Sketches, Scraps, and Scribbles (Oswald Orozco)

I know I'm already going to be writing too much here, so I'll keep this explanation brief. 

1. This is the second in a series featuring the doodles from that ginormous 2012-2014 sketch dump, but focusing on only a single character at a time. Format is a little different than last time, because Deviantart gets fussy if your image is too long. 

2. Some of these pictures have numbers next to them. That means I've got a bit of commentary to go with it for those who are interested. You can find this commentary in the description below, under the corresponding section, and next to the corresponding number. 

3. There is also an "overall" section to the commentary, wherein I briefly discuss what was up with that period of time overall. 

4. The CDTs that I mention in the commentary below are a little thing that I'm a part of on tvtropes.org. On the tvtropes forums, there's a section for people who like to write, and a handful of us also do these things called CDTs, or "Character Development Threads" wherein we pick a setting and we each drop one or more characters into that setting, and then we have them interact, usually ending up with a semi-readable story by the end. A lot of these illustrations depict scenes from those. If you're interested, you can read more here: tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php… We're always looking for more participants.

5. If the image is too big, I'd suggest hitting the download button (or open image in new tab) and then using your browser's zoom capability to zoom out a bit. Easy peasy. Having this page open and the images on a separate page (or a separate window, so you can alt+tab 'til the sun comes down) also helps if you'd like to read the commentary while browsing the images. 

6. Thank you so much for checking this out. I spent a long time drawing these stupid doodles, and compiling all them here, and writing the commentary and all that jazz. 


Commentary:

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Character Summary as of Today: 
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2040

Oswald Orozco is a strange looking person, even in his strange world. In this world looking strange in the way that Oswald looks can cause rather negative reactions from other, more normal looking folk. Because of this, Oswald was raised in seclusion. His family consisted of his very caring birth mother--a very normal looking human being--and his adoptive father, who took Oswald and his mother in under his wing out of love, though mostly towards Oswald's mother. He also had an adoptive brother who was some years older than he, though the two did not get along well growing up.

Oswald, being so abnormal, did not experience a normal upbringing. He was not to be seen by strangers, leaving him to spend most of his time indoors, in his father's large, spacious cliffside home. In place of friends, he had books and movies, both of which he loved dearly. In place of school, he was taught by his mother. Aside from the few things which he could not have, Oswald was never left wanting for much. His father's relative wealth kept him comfortable, which was a nice substitute for having a proper life of his own. 

One day when Oswald was in his late teens, his mother died. Some years later, his father's small fortune began to dry up, as did his affections for a needy individual with a limited capacity to generate income and no foreseeable future. 

Eventually, Oswald was no longer welcome at home. So he left. 

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2012
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Relevant CDTs: Character University

Overall: Square. Very square. Or rectangular, I should say. Oswald's head shape was still quite geometric at this stage. Simple, easy for me to draw, and not /too/ bothersome looking at this stage. I'm not hugely fond of any of the doodles drawn during this time period, it was still very much a proving ground; a stepping stone towards where I wanted to be, while I figured out just how to get there. It's not all bad, and I did like seeing the neat angles and some of the motion-driven images I drew, but I was reluctant to upload quite a few of these. 

1. One thing I should probably explain first are these darker (think dark gray), hairier, black-horned, long-muzzled, round-mouthed depictions of Oswald. You can see the most detailed version of this on my gallery (ryuhza.deviantart.com/art/Maie…). It's basically an illustration of a plot point within Oswald's larger story, although I'm not sure if I'll ever have that plot point actually happen. The gist of it is that the “curse”--as we'll call it—that makes Oswald look the way that he does has a source, a source very extremely far away. Due to barriers between Oswald and this curse, it's effects are diluted, leaving him only partially altered

It's always been kind of an iffy idea, but the design was fun to draw, and easier for me to make it look “alright-ish” at this stage of design development, so draw it I did. 

2. For being a smaller doodle, I do like this one a lot. I think I just wanted to draw what it would look like for Oswald to run in his full cloak (and dagger!) getup, and though that getup has changed (gotten lighter) over the years, I still like the way everything kind of flows in this image. Pint-sized doodles always do look the best... 

3. As far as 2012 goes, this picture isn't that bad. Ozzy's face is still very geometric, but there is a bit of roundness on the forefront, and some half-hearted attempts at shading certain areas to enunciate detail. It was probably by luck more than anything though. 

4. I think I mentioned this in one of the other pictures, but I took an art class in the first half of 2012. One assignment was to work with pen, using methods like crosshatching or stippling to detail an image. Evidently, some of my pen usage carried over into the latter half of 2012, as you can see in these few images. Alas I've pretty much dropped it since then. I make too many mistakes and don't think far enough ahead to comfortably use a pen. 

