Collectems - Aspen Concept Art

written by electricfleshlightorchestra

Hello there again, everyone! Sorry we’ve been so quiet on the Collectems front the past few weeks. A lot of things have come up for all of us, so while we unfortunately haven’t had much to talk about, we’ve still been doing work when we can. Don’t worry though, we’re starting to get things back on track. As I mentioned in my previous development diary entry, I was going to cover the other protagonist, Aspen, once we had his design more finalized. That day has come, so let’s jump right in!

Aspen is the older of the two siblings, and as such was always shackled with greater expectations. The stress of these responsibilities, especially after the divorce of their parents, left Aspen a lot more reserved than his younger sister. She may not remember a time when Mom and Dad were still together, but he does, along with all the fighting and yelling that came with it.

As mentioned previously, Aspen’s design hasn’t been as concrete as Clementine’s. We weren’t entirely sure what direction we wanted to take him in, and I struggled a lot trying to create a more memorable character that didn’t just look like any old male protagonist from Pokémon, so he’s really run the gambit so to speak. I tried a design that was basically Ness from Earthbound, a bulkier beard-toting version of Aspen, and a variety of other things that just didn’t really work out.

After several revisions and countless suggestions, this is our current version of Aspen. Clementine’s design was a much more simple affair, but finally figuring out the look for Aspen has been a lot more satisfying. Comparing it to the first draft, almost everything about his appearance has changed. No more hat, no more handkerchief, and the addition of glasses, which I think helps visually convey some of his apathy by hiding his eyes. I’m also personally very happy with how his hair has turned out (side dreads!). Apart from some minor tweaks and changes, we’re just about ready to start making sprites of both of these guys! Hopefully we’ll be able to share that with you soon, but until then, I’ll see you later! Maybe next time I’ll show off some concept art for Mom or Dad?