Process:This avatar started from using
Zodiacal (Aries rules the head and face) as part of the EI/REI challenge. I also wanted to work with a darker skintone and so added
Warm Smol Oni (Skin) to use as my base.
After choosing what items I was building the avatar around, I had a couple of false starts while trying to get to a concept. False start number one took the avatar into a bit of a Gothic Lolita direction, with a much more formal vibe and utilizing some newly released items. I didn't hate the direction but found that the more items I was adding the less things were harmonizing. False start number two ended up going into a different direction by trying to equip
The Whimsical Organ Grinder (fantasy arms) and going into more of a whimsea color pallete in addition to the blacks and red. Did this work? No.
In the final concept, I veered back into a goth direction, but went a little more street and a lot less princess with the vibe. When I hit the core outfit of
Gothic Comfortable Corvidae (coat) Belted Top G-LOL Blood Mistress Skirt, I felt like I was on to something, and when I added
Gothic Passion and saw how it blended into the Zodiacal pose, I knew I had found the concept. I didn't want to bother so much with legs to I used used the leg pose from
My Bloody Valentine (Silk Pin-up Stockings).
The face and the detailing were pretty free-form. I wanted to have a darkly made up face with a bit of shadow, and the find some red and black goth accessories to break up the patches of color on the outfit. I added
Mini Nitemare Wings for fun, and since they didn't detract, I kept them in.
I was still stuck on what to do with the hair. (This happens a LOT!) She didn't feel like a bald avi, so I wanted to find something that worked for her. For a bit, I tried using
☆ Kimmie's Gamer Twintails Part II: Electric Boogaloo ★ (Punk) but found that I didn't like how the colors were working out, nor did I feel like the shape was adding anything. I tried a Dandelion-colored hair and liked the color, but had a hard time finding the right cut of hair. I eventually found
Elegant Enenra's Ashes (Dandelion) because I liked that it was longer and a bit wild without being too voluminous. In addition, because the hair added height, I didn't have to worry about using hair ornaments for that. The one problem with that hair was a bit of forelock that came down past the eyepatch and ruined the illusion of the two items being one. To mitigate this I added a bang item:
Stylish Subtle Snip (Dandelion). This cleaned up the forehead and preserved the illusion.
I hadn't planned on adding the background, but then I found
Goth vodka_vixen Doll (BG Cutter) while looking for accessories, which I felt fit the vibe. I then started looking at backgrounds and ultimately chose
Obsessive Gnostic Goth (Background) to compliment the dandelion color of the hair and contrast with the reds in the outfit and accessories. I think that was the final piece that really brought this avatar together.
Two items were added post save. The first was
Glorious Simple Necromancy (Floating Eyes). I saw someone in the AT forum using a different recolor on their avatar and thought about how well the eyes would work with the vibe. I chose this particular recolor to bring some red accents to the background, while also bringing in some white for contrast. Then I added
Spring Trellis (Shade Effect) for a little bit of light variation on the hair.
Final Result:In terms of item usage, she's very successful. I feel like the Zodiacal pose is not only well-blended but is doing a lot of work in enhancing the avatar.
The final concept is strong and focused. She's definitely Goth, and while I wouldn't say she's a vampire or a demon, I'm also not going to say she's not a vampire or demon. I'm also p. sure she speaks with some form of a British Accent.
