between designing, spriting, painting, and modeling is legitimately out of this world. On top of that you're both just incredibly sweet and fun people to be around and you two make such an incredible dynamic duo. I look forward to doing more with you two in the future!

Kaiju Bunny: Work for both of us has been pretty consuming, though your promotion and future prospects brightening for you are beyond deserved. You're a really fun and bubbly presence and an absolute fuckton of fun to be around and be quirky with. I hope we can do more in the future because I've always really had a lot of fun talking and spitballing ideas with you. Hopefully I can get involved in a D&D campaign sometime once my workload lightens haha.

Juno you are a LOT of fun to talk to and I love how we are on such a similar wavelength and are able to talk about some things I would feel really weird talking about with other people. I also really appreciate how you can be yourself with me too; you're a really charming and unique thinker and that's something I really value in our discussions too. I know I can be a bit slow with replies sometimes but I really do enjoy getting the opportunity to talk to you and I hope we can keep doing so in the future!! :O

Lily: Despite how we haven't talked nearly as much lately, I still am beyond grateful for all of the gateways and outlets you gave me to really get more involved in this community at large. It's crazy to think about how incredibly far you've come, blossoming into an incredible member of Senior Staff and one of the most vocal tier leaders on the site. Proud of you :)

Finchinator Ruft TPP Abhi Zneon: You guys are an incredible team and I'm super happy I get to be apart of the OU mod gang with you; you're all great at what you do, and I really love how we can all have a laugh while getting shit done together, too. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to work with you all; we all make a great team and it's been great getting to know y'all!

Windingsss Eve Bandkrook chlo Fusion Flare Estarossa zee lydian Zephyri avarice: Thank you all for giving me such a fun, understanding, and inclusive friend group to be apart of, each of you has been a ton of fun to talk with and getting the opportunity to know several of you more through deinos has been a major treat (sorry not sorry for converting you jade). I know some of us don't talk as much as we used to, but I really do value all of you a lot and I'd love to talk with those of you I've distanced from more again.

Peary tiki omicorio Violet - I know I'm not as active in A&C anymore due to irl obligations and my workload being really condensed in a lot of senses, but when I get the opportunity to give you all a hand it's always a really great time, and I love talking art with y'all. Thanks for being cool! And also a s/o to you Jakee, you're in this list too despite not being on the staff anymore-

Bolivia KeroseneZanchu jazzmat BlueRay and the M4A community: I haven't gotten to know you all as well as Hematite and inkbug, but I'm not going to omit you guys. Thanks for being really fun to creatively spitball with and talk to in my occasional dip into Pet Mods, I know I'm not as active as I used to be but you guys are the life of M4A and really make it the expansive project that it's become in recent months.

CL+ community: you guys are a fucking riot. You are all really fun to get to talk to and work with and some of the jokes/gags we've had have been super gut-wrenchingly fun. I also really appreciate the synergy we all have as members of higher staff, and I hope we can maintain that going forward!

And of course, there are several friends I have who aren't on Smogon but would love to give a shoutout to; you guys know who you are and thank you for being such incredible people and putting up with me as I've been figuring things out.

Pings for everyone mentioned above: Violettes May Magnum Lumari lei rumia Hematite inkbug Kaiju Bunny Lily Finchinator Ruft TPP Zneon Abhi Juno Windingsss Eve Bandkrook chlo Fusion Flare Estarossa zee lydian Zephyri Peary tiki omi Violet Bolivia KeroseneZanchu Paulluxx BlueRay avarice

If you've come this far, thank you so much for taking the time to read all of this. It was great to be able to finally share this side of myself that I've seldom talked about, and you can expect me to post sometime in the near future to talk about the other, more lowkey OCs that aren't as complicated!

