# Please help me decide something



## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

I have another problem with a concept for my animated series.

First, here's the female lead:

http://transformerrobot.deviantart....3145?q=gallery:transformerrobot/2768796&qo=16

The team she's on represents Canada (because I'm Canadian).

What can I do so that she fits in better with Canada and what Canada is famous for? If you guys could tell me the things that most come to mind when you hear about Canada that would be most helpful.


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## Schwimmwagen (May 9, 2013)

Cover her in maple syrup?


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## Kangamutt (May 9, 2013)

-Maple syrup
-Mounties
-Hockey
-Eh?
-Bob & Doug McKenzie
-Coffee Crisp
-Quebecois seperatism
-Beaver trapping
-Universal healthcare
-Foreign policy: "We mind our own business, eh?"

Come on, OP, you should know more than some American that lives closer to Mexico! :V


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## TigerBeacon (May 9, 2013)

Moose antlers?


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## DrDingo (May 9, 2013)

If it's Canadian, put some more white on it. Match the flag a bit.


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

Kangaroo_Boy said:


> -Maple syrup
> -Mounties
> -Hockey
> -Eh?
> ...



Yes, but how can I apply any of those to an alien lizard girl?


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## Grimfang999 (May 9, 2013)

Make her a French Canadian. The worlds weirdest combo of nationalities.


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

Or have her utter things in French occasionally?


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## Aleu (May 9, 2013)

You're asking people who are not from Canada about Canadian attributes to apply to a character when you, yourself are Canadian...?


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

Well the thing is I can't decide which famous things from or about Canada can be applied to a lizard character.

What if I make her more like a dinosaur? North America has the most fossils in general, and Canada is the most *North* American you can get.


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## Schwimmwagen (May 9, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> North America has the most fossils in general



Fossils are _everywhere_. :I


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## Aleu (May 9, 2013)

Give her the stereotypical Canadian accent and play hockey or something. I don't know what the difference is in applying stereotypes to a human character vs an anthro.


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

Well she's a character I really want to keep, but she comes from a planet where it's humid 99% of the time and everyone lives in giant trees.

The best reason I could think of her wanting to live in Canada is because she's never gotten to have snowfall on her planet and wants to see snow.


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## Aleu (May 9, 2013)

I guess that and also have a taste for maple syrup. Maybe she has a sweet tooth and whatever is on her planet is too bitter?


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## Zuckerdachs (May 9, 2013)

Make her scales mostly off-white, with a red belly and markings. Maybe a maple leaf on her loincloth or something. 

Since you say the planet is humid and it doesn't snow, there's not a whole lot you can work with on that front, since Canada is the Great White North and all.


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

Aleu said:


> I guess that and also have a taste for maple syrup. Maybe she has a sweet tooth and whatever is on her planet is too bitter?



Good choice. ^^



Zuckerdachs said:


> Make her scales mostly off-white, with a red  belly and markings. Maybe a maple leaf on her loincloth or  something.



Now that's just ridiculous. XD


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## Zuckerdachs (May 9, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> Now that's just ridiculous. XD



...Why? You do realize that not all lizards are popsicle green, right?


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

Yes, but she looks quite nice in green, but I could try changing her to red with a white underside.


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## Aleu (May 9, 2013)

Zuckerdachs said:


> ...Why? You do realize that not all lizards are popsicle green, right?


I think it's just making the lizard's markings basically a Canadian flag is a tad over the top given that it's not even from the same planet. It'd be equally as ridiculous as making an alien's markings the stars and stripes if it wanted to represent the United States.


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## Grimfang999 (May 9, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> Good choice. ^^
> 
> 
> 
> Now that's just ridiculous. XD



I agree, what kind of country with any sense of dignity makes their heroes wear clothing resembling their flag?


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## Aleu (May 9, 2013)

Grimfang999 said:


> I agree, what kind of country with any sense of dignity makes their heroes wear clothing resembling their flag?


I see what you did there :3


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## Zuckerdachs (May 9, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> Yes, but she looks quite nice in green, but I could try changing her to red with a white underside.



