Today I wanted to post a couple of concept sketches I've been working on for Kistka, a tabletop adventure game based on Ukrainian folklore and pysanky (traditional decorated eggs). The project is a collaboration with my friends Brian Belida and Kevin Snow, and I'm really excited to be part of it.
Players in Kistka take on the role of wandering Hutsul magicians, crafting magical pysanky to help renew the land and stave off incursions from evil spirits and monsters. We're still early on in the concept phase, but one of the things that immediately grabbed my attention were the Hutsuls themselves, who have an incredibly rich and visually fascinating culture. I still have a lot more research ahead of me, but here's a few early character sketches.
Painting practice based on a fantastic photo that Brian found of an old Hutsul gentleman.
I still feel a bit like I'm shaking off the rust, but it was fun getting back into the swing of things. I wanted to try to get a sense for traditional Hutsul clothing, particularly the intricate patterns and embroidery.
A few more pencil sketches based on traditional Hutsul costumes. One of Brian's ideas was to give the characters oversized kistkas, which -- combined with the magician idea -- pretty much translated into staffs.
Page of character concepts based on various Hutsul photographs and paintings (with a few liberties taken here and there, too).
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