 

[Gaboswampert]

Forgot this thread existed for some time, so now im gonna post my new OCs =), and im gonna "try" to add some more info that the descriptions in my art gallery

"Rock Knight"

He once was a knight of the royal guard of a long forgoted kingdom, until a curse made everyone in the kingdom become rock/stone, but, the "rock knight", was still alive, made out of rock, but alive, and some crystals started growing on his face... just to make it look cooler =), and, because it didnt know what to do, all of his kingdom turned into stone and rock, his king, friends, all of them, so he waited to the curse to vanish, and protected his kingdom from "invaders", and well, thats the only thing it ever did for a lot of time... also rock knight its just a nickname that people that got attacked by him named him, his real name is peter =), also both of his hands are swords because idk how to make hands

"Blindlight"
Its bright.
Well, its a mysterious being, that teleports around the globe, its not known what it does, but when someone finds it, its just gonna do a flash so bright that everyone that was at least seeing a little of where it was, will become blind, and after that, it dissapears, nowhere to be found, there are some incidents where it just almost blinded an entire town, its not known if it understands any language, its not known if it has gender, because everytime someone tries to resesrch about it, or it doesnt find it, or finds it but becomes blind, but everyone that at least, saw it for some seconds, says that, its like a moving liquid made out of light

"Wing Guy"
I did this in a bus at 11:00 pm.
Not a lot to say here, its a creepy guy with creepy wings, that look at you...

Also this is another OC based on one of my inktober drawings

 

[Kiwi]

I also forgot about this thread

Artwork I did last month with all of my ocs (From that point) and another of a friend's. I haven't delved into like any of em but they exist so. Dropped a bunch of stuff in the spoilers below.

Yurei

JJK inspired Animation
Little animation of the character based on the JJK ending animation 'Lost in Paradise' from Season 1. I'm not addicted and no one can tell me otherwise...

*Other guy which I draw a lot*

More ocs

Sketches

 

[Violet]

Guess I'll come back too

shambolic compression

Nm to say besides Ive obv been working a lot on her, if interested follow my thread cuz itll be dope one day
I do have a name for her but Ill keep that to myself for now lol

 

[Gaboswampert]

Well just did a new OC =)

"Boreo"
Tottaly didnt copypaste all of his backstory from my gallery

Backstory

Its not know how it got there, but, there was a couple that lived, in a remote, snowy but nice town, one time, in a blizzard, they heared something trying to break the door, but everytime it tried, the sound was getting weaker, so they opened the door, and they found a weird, humanoid creature with weird antlers trying to break in the house ramming into the door, it also had some clothes that were probably stolen, the couple, got the weird creature inside, and gave it some food, and a little, improvised, but warm bed, the creature, wanted to stay in there, and the couple, knowing the harsh enviroment of the place, and seeing that it was alone, with no one to defend him, let it in, and after some time, it showed signs of having a human-like inteligence, and, doing things that little kids do, like... ramming into the wall for no reason, or trying to imitate the couple, and, they decided to, adopt him, like if it was a normal child, and named him, "Boreo"...

Lol that was hard to make xD, well thats like the, ultra backstory of boreo, well now, backstory backstory of boreo.

Its 19 years old, and, its a little shy, but a chill man, it normaly hides his hands because, it has weird powers that it cant control when getting his hands out, so it just uses his more weakened (when it has his hands covered by something) powers to move things, eat, and drink some coffee, no one has really seen his hands after it got 17 years old, but it hides from everyone every time it has to really use them...

Also it really likes coffee.

Did some drawings of boreo =)

I think i covered a lot of things with the backstory i posted in my gallery, so i just yoinked it here

 

[ausma]

Hi, everyone! I hope you've all been well lately. I'm a huge fan of everything that's been posted here, and I think it's really cool how much variety you all have with your characters, as well as how meaningful they are to you. While I still have a lot I could say about my own, that's not why I'm here today. Instead, I'm here to talk about a really fun way that we can all interact with one another's OCs: Art Fight.

What is Art Fight?

For those of you who haven't heard of it, Art Fight is a yearly event where interested artists are put on one of two theme teams, and the way to accrue points for your team is to draw the OCs of artists on the opposing side. So, effectively, Art Fight is a gigantic art trade war, where drawing others' OCs rewards your team with points, and doing so networks you and your OCs. The event lasts for a month and is every July.

From my several years' worth of experience participating, it is a blast. It's very low stakes and not only gives you a very good opportunity to draw character designs, but you also wind up with art in return, making it a super cool way to interact with artists in a very creative, fun, and casually competitive setting and see your characters in other artists' styles. Furthermore, there is no need to dedicate yourself to the event, meaning that you can participate to your leisure.

