I can relate to the difficulty of drawing scale structure. From the beaded, pebbly hides of some species of rays, to the longer, more pangolin-style scales of others, or the fine wrinkles and folds of gecko skin, rendering scales is quite the diverse effort! Speaking of that with respect to style, the 'Gaster Follower 1' (Albert, in my materials) has a simple character design - such to the point that I've wanted to give him a bit more body musculature so his profile at least has a bit more flow; but his skin is a thing I've had some questions over. Wanting to be efficient with time is at odds with my tendency to want to add a bit more detail. I picture his skin as having a bit of a rubbery or flabby layer, with something of a gecko-like tendency to create fine wrinkles in the surface. (But, as for how much of that I end up rendering, it doesn't seem I'll do so altogether much.)Curious, that you should bring up the nature of thecharacters as simple, and thus open to plenty of interpretation. I'm also of the same perspective that their interpretationsvary. Though Gaster is largely the only character I take anything of a deeper or purposeful perspective on (especially for this current project of mine), a large part of the hidden subtext ofis that Monsters are sentient people, and the situations in which they don't register you as human are the ones telling of the nature of one's spirit and bearing.Exploring past the visual barrier of an unslightly, strange, or unsettling creature can have some great developmental bearings in the playing-out of many situations and concepts. In my view, visual strangeness comes across as also carrying surrounding visual detail as well - many of the common conventions behind handsomeness or cuteness tend to have a bland, smooth axis to their typification. (Bear in mind that I don't venture out far deliberately looking for artwork of, so seeing unique takes is something I try to provide feedback on, if I have time.)I find much of the same reactions of fans at large (forgive my generalization) carry over to Gaster as well. Being a character with no set basis, he's clearly treated with a great diversity of differences. While I view this as an understandable and good thing, I also take the view that his very reality-shattered nature makes nigh any interpretation valid - especially the more surreal or strange ones... And artistic/explorative angle I've wanted to try pursuing a little, either for the nature of my comic or not. In any case, the implication is still there that the 'handsome' or 'cute' type of variant carries more gravity popularity among fans. Yet, it's still the macabre or strange variants that I've found to be the most strange and appealing.I find the lack of detailed input and feedback from fans a bit of a pity; more insightful and interesting perspectives are out there, but they seem to be few and far between.really can be treated with great nuance and skill in the right hands, and I find it a rewarding universe to take a new perspective on.You're welcome for the thoughts. I'm glad they've helped, and I hope they'll carry you into future works. Personally, I'm under the impression that it's a bit of a lonely trail for the differing or more complex ideas that some fans come up with.Good luck, and I look forward to more.If I miss it in the river of other fan works, do give me a shout anytime.