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Yokai Character Design

Yokai Character Design 
In this piece I wanted to create character designs for a video game that are inspired on Japanese folklore. I decided to do yokai and onis because I felt I could take traditional figures that we already have art and conceptions of and put a modern spin on it. 

How my art ties in:
For the KaraKasa-Obake I gave the character an umbrella weapon that is the monster itself, I then gave the character eyeball beads to represent the one eye the umbrella has. The character has a tongue scarf wrapped around his neck to represent the tongue that is usually drawn on the Kasa-Obake.

For my Ushi-Oni I gave the character sharp heels, pointed elbow pads to represent the sharp appendages of the monster. I then gave my character a poofy dress bottom to represent the abdomen of the spider. Then horns to tie into the ox head seen with the monster usually. 
What's an Oni? 
Oni's are monstrous horned humanoids who are found in countless Japanese stories and myths. They tend to be the enemies of mankind and are generally depicted as roguish villains. Stereotypically, they are conceived of as red, blue or white-colored, wearing loincloths of tiger pelt, and carrying iron kanabō clubs.



What's a Yokai? 
Yōkai are a class of supernatural monsters and spirits in Japanese folklore. Yōkai range diversely from the malevolent to the mischievous, or occasionally bring good fortune to those who encounter them. Yōkai often possess animal features
Kasa-Obake: 
Kasa-obake are a mythical ghost or yōkai in Japanese folklore. They are generally umbrellas with one eye and jump around with one leg, but sometimes they have two arms or two eyes among other features, and they also sometimes are depicted to have a long tongue
Ushi-Oni:
The Ushi-Oni  is a yokai from folklore that comes from western Japan. Ushi-oni generally appear on beaches and attack people who walk there. Ushi-oni have brutal, savage personalities. They usually have an ox's head with sharp upward-curving horns, wicked fangs and a slender tongue,  Their body is most commonly depicted as spider-like with six legs and long singular claws at the end of each appendage.
Here are images of the two yokais that I based my drawings off of. 
Kasa Obake (傘お化け, "umbrella obake"), or Karakasa Obake (唐傘お化け?) or Karakasa Kozo (唐傘小僧), are a type of         Tsukumog...: Japanese monster, Japanese art, Japanese folklore. (2020, November 24). Retrieved December 15, 2020, from    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/302444931216767407/

Ushi-oni. (2020, December 05). Retrieved December 15, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ushi-oni
Yokai Character Design
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Yokai Character Design

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