This is about what I had in mind, fyi. It's called a High White Corn Snake. Not ridiculous at all, IMO, and might look better than something an oversaturated, uniform green or red across 99% of its body.


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## Zuckerdachs (May 9, 2013)

Aleu said:


> I think it's just making the lizard's markings basically a Canadian flag is a tad over the top given that it's not even from the same planet. It'd be equally as ridiculous as making an alien's markings the stars and stripes if it wanted to represent the United States.



Yeah, it's just a little bizarre that THAT is what he pegged as ridiculous, and not the people suggesting giving her moose antlers and shit.


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## Heliophobic (May 9, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> If you guys could tell me the things that most come to mind when you hear about Canada that would be most helpful.



Renard
Front Line Assembly
Scott Pilgrim

Fuck, Canada's pretty boring.


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## Grimfang999 (May 9, 2013)

Saliva said:


> Renard
> Front Line Assembly
> Scott Pilgrim
> 
> Fuck, Canada's pretty boring.



For some reason "Renard", "Scott Pilgrim" and "Canada" dont seem to belong in the same sentence as boring.


Maybe you should parody the maple syrup robbery which scarred Canada for life.


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## Troj (May 9, 2013)

Grimfang999 said:


> Make her a French Canadian. The worlds weirdest combo of nationalities.


_
Mon tabarnac jva te dÃ©calisser la yeule comme le calice!_

In conclusion, if the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy. Also, hockey, eh.


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## Smelge (May 9, 2013)

Just have her off her tits on weed 24/7.


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

Here's the alternative coloring you suggested then.

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/129/3/0/corono_lia_ref__sheet_by_transformerrobot-d5net95.jpg


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## Smelge (May 9, 2013)

Right, I'm having concerns right the fuck here.

You say it's planning for an animated series you're doing. I can understand practicing to make perfect and everything, but it looks terrible. There's no real structure to her. Even on the back angle picture of her, it looks she's grown a tail out of one arsecheek.

If you're doing a long-term animation project, you simply need to get your practice in before trying to stylise it. Study body structure and all that rather than worrying about making her seem Canadian. Thats minor details that can be built over time. You need to work on both your art and animation before going too into this otherwise you risk burning yourself out on the project before you even get close to your finished goal. Hell, it shows that you need to put a lot of thought into it when you have to ask for help fleshing out a main character.

My advice is to give up on the stuff in this thread for now. 

1 -Work on your art, do some body studies or whatever, post a thread in the art forums and post twice a week with the best stuff you've done since the last post. Listen to the feedback you get and improve. 

2 - When you're not doing that, work on some simple animations like a turn-around of a character.

3 - Put down this character. Stop using her to practice. Set her to one side and make up a disposable character. One for the purposes of learning, so by the time you're fed up with it, you're ready to take over with the actual characters you want.

4 - Use the studying and learning time to put some deep thought into your characters, settings, locations and story. Grab yourself Celtx (www.celtx.com) and set up a project in that. Use it's character tools to flesh out your characters, run them through Mary-Sue tests on the internet. Make your characters more than just a 2d thing doing a lame thing to save a thing from something.


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

Thanks, but I didn't ask for artistic advice, I was asking for what I should do so she fits in on the Canadian team.


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## Smelge (May 9, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> Thanks, but I didn't ask for artistic advice, I was asking for what I should do so she fits in on the Canadian team.



And I'm saying if you want this to be part of an animated project, you 'll get burned out on the character before you ever get to a stage to use her, and you'd be better working on the project as a whole over time than shoehorn in something Canadian.

If a basic characteristic is something you're having trouble fitting together, you need to put a lot more thought into it, rather than just rushing in and getting people to solve the problem for you. It's meant to be your character and your series, so put thought into it.

But you know, fine, obviously I'm wasting my time trying to actually fucking help someone.


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## Schwimmwagen (May 9, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> Thanks, but I didn't ask for artistic advice, I was asking for what I should do so she fits in on the Canadian team.



If you want to start an animated series of all things, you need some.


