Zhen-Ji, Cloud Serpent Aspect

Entry for 2016 Blizzard Character Art Contest
The Challenge:
- 6000 poly budget
- 1024x1024 texture
- Clothes or armor required
- Look like it belongs in World of Warcraft
Modeled in Maya, textured in Substance Painter and Photoshop
Design-wise, Cloud Serpents in World of Warcraft have iridescent scales, so I wanted to have a neutral but still iridescent coloration for any scale-like features on the character. I decided to go with a pearl-like coloration, as pearls can show multitudes of colors. The main Cloud Serpent mount colors in the game are Azure, Crimson/Ruby, Golden, and Jade, so I wanted to make sure that all of these colors were still ultimately included.
"Cloud Serpents aren’t quite like the Dragon Aspects, as Cloud Serpents were known as cunning and intelligent beasts to the Pandaren long ago. During the Zandalari Troll Wars, a Pandaren named Jiang found and nurtured a Cloud Serpent hatchling, and eventually trained other Pandaren in the art of working together with Cloud Serpents. This bond manifested itself into the Cloud Serpent Aspect, who represents the memory of their shared history."
The Challenge:
- 6000 poly budget
- 1024x1024 texture
- Clothes or armor required
- Look like it belongs in World of Warcraft
Modeled in Maya, textured in Substance Painter and Photoshop
Design-wise, Cloud Serpents in World of Warcraft have iridescent scales, so I wanted to have a neutral but still iridescent coloration for any scale-like features on the character. I decided to go with a pearl-like coloration, as pearls can show multitudes of colors. The main Cloud Serpent mount colors in the game are Azure, Crimson/Ruby, Golden, and Jade, so I wanted to make sure that all of these colors were still ultimately included.
"Cloud Serpents aren’t quite like the Dragon Aspects, as Cloud Serpents were known as cunning and intelligent beasts to the Pandaren long ago. During the Zandalari Troll Wars, a Pandaren named Jiang found and nurtured a Cloud Serpent hatchling, and eventually trained other Pandaren in the art of working together with Cloud Serpents. This bond manifested itself into the Cloud Serpent Aspect, who represents the memory of their shared history."