5. These two are actually kind of decent, considering the time period. The side profile of Oswald's horns and body are a little awkward on the drawing to the left, but the drawing on bottom right looks like it could have been done in 2014, slightly misplaced eye and everything. 

6. Woof. Just an idea sketch in line with the whole “what would the full effect of the curse look like” potentiality. Not very intimidating though. Kind of silly. 

7. Another surprisingly decent picture from 2012. Very undeveloped of course, but there's a bit of roundness at the front of his mouth, his closed/near closed eyes have some dimension to them, and the nostrils are lightly defined. Apparently this too was also by accident, since I didn't pick up on any of this until much later. 

8. Stupid face. 

9. A while ago, I thought it'd be a neat idea to make it look like Oswald was always glaring, even when he was smiling. I quickly realized that it was a bad idea, and it made him look like he was trying really hard to look bad-ass for no reason other than to appeal to 14-year-olds. Bleh. Tail is pretty squirrely-whirley here too, with less structure than a sand snake. 

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2013 Pt. 1
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Relevant CDTs: Character Mansion

Overall: As was typical for the first half of 2013, this section is lighter on the image count, but features much larger drawings on the whole. No significant design changes here, although I did seem to backpedal a bit and make his face somehow even more rectangular. 

1. As mentioned in #9 of 2012, the whole glaring thing. I realized it was a bad idea quickly, but, uh.. not immediately. At the very least, the torso area and shirt look all right. 

2. This is an idea that I had in 2012 originally, but it's more evident here. In addition to the mask and hood, Oswald would wrap the rest of his head in bandages (or similarly banding materials, like electric tape) until only his eyes (and horns, obviously) were left exposed. It's a neat idea, and I think I'll still use it in some way or another within his story. 

3. Little secret, I used to—for a very long time I used to—draw Oswald's horns without really thinking about it much. Mostly they're there to add to the demonic element of his design and to make his bald, earless head look a little less small and naked. 

4. This one comes straight from the CDT he was in. Oswald who, having trudged through a cold marsh,  is suffering from hypothermia and very out-of-his head, stumbles into a big mansion type house deal where a party is going on. After ranting for a few minutes and trying to climb the stairs, he passes out, only to be dragged into a room with a fireplace, and stripped of most of his very wet layers, including his hood and mask. And that's when I jumped right into the story and drew him. Faaaantastic.  

5. Oswald's arm markings (he has some on his feet and shins as well). The design here is actually something I just drew kind of  haphazardly way back when I first etched out the character on paper. They look like fairly uninspired Gothic tattoos, and I feel as though I should have replaced or removed them by now. But I have yet to think of a good replacement, and in a way, it's important for Oswald's appearance to look “designed”, even if it's a little juvenile. I don't know if they'll stick around forever, but I've decided to keep them to this day. 

6. So much effort put into this picture, yet Oswald's face looks about as far from naturalistic as it's ever been. Supremely flat. I think I realized that part-way through shading the thing, and gave up, leaving it as is. Still this does mark the first time I ever drew the strap that connects the two sides of Oswald's cloak around his neck/chest area. The cloak on the whole is way too short though. Ah well, at least it's detailed. That's got to count for something. Yeah, I'm bummed out too Ozzy. 

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2013 Pt. 2
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Relevant CDTs: Character Mansion

Overall: Though it wasn't that sparse overall, I didn't draw very many pictures of Oswald during this time. He's probably the character I've drawn the most though, so there's still plenty to go around for those who want to gawk at his ugly mug some more. Not that many facial design changes here either, though there is the beginning's of an effort to define Ozzy's nostrils a bit. More evident, I removed the silly band that went around the top of Oswald's hood. In Oswald's initial appearance, he was generally more decorated, wearing bands around his wrist or his neck, and I guess this was kind of in line with /that/, only so much has changed since his conception and I simply can't think of where he would've gotten a metallic band to wear around his hood, or /why/ he would wear it in the first place. Thus, it went away.

1. I wondered one day, “would it be smarter of Oswald to try and cover his horns as well?” Then I tried to draw it. Today, I point at the drawing and I say, “no, ha-ha-ha.” It's like gift-wrapping a motorcycle.