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

I know that, but I wasn't asking for artistic advice, I was asking for advice on characterization.

I'll ask for artistic advice later.


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## Smelge (May 9, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> I know that, but I wasn't asking for artistic advice, I was asking for advice on characterization.
> 
> I'll ask for artistic advice later.



Which goes to show you didn't actually read what I wrote.

You don't concentrate on either characterisation or artwork, you do both at once. If you're stuck on a main characters attributes, call it quits for a while and work on the art side for a while to give you thinking time.


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

You sure I should raise her tail up? Can't I just maker her right butt cheek more prominent?


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## Machine (May 9, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> You sure I should raise her tail up? Can't I just maker her right butt cheek more prominent?


Contrary to popular belief on FA, more ass does not make for artistic talent.


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## Grimfang999 (May 9, 2013)

You just want to draw big lizard butts dont you?


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## Smelge (May 9, 2013)

Tail is an extension of the spine.

The human spine is composed of several sections, from top to bottom, the Cervical (C1 - C7), Thoracic (T1 - T12), Lumbar (L1 - L5), the Sacrum, which is a big fused section, and the Coccyx which I can never spell right. It forms a sort of stylised S shape with an extra curve. In creatures with tails, the sacrum is not entirely fused and forms part of the tail bones along with the coccyx.

Now, a lizards skeletal structure will be different. For starters it's a quadruped, so it's internal organs will pretty much hang from the spinal column, whereas humans are bipedal, and our pelvis' act like a sort of bowl. The spinal structures will be similar, but not quite the same due to pelvic differences. Your best bet would be to look at a real biped with a tail. Look at kangaroos. They have strong tails.

Basically, for your designs, look at real world anatomy, because it'll be easier than making it up yourself. But the basics are these:

* The tail will follow the curvature of the spine
* The tail base will start around the top of the pelvis
* The tail and spine is at the centreline of the body, not off to one side

As I say, look at real world examples, look at reptile physiology, human physiology and kangaroo pysiology, skeletal structures and so on. You need to know how the skeleton fits together under the skin. Then you need to know the major muscles and how they fit together to form proper body contours. And even if you plan on having characters clothed all the time, you need to know whats going on with the body under the clothing, unless you plan on making it stiff, unmoving cloth.


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

How is it now so far.

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/129/d/5/corono_lia_ref__sheet_by_transformerrobot-d5net95.jpg

Also, heheh, coccyx. That's a funny word.


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## TheMetalVelocity (May 9, 2013)

Gibby said:


> Cover her in maple syrup?


 That was racist lmfao, not really, but kinda was expecting something after OP announced to be Canadian. OP, you live in Canada, don't ya? That's like me, as an American asking, how can I make my character represent the USA more? I'll just make him/her wear camoflauge and put a gun or chicken wing in her/his hand. That was kind of insulting to my country... apologies. Anyway, you as a Canadian should know more than all of us.


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## Duality Jack (May 9, 2013)

Just make her say "eh?"


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## Smelge (May 9, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> How is it now so far.
> 
> http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/129/d/5/corono_lia_ref__sheet_by_transformerrobot-d5net95.jpg
> 
> Also, heheh, coccyx. That's a funny word.



Far, far too high.

God dammit, going to have to move my tablet 6" to the right and redline.

Effort


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

I should move it six inches to the right you mean?

How much lower do I need to make it?


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## Zuckerdachs (May 9, 2013)

This entire thread is fucking gold


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/129/9/9/corono_lia_ref__sheet_by_transformerrobot-d5net95.jpg

Still not in the right place?


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## Machine (May 9, 2013)

Zuckerdachs said:


> This entire thread is fucking gold


No...



TransformerRobot said:


> http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/129/9/9/corono_lia_ref__sheet_by_transformerrobot-d5net95.jpg


Gold _indeed._


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

I appreciate the advice, but only if it's constructive.


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## Machine (May 9, 2013)

Here's a diagram of the structure of the humanoid spine.

If you've got a thing that's sticking out your midsection, that's not a tail; that's a deformity.


