The idea of this piece is to show where each Toa is at the same moment as all the others, during this sunset. I wanted it to be very chill. I also wanted to make a more “movie-esque” take on these guys. Fill out the empty spaces in those metal frames with muscle fibers and give them each some tiny features the others don’t have. I gave most of them one big toe on each foot with the other four being fused like a flap, just so they aren’t too far off from those big ol’ Mata feet. I like the giant fingers they used to have, so I emphasized those as well. Lastly I made more spots for their eye color to shine through as a secondary color. That’s something I miss about these characters, was how they each had their own unique trans color that complimented their other colors.
Anyway, not exactly hoping to make waves like Brickonicle or whatever, so I don’t want to see posts like “This is way more true!” or whatever. I mean it. I just felt like sharing something I put a lot of love into as a tribute to those heroes and I want it to be appreciated for that.
These look absolutely fantastic. Their designs are near-otherworldly yet still keep a tribal, semi-Maori style to them. Their chest armor, for some reason, remind me of sea-shells in a weird way, and I love that their headlight color is an accent instead of just their eye color. They have robotic and organic elements that both work, and each one feels a bit different in tone, almost like their elements. Tahu seems in action yet focused, Gali is majestic yet powerful, Onua looks strong and pensive at the same time, Kopaka seems noble but isolated, Pohatu seems to tower over everything yet looks calm and happy even under his mask, and Lewa, though full of life and energy, can be breezy. I might be reaching a bit, but I really enjoys these art pieces. Keep up the good work!
Hmm hard to pick a favorite, though I’d probably go with lewa cause he’s lewa.
And we’ll, @ToaVakota kinda said anything I would have said already so just take what he said twofold.
Welcome to the boards by the way nick, it’s nice to see you show up here!
Thank you. Everything you said is spot on, though the bits like how you described Pohatu… I did not even intend it that way, at least I didn’t consciously think to myself “You know what would look good? If I laid it out like this.” It just shaped up that way by accident. I guess I knew these characters so well after 17 years of thinking about them I subconsciously knew how I wanted them to be.
I feel the Akamai trio is lackluster and repetitive in design, though after a while I start to appreciate their designs. I can’t say anything about the Wairuha group that hasn’t been said already, but I will say that they are all amazing.
These are wonderful. I like to draw but i could never find a good style for drawing Bionicles. I like the attention to detail here, especially on Gali. Mata Gali is surprisingly bulky and i think you’ve captured that well here. That being said the only things I dont like are Gali and Lewa’s masks. Gali looks masculine and I think Lewa’s is too thick. It looks like it’d weigh him down. Almost counterintuitive for a mask of levitation. Still, much better than I could ever hope to do. I’d love to see you take on the Metru or Mahri. Or maybe even some MOCs.
When I think of the Toa designed in a more natural, filled in style, this is sort of how I envision that. There isn’t a cluster of extraneous details, pistons and what not; every last detail works with the rest of the figure and forms a cohesive whole.
The styling of the shell-like armor really accentuates what an alien world they live in, as do those bizzare glowing hairs on the back of Gali.
Above all though, I enjoy the emphasis on character in these reimaginings. If there’s anything the original Toa lacked in their designs it was personality. Sure some of their masks conveyed it in a sense, i.e. Lewa’s playful grin, but I feel this was largely overshadowed by just how uniform their body designs were. Any differences were either too subtle or just came across as awkward. Here though, there is a sense of unity, but it is balanced by greater distinction. Lewa and Kopaka for example: while before they more or less were clones of one another, Lewa’s more relaxed frame contrasts Kopaka’s broader, guarded appearance. These characters actually have an identity to them, each design telling a different story.
Overall these are very striking reimaginings. They combine the best qualities of the Mata and the Masters, all the while remaining faithful to the culture and world surrounding them.
These pictures of the Toa Mata are absolutely fantastic! I absolutely love the emphasis on them being more organic than mechanical. Their body builds show different character, and the poses just make these so epic.
Always liked your style, its a mixture of both detailed and smooth textures when it comes to armor and pody anatomy. The stylized look is specific to you so it has its own uniqueness part. Also the way you shade the figures and landscape is quite striking, specially the dark and light contrast. From my own personal experience I know how hard shading gets, and you do it in the best way possible without taking too much time for the most super detailed uber shading that we can find on the net. It gets the job done and it works well, personally specially for something like comics and art pieces (which is what you are primarily focusing your style at).
Overall Im always pleased with your art and am always glad to see more from you.
PS: I love that each Toa has a body shape specific for where they are and what phisical activity they do. Best example can be seen on Gali, which is muscular in a way appropriate for a swimmer, Onua is more top heavy due to mining and digging holes, and Pohatu for having thicker legs due to runing more.