2. Little just-for-fun stylized experiment. I actually kind of like this picture again, and I tried something sort-of similar in late 2014, only to a much, much worse result. All I'm saying is, brace yourselves now. 
3. This here Oswald-standing-in-the-door frame was a depiction of his kind of “ending-shot” in the character Mansion CDT, where he is presented with the path back to his home; a home he is no longer welcome at, and that he has traveled a very long way to get away from. Yet also a home that he'd love nothing more than to return to. He's supposed to look “pained” here, but I think I made him look more angry than anything. Also, his proportions are messed up. It was much better written than it was drawn. 
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2014 Pt. 1
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Relevant CDTs: Character Inn

Overall: Ah, 2014, the birth of the more modern Oswald design-- the one that I'm much more comfortable with sharing and much happier drawing. First of all, I finally gave thought to how long his horns should be and shrank those suckers down (though I kind of forgot about this in the latter half of 2014). Secondly, I started giving more definition and dimension to the shape of his head, especially in the snout area. His nostrils are outlined like most beasts of the woods, his mouth is much rounder 'round the edges, making it look more like something that could move flexibly to shape words and funny faces, and his eyes have a bit of eyelid-brow separation. More importantly, he looks very calm and collected, which better reflects his purported character. One other subtle change is the shape of Oswald's tail, at the tip. It's got a bit of a barbed-arrow look to it now. That actually wasn't my idea, and I owe the credit to a good friend of mine who drew him that way for me a long time ago. You can see the picture for yourself here (i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm…)

1. First of all, that thing hanging out of his mouth isn't a cigarette, it's the stick of a lollipop. Back in 2010 or so, I drew a picture of Oswald relaxing on a raft with a box of lollipops- the kind you'd see in a store or something. It was mostly for the amusement that the image would garner, and I didn't think much of it. However, I've more recently decided that Oswald should have a bit of a sweet-tooth, kind of as an offset to the dignified and sensible air he likes to put on. Thus, the candy. You can assume the same for any other like images. 

2. I quite like this one, even though I drew it crooked and Oswald's face is a little geometric. I think it's the eyes. I hit them square where I wanted them to be, kind of hard to read and demure. Also neither too close together nor too far apart. I liked it so much that I tried to draw it again, but failed (see above the drawing of Ozzy laughing).

3. I don't give a lot of focus to Oswald's tail, both in writing and in drawing. I do consider it a necessity to his design, a thing that sets him apart from looking just like a Minotaur and enunciates the whole “demon” aspect of his appearance. I'd like to have him utilize it more, either expressively or as a sort of third arm, but I haven't really taken steps towards that. Instead I'm stuck drawing kind of aimless pictures like this one. 

4. This is kind of a neat picture. Oswald spends a lot of time moving from place to place on foot-- he's an adept hiker and camper, but wasn't always that way. Here I drew him sitting awake in his tent, listening fearfully to the sounds of the night-time woods surrounding him, invisible but ever-present. I thought it was kind of a funny juxtaposition, having Oswald—though born with a beastly face—nervous at the thought of the real beasts of the wilderness lingering nearby.

5. Another unfinished, slightly detailed drawing. This introduced a few more aspects to his outfit's design. For starters, there are now buttons holding the top of his hood to it's sides, allowing for him to more easily put it on or take it off, even with his horns in the way. Also, in lieu of having a proper mask, here he is using his shirt (notably missing from his chest) as a makeshift mask instead. I thought that using his shirt or a shirt made more sense in his situation, where finding the kind of mask that fits him with enough wrinkling so as not to completely outline his muzzle would be quite a difficult prospect. 

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2014 Pt. 2
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Relevant CDTs: Character Mansion, Character Halloween

Overall: Not a whole lot of change here, although you may notice that I forgot about making his horns short in quite a few of these. Mostly just minor variations here and there, all inching towards more detail, though not always very successfully. One thing I can say gladly is that I finally did away with Ozzy's heterochromia, leaving it in the ditch of all those other bad ideas that I only thought were cool because I was 14 at the time and I needed to make the character more special somehow. 

1. This thing. This was another one of those just-for-fun experiments, where I tried to draw Oswald in the style I used for a character I haven't drawn in ages, who you can see here: (ryuhza.deviantart.com/art/Maxw…). It wasn't an inherently bad idea, but I cocked it up royally. I'm sorry for drawing this picture and including it as a part of this series of images. Moving on... 

2. This here is a depiction of Oswald as he first appears in the Character Halloween thread, snoozing in an armchair. Not much to say, although it was nice to try doing a more interesting pose. I get stuck on busts a lot. 

3. Small doodle on a cluttered sheet of paper, but I quite like this one a lot. I've been trying to go forward with a  few of the characteristics represented here, such as the narrow, wide-set eyes and the horns that are even shorter than before. 

4, Probably the most detailed I've been able to get Oswald's face to look. I like this picture quite a lot, though I'm not entirely satisfied with it at the end of the day. In fact, I actually tried to alter his eyes after scanning this once, but I only got done with one of them, leaving a bit of a disparity in the image. You can find the original picture here: (i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm…). This drawing also is a fairly good show of the contrast between Oswald's muscular, admirable body and his beastly head. A very fun contrast to draw.

