Magic Mobster: A Character Design Progression
This is an exemple of a quick process for refining character concept time without it being too time-consuming. Usually a finished, 'slick' piece is produced at the end (fully rendered and lit); but in some case (like here), a very experienced modeler is able to hit the ground running with just the 'flat' concept.
Step 1: A few variants based on the client's pitch. The goal here is to cover as many ideas as possible within the limits of the character description.
Step 2: Variants on a theme. Based on the preferred concepts, a second pass is made to nail the refined version.
Step 3: Icing on the cake. This mobster has magic powers! Based on the selected concept, we can now play with this theme, and envision what sorts of VFX the game could feature. And off to the modeler it goes!