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## Ozriel (May 9, 2013)

Maybe I should move this to the art section. Seems appropriate....


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## Kangamutt (May 9, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> I appreciate the advice, but only if it's constructive.



That's what advice is. And there's a lot of it in this thread.

I'm siding with what a lot was said before, and suggesting you shelf this project for a long while before going into it. Your character art and animation requires a lot of work before you can even think of going into any sort of production. Not to mention that animated works are divided projects between specialized people. You have writers, character artists, background artists, keyframers, in-between draw monkeys, voice actors, musicians, it goes on, and you're going it as a one-man show. I'm not trying to make a put-down, but you are in for a hell of a lot of work. Right now, you're trying to jump squares from the start square. Step to square one, and work on your artwork first.
In addition, the character you're trying to make here, I have to say, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. You're taking a character that has more associations visually to more tropical places, and trying to apply a place that is very well known for being cold and mild in weather at best. Nobody is going to be able to make connections to anything. The cultural idea of what Canada is just does not line up with the appearance of your character's overall design and what back story you have made so far.


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## Smelge (May 9, 2013)

Right, the tail should not be that high or 6 inches to the right. I was referring to the placement of my graphics tablet on my desk.





This is the sort of skeletal structure you want. It's not accurate because I made it mostly from memory, but it's in the correct direction and shows you the placement of the major bone structures. While I was at it, the frontal one, her shoulders were far too wide and square, she had no collarbone, and massive thighs that shouldn't be seen outside of a Japanese manga.

It's not perfect, and I don't claim to be an expert, but I know where tails should sit.



Kangaroo_Boy said:


> In addition, the character you're trying to  make here, I have to say, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. You're  taking a character that has more associations visually to more tropical  places, and trying to apply a place that is very well known for being  cold and mild in weather at best. Nobody is going to be able to make  connections to anything. The cultural idea of what Canada is just does  not line up with the appearance of your character's overall design and  what back story you have made so far.



Dammit.

As a concept it could work. People who live in certain climates sometimes want the opposite. You live with sun and beaches 24/7, maybe you want to go somewhere wet and cold for a change. From my point of view, I'd see this as a bit of a thing like people turning all anime fan and suddenly moving to Tokyo. It may not make logical sense to most, but to the person involved it probably does, and when they get there, they want to fit in or embrace the culture. But sometimes they embrace it a little too hard.

I know what I mean. Fuck off and leave me along.


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

No, I didn't mean that Kangaroo_Boy, I meant when Machine said "This is gold.".

Anyway, here's another go at it:

http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/129/1/7/corono_lia_ref__sheet_by_transformerrobot-d5net95.jpg

Thanks for the skeletal reference.

However, I'd appreciate it even more if you had gotten my permission to post that on PhotoBucket first. Nothing personal, just don't want to get pirated, not that my work has gotten that good yet mind you.


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## Smelge (May 9, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> Anyway, here's another go at it:
> 
> http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/129/1/7/corono_lia_ref__sheet_by_transformerrobot-d5net95.jpg



The thing is, you're having trouble with perspective. You've got the tail at an angle that looks like you're trying to get it into the right angle, but the actual placement on the 3d object is giving you problems. If in doubt, find the central line of the body, which is where the spine is. It'll run down the middle from the base of the skull to where the tail starts. Your spinal shape isn't that bad, you're just not following it through into the tail.


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## Kangamutt (May 9, 2013)

Smelge said:


> Dammit.
> 
> As a concept it could work. People who live in certain climates sometimes want the opposite. You live with sun and beaches 24/7, maybe you want to go somewhere wet and cold for a change. From my point of view, I'd see this as a bit of a thing like people turning all anime fan and suddenly moving to Tokyo. It may not make logical sense to most, but to the person involved it probably does, and when they get there, they want to fit in or embrace the culture. But sometimes they embrace it a little too hard.
> 
> I know what I mean. Fuck off and leave me along.



