Designing My Griot & Artist Persona: Monihymn
This post originally appeared on my newsletter, [Muse Module], where I discuss the work I’ve done, what I’ve learned and things that I want to share with you.
At the foundation of my work, lies a creature that serves as both an artist's persona and the studio’s namesake. Monihymn maintains one foot in fantasy and the other in reality. On that fantastical level, they embody creation and craftsmanship. A Monihymn is a patron of discarded ideas and stewards over the things they create. One of their brush strokes would beget an entire timeline.
In reality, artist personas are so cool. Mononyms like “Solange” and “Prince” are excellent examples. Even with them, their lives, discographies, and pop culture build into this modern-day folklore. Monihymn’s design balances with music, hyper-organic shapes, and craftsmanship.
Strings felt like a strong visual element to bridge the gap between sound and physical creation. My vision gravitated towards how root-like nervous systems are. It felt like a direct visual metaphor for life and vivaciousness. Further emphasis on Monihymn's sonic nature could fall on the instruments used and the strings that make up their body. The floating hands became hand-wings to emphasize an otherworldly nature while carrying an overt symbol for craftsmanship. Pulling all of these elements together, Monihymn is supposed to balance something otherworldly and familiar— something human and manufactured.
l experimented with a "hyper-organic" character design using Blender & HeavyPaint (with a dash of CSP). I started Blender to sculpt with the character's head. A "hyper-organic" look was my focus and I wanted to have fun textures to paint over. Then I had some fun building out the bust and branching nerve structures in HeavyPaint. HP has the most unique brush engine and I love how it blends with the model. Near the end I composted the images in Clip Studio Paint bc my computer couldn't handle the sheer beauty (ha!) But I love this lil turnaround ref sheet
The strings felt like a strong visual element to bridge sound and organic forms. Strings are the primary components for many instruments from lyres and koras to harpsichords to guitars. Strings also speak to plant roots and how our nervous systems branch throughout our bodies. The botanical works of Valerie Hammond felt like a good way of explaining what I was looking for. Her work along with the horror VFX you'd see in movies like Annihilation (2018) would be strong references for where I want to push Monihymn.
Craftsmanship was the second metaphor to build into Monihymn. Hands felt like an obvious visual choice that speaks to human creation.
Creation. Self-Destruction. Craftsmanship.
Pulling these elements together allows Monihymn to have both a human and an otherworldly edge. I think I’m getting closer to something final and honest to my vision.