What if I want to draw the OCs of artists on my team?

Good news: you can! These are friendly fires, and while you are allowed to do them, you are disincentivized through the point yield from your piece being drastically cut down. However, you absolutely can do them, and they allow you to still, in a sense, "compete" with your friends, even if you're on the same team. So if you wind up on the same team as your friends, you don't need to worry too much about not being able to draw their OCs. You can just do it.

How does submitting a piece work?

Art Fight's point system is on a solely quantitative basis; in other words, the more you put into your work, the more points your piece will yield. You are the one who decides how much effort you felt went into the piece, so you can rate the point value of your piece as you see fit. However, you can't cheese this as moderators can very easily disrupt attempts at playing the system.

How do I join a team?

You can join a team once the event begins. The following on their FAQ breaks it down better than I could, so I'll cite it here:

"There is a button labeled "Current Event" in the top right corner next to your username. If an event is currently running, there will be another button to “Get Sorted”. This will put you on a random team. You then have 2 team switches.

You can also become a spectator again at any time if you should not want to participate in the fight anymore while the event is still active. An alternative to becoming spectator is to hide all your characters. This way you keep your team color, but no one can attack you. Switching to spectator and back again does not use up a team switch."

How can I get started?

You can check out the site's main page here. From there, you can simply make an account, as per normal. However, where things might get a bit awkward is with the character submission process, so let me give a quick breakdown of the essentials!

How to Submit your OC

Step 1: Go to the top bar, and click Submit.

You'll see a dropdown which will either let you submit an attack, or submit a character. For our purposes, we want to select Character.

Step 2: Fill in your character's information and submit images!

When you opt to submit, you'll see the following screen. Most of it is self explanatory, but I'd like to clarify anything that might seem odd at a glance.

Permissions refers to what you are okay with and what you are not okay with artists drawing with your OC. Many participants choose to take some creative liberties with their work, which makes this box particularly important if there are any mediums in which you'd be uncomfortable seeing your OC in. You can choose to write global permissions instead for your convenience, which will apply unequivocally to all of your OCs. You can find this option in your Account Settings.

Thumbnail image refers to the thumbnail of an image that is used to represent your OC in their character page. I would highly recommend taking a headshot of your OC and scaling it to 200x200 so your OC is easier to discern on your profile. This can apply to both their main image as well as any adjacent supporting pieces.

Tags help you network your OC to specific kinds of artists. Think of tags that describe the style or medium your OC is represented with.

As for what to write, I would personally suggest focusing your writing on their primary attributes that may be important for people who may be interested in drawing your OC. Things like personality, design quirks, and powers from my experience tend to be the most conducive, but you're welcome to write as much or as little as you see fit. As long as the key attributes that are helpful to artists are made clear, you're golden.

Step 3: Add supporting pieces!

This is important if you want to show what your character looks like at different angles (notable if a particularly ambitious participant wants to model your OC, or wants to draw them in a unique position) or how they look/act around others. I highly recommend doing this if you can, but it's not particularly necessary.

In order to edit your characters' permissions and add more pieces, you can click the Edit button in the corner of their character page.

Here, you'll see a few new options. While you can edit the primary info/credits, you'll notice an "Images" tab below the header, which you can click to edit the primary image, its thumbnail, and add more supporting pieces. However, most notably, you'll see "Hide" and "Archive" options at the bottom, which allow you to hide your OC from other artists to edit privately and archive them respectively.

If you have any other questions, such as other site nuances, you can find all of it on their FAQ page.

The last thing I'd like to recommend is to probably start sooner than later when it comes to submitting your OCs and their info. Art Fight is a super large scale event, which often means it is flooded with extreme traffic for the first few days and around the end of the month. Early June (right about now!) is around where it's best to get things prepared imo, so you can both efficiently get everything posted, and take advantage of your momentum and spring right into the event!

_____

Overall, Art Fight is a really fun event and it's something I'd recommend most character makers to try at least once! It's super low risk and super high reward, and also very low stakes to bat. If any of you participate, I'd love to take a stab at drawing your OCs! You can find my account here if you're interested!

Happy posting!

