Design Guide

Once you acquired a geno, you can design it. This is a guideline to help you find all the resources and how to design your Kai!

For every design you need the following:

• Kai Import Template - the blank import with the correct species and traits

• Background - the BG you want to use

• Basecolor - the basecoat color of your Kai

• Markings - drawing in the markings following the guides

• Flesh, Keratin & Eyes -  coloring in the lips, tongue, teeth, claws and other keratin parts as well as the eyes following the color rules

• Finishing Touch (optional) - coloring in the lines and adding a halo

You may add some free edits to the Import, without needing items. They shouldn't be excessive so that they look similar to mutations or traits. You may add as many as you want, chosing them from the below list. You can find some examples of these edits in the Kailing Base.
PLEASE NOTE DOWN WHAT FREE EDITS YOU ARE USING IN THE DESIGN NOTES.

• Mane (Short/Medium/Long/Curly)

• Fangs:
  - Fangs (curled up, curled toward the front, curled back. Any fang of the upper jaw)
  - Tusks (Curled toward the front, curled back. Any fang of the lower jaw)

• Snout Spike (A small spike on the nose, it can look like a classic dragon spike or a little plate that goes forward and covers partially the nose)

• Spurs (Keratin spikes on the back of the paws/hooves)

• Extra Spikes (spikes on the jaw/chin, under the eye or on the eyebrows or on the back of the head/neck)

• Mustache (fluffy mustaches on the side of the nose. They can be long or just some extra fuzz.)

• Goat beard (a goat beard. It can be long or just some extra fuzz.)

• Dragon Whiskers (classic eastern dragon whiskers. They can be simply whip-like, have a tuft of fur at the end, or even some plates.)

• Whiskers (some long/fleshy whiskers. Usually four, two per side, but can also be six.)

• Crystals (Keratin with the shape of small crystals on the head of the Kai. Usually on the snout and the cheeks)

• Owl (Fluff over the snout.)

• Jaw Fluff

•  Backs :
  - Furred (fur similar to a short mane runs all over the back)
  - Plated (hard , flat plates cover the back. These will not follow the keratin rules)
  - Spiked  (spikes can be added from the shoulder to the start of the tail, they can be quite big. On Aquatic/semi-Aquatic species, it can have a membrane and form a sail).
  
  

EXCLUSIVES:

• Snout spikes (Small  spikes that forms on the snout of the Kai, one per side. They can only form between the nose and the eyes)
  Species: Morikai,  Kaiyume

• Pouch (Kangaroo like pouch on the belly of the Kai.)
  Species: Kailing, Ancient Kailing, Kashi'Kaira, Lunekai

• Windhowler (More flesh-plates on the body, on the back and at the wrists/ankles) 
  Species: Kailing, Ancient Kailing

• Neck skin (Some extra skin on the neck)
  Species:  Umikai

• Chestplate (the Chestplate can be edited a bit, to make it bigger, smaller, cracked, smoother, etc..)
  Species: Umikai

• Beak (The beak can be edited a bit, to add spikes-like fangs, sharpen it or change slightly the shape)
  Species: Kaicross

SPECIAL:

• Antlers (Non-Optional)
  Species: Ancient Kaiyume

• Horns (Optional)
  Species: La'Kai

• Beakhorn (Optional)
  Species: Yakaima

• Metal jaw-plates
  Species: Lunekai

There are four categories of colors:
    - Common Base Coat
          - Uncommon Base Coat
  - Rare Base Coat       
- Combo Base Coat

ATTENTION:
If you want to add a Combo Base Coat that is made with an Uncommon and a Common Base Coats, you will need a Combo + Uncommon coat add-on!

🔷NUANCE:

The Basecoat can have Nuances in color, that show as a very subtle sable-like, pangare-like and siamese-like.

Below you find a list of all the Markings and Modifier of Arkaith. When building a SC or designing a geno, remember to check the ranges of the markings!
 

• TIPS
  🔸Hiding markings: you can hide markings on your design!
  1 (any marking number)
  2 (6 or more markings)
  3 (10 or more markings)
  
  🔸If you dislike the HOM version of a marking that your geno has, feel free to use the HET version instead!
  
  

🔸[DOUBLE ELEMENT] Genos can be designed with bicolored gradients for Keratin and Skin (as both can be elemental color).

🔸You can "frame" markings perfectly.

🔸Free Passable Markings

Free Passable Markings can be added until the total of the Geno's Markings reach 4. These Markings can then be passed onto the offsprings of the Kai they have been added to.

Example:

Geno has 3 markings -> 1 can be added

Geno has 1 marking -> 3 can be added

HALT! Can't find a Marking that's present on your geno? If the geno is from a breeding happening before May 29, you'll find your answers here!

Genos can be rolled with mutations, which will be written on the geno.
Or you have an add-on voucher.

For mutations, you can use the premade layers, or edit your own.

You can find a list of all mutation below

🔷PAWPADS, EYES, KERATIN, FLESH & TEETH:

After finishing the markings, the next step is to color in the smaller details, like the eyes, mouth, nose, teeth, claws and mane, as well as add  pawpads.
Markings can affect those, as stated in the marking guides. 

For general rules please console the guide:

🔷SKIN & PINKING:

On white markings like Tobiano or Leopard, or when the fur length was altered  with a Barber's Kit, the skin can show creating a pinking effect.

For colors, and ranges please console the guide:

🔷COLORING LINEART:

Coloring in the lineart is optional, but it will give the import a more finished look. the lines need to be darker than what they touch/belong to, and need to be still well visible without having to zoom in and squint.

<add examples for touches/belong to and ok vs nok>

🔷BACKGROUND & HALO:

You can pick a background from the below list. Be aware some are aquatic species only.

Under the Import you can add a halo. It shouldn't be solid, but should be on lower opacity, shine or overlay mode. It can be thin and outline the Kai, or be a wider gradient, or a combination of both 

<add examples for halos>

🔷IMPORT INFO:

After uploading the import to your deviantArt stash, you have to add the form into the description and fill it out accordingly.

🔷DESIGN APPROVAL:

Lastly, once everything is done, you can start the approval process.

For this please head here: