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The Kefira Project is a personal endeavor that I have been working on for about two years. It follows the story of a woman named Kefira, who at a young age, was trapped in a child trafficking ring. After being mangled and left to die, she was found and raised by her adoptive father in a city hidden behind the mountains. She has now returned to her home city, and is hell bent on bringing down those who are still abusing the innocent. As I moved forward, I decided to make this story based in Christianity, as I felt God guiding my creativity towards his word. I have found inspiration from different places in the bible for my characters, such as Moses, Samson, Saul, and more.
This project is largely written based at the moment. In addition, I have been making more concept art and mock ups for environments, characters, etc. for this project than any before it. It's given me a clearer idea of what I want the environment to look like as well as highlighting any problems as they show up.
When I first started this project, it was originally going to be set in a medieval fantasy setting, with elements of steampunk mixed in. Pictured is an idea of what her armor and weaponry might have look like. It was here that I decided to give her a prosthetic arm (more on that later) And while I ended up not using this as a final design, I did still use the arm design as inspiration for the (current) final.
A detailed mock up of the arm was the next bit of concept art I did, which was the first time I've ever drawn a prosthetic. My goal for this was to familiarize myself with the joints, wires, and general make up of a a theoretical cyberpunk prosthetic arm. I also added notes for what designs and functionality might be on it, such as hidden knives, extra tools, and the symbol for this worlds version of God (called Adonai)
This pair of concept art is focused on the environment and setting of the story. The first part of it while largely take place in a cyberpunk inspired city, with the second half being a mix of both the city and the city hidden behind the mountains, where Kefira was raised. Being able to achieve both natural and urban environments is something that has allowed me to get a better picture of where my characters are, how they move around and what they struggle with, as well as other characters they may run into
This is another concept sheet of her armor, with the updated time period. I took inspiration from both video games and comic book hero costumes. Much of what I looked at in the cyberpunk genre had glowing elements, which I largely removed due to her style of fighting relying on stealth and surprise. Despite being a tall, muscular woman, she is still far out classed by the average male in a fair fight. I also added notes all around it, as well as a list next to it of things she might use to fight with or take care of those she rescues. Originally, I wanted her to keep the cloak as seen in the first rendition, but I decided that was too much loose fabric that could limit her movement or be used against her (As Edna Mode once said NO CAPES!) This was before I knew what kind of mask I wanted her to have, and I still am working on it's design.
I also added things like possible colors, and where she might hide weapons, extra bandages, or other gear for ease of use. I figure that she could fit a lot in her prosthetic arm, such as scissors, a lighter, extra knives, etc. While to some extent, I'll have to create some materials and power sources, but I'd like to stick as close to real life as possible. Much of this story will deal with real world issues, and I'd like bring awareness to them by bringing them to the forefront of peoples minds.
These are the two most recent designs for Kefira, one a overall character sheet while the other is specific to her mask. Currently the most accurate design is the character sheet, with the exception of the mask which I changed later. Also pictured on the character sheet is a bust of her unmasked. The only note is that she has two different prosthetic eyes. One looks natural and is used for gathering information and going undercover, while a second eye is used during fights. The second eye is made a solid black, with purple accent lines running across the surface into the iris. Its has multiple capabilities, such as facial recognition, heat vision, and a backup flashlight.
There is also concept art for an animal companion used by Kefira, as well as the people that raised her (Imirans) This species of big cat is called a Raphyn, named after Raphael, the angel of travelers and guardians. They're size is still subject to change, but currently they are set to be 6 feet at the shoulder full grown. These are animals are trained to be ridden as well as haul cargo. Their temperament can vary, as well as their coloring.
I created these cats with inspiration from tigers, jaguars, lions and more. In addition, I also used skeletal and muscular recreations of saber tooth tigers and similar prehistoric animals. You can see in the sketch where I sketched out what the front leg and shoulder bones would look like, as I was having trouble making the design look real. The best fantasy animals are mixed with real ones. In addition there are a few color concepts, inspired by dogs, big cats, and some house cat colorations. (I had no idea there were so many) The lighter grey variation is currently being used for Etana, Kefira's companion. The darker grey will most likely be used for another character's Raphyn, named Karoo.
As I've drawn more and more concepts for the story, my art has improved. I used to shy away from drawing human characters, as it was harder for me to express my artistry through them. But Kefira has stuck with me unlike any before her, and I enjoy drawing both her and Etana, her Raphyn companion. Through all of this many details have changed, and will continue to change, such as her sword. I am currently working on concept art for it, as I wanted a mix of a classic sword and the futuristic "cyberpunk" elements shown in the rest of the story.
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