A sort of guide on how to make a mantibab + how to make a custom form for a mantibab! you don't by any means have to follow this guide, this is the simplest way to make a mantibab!
this is stuff i usually ask myself when making a bab. these are the usual steps i take. there are 2 other ways i make babs (draw entire bab first, colors second) (choose traits first, personality, then colors) but i think this one is the easiest way for me to be content with my choices! below is also ways to make custom forms and stuff!
this is stuff i usually ask myself when making a bab. these are the usual steps i take. there are 2 other ways i make babs (draw entire bab first, colors second) (choose traits first, personality, then colors) but i think this one is the easiest way for me to be content with my choices! below is also ways to make custom forms and stuff!
ok before anything else, you have to think: what sort of bab am i making? do i have a personality/character type in mind? do i know what they'll be doing within their caravans/social groups/other? do i want a sickly sweet bab with pinks and oranges and reds who's covered in bows and frills? do i want an energetic babs that mix together reds and blues who run around with lightning bolt markings on its side? a nature specific bab with greens and yellows and inkings of flowers here and there? there are so many possibilities! having a personality in mind really helps the creation process imo. of course you could just put together random traits and colors and let me have a go at it!
1) Choose a base coat
this will be the main color of your bab. you can choose to make the bab a gradient but make sure you have 1-2 vibrant colors as the base! (gradients can be several colors but they cannot be muddy! a muddy bab is a dull bab and will immediately be rejected! a bab can't be rainbow/near rainbow unless its extremely rare) |
4) do i want an underbelly? toes? ankle nub outline? (optional)
a trait that many babs share! having a lighter or darker color contrasting with the vibrancy looks really good most of the time! babs can have small patches of color on their underbelly or have their entire underbelly be a different color from the rest of their coat. i personally love having light/dark toes and ankle/elbow nub outlines but they're not for everyone! this is an early decision for me to make but isn't necessary for customs! |
5) what kind of basic body markings do i want? blanket? stripes? socks? cowl? can i piece together images i have and give them to you as an inspiration sheet? etc (optional)
babs have so many variations in basic body markings that are able to be added on as much as you want! the only rule here is that commonly, the spots have to be the focal point of the design! (so no minimal spots) you are able to just piece together pictures on your computer and ask me to wing it! if you have no idea you can ask me to do whatever but having even a little idea of what you want will help me immensely! |
6) Alright so what kind of spots do i want?
spots are the main point of a babs coat. all babs have spots (excluding some deities and extremely rare babs) that come in all shapes and sizes! this is one of the hardest decisions to make because the placement and type of spots can be played around with and usually make or break the design. you can mix up to 3 spot types. |
7) do i want hair?
not all babs have hair but hair is a trait that can always be added or removed later down the line! babs are able to style their hair in any way imaginable and is usually short - mid length. hair is uncommonly longer than medium and has a limit of going down to the wrists before it gets into rare territory. hair follows the same color rules as any other traits! white hair is available but does have rules. (please visit the dos and don'ts tab under anatomy for the info on this.) |
AND YOU'RE DONE!
the rest is handled by me! in the end you could get something like this:
the rest is handled by me! in the end you could get something like this:
For those of you who are fond of inspiration sheets:
you can mix and match any and all images that you want to inspire your babs or scribble down a small doodle or simply give me colors to work with! (i will make all colors bab suitable unless you give me a working color pallet) Letting me know what traits you want is extremely helpful (especially spot types!) and will be more likely to give you a design you were looking for!
you can mix and match any and all images that you want to inspire your babs or scribble down a small doodle or simply give me colors to work with! (i will make all colors bab suitable unless you give me a working color pallet) Letting me know what traits you want is extremely helpful (especially spot types!) and will be more likely to give you a design you were looking for!