I think we're thinking of two different things. By the sound of it you're making something of a "fish out of water" type of story where a character goes to a place that is very different from what they are used to. What I'm seeing from OP is that they're trying to give the character a cultural identity to a place that it really doesn't fit. I mean, climate does affect culture, and a place where the national sport is played on ice wouldn't fit too well in a place that has probably never had the concept of frozen water.


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## Smelge (May 9, 2013)

Kangaroo_Boy said:


> I think we're thinking of two different things. By the sound of it you're making something of a "fish out of water" type of story where a character goes to a place that is very different from what they are used to. What I'm seeing from OP is that they're trying to give the character a cultural identity to a place that it really doesn't fit. I mean, climate does affect culture, and a place where the national sport is played on ice wouldn't fit too well in a place that has probably never had the concept of frozen water.



I swear the OP said she was an alien at some point, so thats where I'm getting my shit from. Or maybe that was something else. I explained my reasonings. Stop being mean.


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## Arshes Nei (May 9, 2013)

Ok, this is just stupid. A Character that lives in a certain climate would probably NOT want to move to a different climate because it would probably fuck up their body. That's like saying a Polar Bear should live in the desert. 

That scantily clad lizard if it actually uses reptile physiology would probably want to bundle up to regulate body heat. 

As others have said I have no idea how you're going to animate this if you're not good with anatomy and simplification where it works as a design. I mean you're essentially sticking with this really generic design, and no evolutions of variations to play with this character.

Oh GOD YOU AGAIN. Talk about learning nothing when we last gave you a critique.

http://transformerrobot.deviantart....rth-365771529?q=gallery:transformerrobot&qo=3


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

Here is another. I went by what Smelge did:

http://transformerrobot.deviantart.com/art/Corono-Lia-Ref-Sheet-341653145?ga_submit_new=10%253A1368151955&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1

Also, I've come up with a very good reason for her to want to go to Canada of all places:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbTlsyWryNQ


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## Smelge (May 9, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> Here is another. I went by what Smelge did:
> 
> http://transformerrobot.deviantart.com/art/Corono-Lia-Ref-Sheet-341653145?ga_submit_new=10%253A1368151955&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1



That says it was done in 2012...


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## Arshes Nei (May 9, 2013)

Why do these updates all look the same?


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

Because the only part I change is the tail, and sometimes the clothing.


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## Kangamutt (May 9, 2013)

Smelge said:


> I swear the OP said she was an alien at some point, so thats where I'm getting my shit from. Or maybe that was something else. I explained my reasonings. Stop being mean.



I will not stop being mean. >:V

Yes, I do know that she's supposed to be written as an alien character, but claiming such isn't an effective way to enact suspension of disbelief.


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## Arshes Nei (May 9, 2013)

Kangaroo_Boy said:


> I will not stop being mean. >:V
> 
> Yes, I do know that she's supposed to be written as an alien character, but claiming such isn't an effective way to enact suspension of disbelief.



I think higher forms of intelligence like humanoid aliens would research if it would be ok to live in a Climate like Earth anyways and especially temperature changes. Shoot, even Dinos would have extreme problems living in current earth


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## Smelge (May 9, 2013)

I've had a play around with your picture, and I've got the tail into the correct position.





For a bit of a more flexible approach to drawing poses, try this site: www.posemaniacs.com
It's not as good as drawing from life, but at least you can usually get the pose you're looking for as a reference.


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

Even alien lizards from jungle planets need a change of scenery. Sometimes it's mostly for rather silly reasons. *drinks another bottle of maple*

Besides, wouldn't you want to try living in another environment if you got tired of your traditional surroundings?

EDIT:

Just saw what Smege did. Made me lol.


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## Smelge (May 9, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> Even alien lizards from jungle planets need a change of scenery. Sometimes it's mostly for rather silly reasons. *drinks another bottle of maple*
> 
> Besides, wouldn't you want to try living in another environment if you got tired of your traditional surroundings?



The more  I think about it, the more I'm agreeing with the others. Not sure if Canadia is cold enough to just plain kill a  humanoid lizard or not, but she sure as hell isn't going anywhere dressed like that.


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## TransformerRobot (May 9, 2013)

She should be fine in full pants, shirt and shoes.

