Brohug

This was for the Mass Effect Livejournal Community's Secret Santa Gift Exchange 2011! That is a mouthful. This is for Fi_Harkness, who wanted her dudeShep and James Vega being "bromantic."

I've never drawn James Vega before and I know there's a couple inaccuracies with the uniforms as well. I forgot Chad's arm bracers, for one! Also I did not realise Chad's arm is fundamentally broken and too small for the distance until it was way too late in the process. Sorry, Chad. But you're about to hug your totally not platonic bro, so it is alright.

For those who like perusing through WIPs, whether perhaps out of morbid fascination or a desire to learn (Or a curious combination of the two?) here are some of the stages that led up to the completed image.

1. Sketch
Here you can see my initial idea on the left which I quickly scrapped because THAT SHIT'S BORING, YO. On the far right, I was having trouble imagining what angle they'd approach each other at so tried a quick doodle to see it from a first person perspective and adapt it. It sounds a lot more complicated than it is. Also I never sketch on naked white. I choose a colour that I feel most suits either what I imagine the final lighting conditions to be, or failing that something that will help me express the mood. Cooler colours for more relaxed stuff, bright and vibrant for more energetic things. Colour affects the brain. So does coffee.

2. Flat Colours
Marvel at its flatness! Its coloured lines! Its godawful boring grey background! Its missing pixels that have to be manually filled in! Never fear, James Vega is not actually suffering from jaundice and bruising and Chad is not actually sunburned! I've just added blotches of pinkish and yellowish hues to the flat skin tone to add variations in the colour in an attempt to mimick the colour variations in actual human skin! Good god I love exclamation marks! Reading this is almost like playing a game of Pokémon except for vastly less interesting!

3. Flat Colours 2 (Progress and High Res)
Here we see a male Orange-Vested Chadwickus Shepardicus courting a friendly Spike-Headed Jamesicus Veganos. Both specimens are considerably more hairy than the last time we saw them, indicating that they have gone through a process called "Pubertatem dolor Penicillus," or in the common tongue, puberty via the paintbrush. This is good for them, as they appear to be courting amongst a blizzard.
That is not an actual thing, by the way. I just made it up. I should be a nature show commentator. Do you think if Sir Richard Attenborough has a cold one day I could stand in and narrate one? I promise I won't even swear or make penis jokes. Okay, maybe just one penis joke. And I can't promise I won't snicker when the animals are mating.

Until next time,
Your Friendly Neighbourhood Pilot Obsessor