5. For being a very small, very quickly done image, I do like this one quite a bit. A nice expression. 

6. This drawing had a good foundation, but I kept messing with it, and I couldn't quite get his eyes or his mouth and jaw to look right. That's why the one is so short, and the other is half there, half gone, half elsewhere. 

7. Silly little “I'd like to draw a big cool image but I don't have it in me to do it” drawing. Oswald on a snowy hill above a building with a chimney and smoke like ribbons pouring out. The snow tracks are undoubtedly all wrong, but like I said, I didn't really care. Just wanted to etch out a scene in my head. 

8. Yegh. Ignore as best you can. 

9. Again, I drew this one, wasn't satisfied, tried tweaking the face, and screwed the whole thing up, then abandoned it. Just ain't quite right, especially 'round the eyes. The clothes look okay-ish. 

10. Hey, it's the return of hairier Oswald! Again, I just like to draw this from time to time. Didn't make any updates to the design either, which is somewhat surprising. 

11. I also like this picture a lot. I've got it in my head that Oswald is a fairly easy-going person, not one to be very easily pissed off (unless you press all the right buttons when his weak point is flashing). However, I also like to think that when he does get pissed off, there's murder in his eyes. I didn't want to go too over the top in depicting that, so I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out. 
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Bonus
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Overall: Here's the embarrassing part where I talk about how my inspiration for creating Oswald came from playing Tekken 6 online back when I was 14. I was playing renowned fighting game series Tekken (of which I am a fan, and of which I did make shitty fan art which you can find in my “unrefined work” folder) online, using the character Devil Jin (if that doesn't paint a big enough picture...) against another Devil Jin, and we were pretty evenly matched. My Devil Jin was customized to look all beast-like though, whereas his was more, “check out my cool motorcycle jacket and fire pants yo”-like. The rounds lasted for a while, and by the end, we were 2 for 2, vying to get that last hit in to win the match. I was playing by my own “honorable” rules, and I thought the other guy was too, but then he performed a grab move, which was—in my mind—the cheapest of the cheap moves you could use to win a game. I felt betrayed. Then I got a cool idea for a story. 

   The idea was that there would be these two brothers, one a normal human guy, and the other a demon looking guy—he'd  be adopted, whatever. And they get along great. But then one day, the /bad things/ happen, and the demon looking guy—although by all means a nice guy—is exiled from village place, and then more bad things happen and the two brothers have to fight, and they fight and  blah blah blah, “lets not fight” they agree, but then normal guy snaps demon guy's neck; the traitor! 

14 year old me thought it was an amazing idea, and went to work immediately. 20 year old me thinks it was a very simple prejudice story anchored around one moment of harsh betrayal, and is glad that it's no longer nothing like that. Oswald is the clear focus here (because the normal brother always ended up being much more boring), and while prejudice factors into the story, it's not the simplified moral core of it. In addition, everything else is different, but much, much better I assure you. One other thing of note, I almost named Oswald “Oasis”. And I thought I was /so/ much smarter than the other 14-year-olds...

1. The above drawing is the first time I've ever drawn Oswald. I don't actually hate it all that much. There are tons of differences from his current design: his face was much more... brusque in it's beastlyness (note the perpetually stuck-out teeth), he had wings (I realized later that I had no reason to give him wings other than the fact that my Devil Jin character had wings, and promptly removed them forever) , and he wore a lot of... uh... bangles? I think I was going for a bit of an “Egyptian god” look there, but that doesn't make much sense in the stir of things. What aren't different, you might notice, are the markings on his arms. Slapped on haphazardly as I said, and left there to this day. 

The below drawing was done a year or so later, probably in late 2010. He's still got the wings, but his face more closely resembles his most current design. The whole cake/birthday thing was just for amusement I think. Also, note his zealously over-designed jacket. That didn't quite mesh with what I've got going now. Bye-bye. 

2. One thing I noticed while doing this little project is that I've got a bit of a propensity towards drawing Oswald laughing nigh-uncontrollably. Though he normally reserves himself to small inward laughs, I like to think that, in the right company and with the right mood, and maybe while a little tipsy, Ozzy would have a great big gut-busting laugh, so depicted here. This is also a nice little quick comparison of how his design has changed and been refined between 2013 and the first and second halves of 2014 (top to bottom in that order). 

3. Lastly, this is an unfinished digital image I've had going for a while now. I don't know if I'll ever get it finished, but the head area is mostly done, so I thought I'd share it. I'm quite happy with it as-is, as a general depiction of Oswald's appearance in-color. Bluish skin, greenish (or are they bluish?) eyes, a dark shirt, and there you go. 


I think I'll do Mud the Magician next