 

[kolohe]

Couple drawings of my new Pokesona-ish, Pecha! Shaymin Celebi fusion I've been using pretty lovingly the past few weeks. I kind of want to switch her face and make her have a Shaymin look, but we will see what looks better. For now, she's still adorable!

 

[RavioliQueen]

Finally finished my Pokesona's redesign, made her in like....2013 I wanna say and originally just made her as a Pokemon Armonia OC, but after the group closed I decided to keep her alive and sort of twist her around to make her more than a group OC so, here she is now.

 

[Kiwi]

I'm back with fresh design and more than 0 understanding of anatomy!!

A fishman and a manfish with more lore than I've put into any character. Seriously dunno what the hell I was on for this to be my favourite OC idea ever...

Lore dump!

This species is found in a coastal, island-like region, abundant in fish, with fertile soils nearby due to volcanoes. The species have traits, making them 'fishmen,' which allow them to breathe and swim underwater. These fishmen are found to have a dominant humanoid allele and a recessive fishlike allele (See in art). They eat fish and vegetables, and are open to all travellers since they profit a lot from underwater treasures from tourists. The species is very reliant on tourism, because the area is 'so relaxing and abundant' and people never truly see the locals as much more than an attraction to post about on social media. In fact, the species is so busy operating common jobs like souvenir stores, food stalls or selling hidden underwater delicacies and treasures to visitors. In fact, they're such a strong species that they're able to push boats as part of the excitement behind the trip to the area. They're incredibly busy people, who are generally family-oriented and don't stress at all.

Although most people would be very well-off with such a life, this character doesn't feel suited to such an environment. While he enjoys working, and communicating with people, he finds it becomes very mundane. In this area, the whole goal of a fishman is to work, eat and have fun with family and friends at night. However, in such a situation, one feels like they aren't unique from anyone else. This character has that weigh heavily on his conscience. He wants to develop a skill and not be forgotten, and for some part of him to be passed on for everyone to remember. He wants to be a man, not a fish. This is why he'd take any risk to leave the island and try to make a name for himself.

Because of his living conditions, some factors that have caused his design are: The tropical environment is extremely hot, tanning him and causing him to wear less clothing. People who take on the dominant humanoid allele have extra eyes that usually help guide them underwater. They also have gills. He's lean and muscular from working the usual jobs in the area. He's been told both his parents were fish, which is close to impossible since that's the recessive allele. This was partially done as a form of propaganda by the leader of the island, as his parents discovered the deeper motives behind the monarch. By making everyone believe he had fish-like parents, he seems like an anomaly to everyone else. While he isn't a social reject, he hasn't developed any deep relationships that have kept him rooted in the area. The only important relationship he's developed is with that fish guy on the right, who's some sort of mentor figure. That is, that there are fish-like members of the species who work in a secret service for the king, and this man is a retiree. He's aware of the evils of the king and instead of preventing my oc from escaping the island, he slowly prompts him to do it over time. This would be disobeying the king's orders, but would humanise him as he isn't just a sheep of the sea.
Whoever actually reads this is insane

Oh and other guys who just look cool:

Other peeps ocs:

This one is a kolo oc ^ she's cool, has a cute Arcanine. Actually love the way I drew Arcanine here

 

[Kiwi]

Oc central mini-event​

In this mini-event, a prompt will be given, in this case being magic! By saying 'in' here, you will be a participant in the game. You will be messaged a broad prompt that has something to do with magic, that you will create an oc based on. I encourage adding flavour (Explanation of your character including powers and lore) so everyone here can discuss your ocs! Ocs don't just mean humans though - anything works - from humans to mons to fursonas, or even just playing on an old or current oc's design. You will have 2 weeks to draw an oc and dm it to me in a private message that I create with you. Please do think about little details about your oc, so we can all get invested in discussing how out ocs would potentially operate in the same world

An example oc based on the magic prompt here is a 'pyromaniac' suggested by Pissog:

Pyromaniac

To participate:
1) Say 'in' (Entries open for 2 days)
2) I will open messages with you, letting you know your prompt
3) Submit your artwork including flavour which is highly encouraged
4) Most importantly, have fun!

 

[Gaboswampert]

In :D

 

[Violet]

In

 

[kolohe]

In