Anyway, thanks to you I now have her tail in a position where it looks right for once.


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## Smelge (May 9, 2013)

I've helped a little more by kitting her out in cold weather gear.


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## Arshes Nei (May 9, 2013)

Delma had a shoulder/back tail


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## Aleu (May 10, 2013)

What people are saying is that there's more to things than just "scenery". I don't know if you've ever been anywhere that is humid and have actually experienced the huge difference in weather. I'd say either go to Hawaii, Florida, or Arizona in the midst of summer for a while.

I am like her in the way that I want to be somewhere cooler however I am a mammal. My body can adjust to temperatures. Lizards cannot. She would probably be lethargic as all hell and more than likely die. There's kind of a reason that there are no lizards in Canada (or so I'm told). Keep up with thinking on the design on how she would adapt. Character design for both personality and concept design are saturated in trial and error. It's been about six years before I've finally decided on my characters and they're just werewolves.

As for the rest, yeah, his art does need work but, seriously, he didn't ask for his art to be critiqued. This wasn't even in the art critique area in the first place. No need to force-feed help when it's not asked for. When he wants to focus on that, he will but until then, just give advice on what he was asking.


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## TransformerRobot (May 10, 2013)

Well if she can't be in Canada then there wasn't a point in her being repainted red and white with black markings.

The only other option I have now is replacing her with somebody with prosthetic legs (a nod to Canadian hero Terry Fox).

Also, that's a terrible parka. =P


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## Arshes Nei (May 10, 2013)

Aleu said:


> As for the rest, yeah, his art does need work but, seriously, he didn't ask for his art to be critiqued. This wasn't even in the art critique area in the first place. No need to force-feed help when it's not asked for. When he wants to focus on that, he will but until then, just give advice on what he was asking.



So what?

"Would this burger look better with ketchup or relish"

"Well it would help if you actually could make a burger in the first place"


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## Lauralien (May 10, 2013)

Smelge said:


> Not sure if Canadia is cold enough to just plain kill a humanoid lizard or not, but she sure as hell isn't going anywhere dressed like that.




It's not like it's frozen-over year-round as soon as you cross the 49th parallel north.  There are places that offer milder winters (such as the west coast), and parts of the Prairies can be fairly warm over the summer.  I've heard Ontario gets humid, and occasionally has to issue heat warnings.  The Vancouver area has "comfortable" summers (My husband compared it to Hawaii, but a couple degrees cooler).  So I think during the summer, things would work out fine as long as one lives near the southern border.

But still...any reptile-person living in Canada would want to wear more than nearly-nothing during winter, and probably not go outside much.  Cold-blooded species are a fun challenge to develop because of their climate limitations, but it's going to be a lot of work to convince anyone that a reptile could function in Canada during the winter.   I'd imagine that heated clothing would be a godsend.



Aleu said:


> There's kind of a reason that there are no lizards in Canada (or so I'm told).



Heck, I remember catching these little guys and garter snakes as a kid, during family vacations up the west coast of British Columbia.  There are indeed reptiles, but not many.


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## Arshes Nei (May 10, 2013)

You can have warm blooded chatacters like Dinosaurs, which are also classified as lukewarm blooded. But being alien that is in humid climates would mean they are more physiologically adapted for that climate. So obviously it makes less sense to simply want a change of climate. Even in Avatar air was also a challenge. Humans had to wear masks in that world since the air wasn't suitable. However I would think they would have needed suits too imo, since we do some "breathing" through our pores.

As I said earlier Earth's atmosphere had gone through many changes as well during various stages of sustaining life.

So there are all sorts of fun challenges the OP could put into a story.


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## TransformerRobot (May 10, 2013)

Oh, I forgot to mention that she's supposed to live in Toronto, which is a city in Southern Ontario.

Right now it's only May 10th, and it's blazing hot tonight.

Also, who here knows which city the Raptors are stationed in? *hint**hint*


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## Aleu (May 10, 2013)

Arshes Nei said:


> So what?
> 
> "Would this burger look better with ketchup or relish"
> 
> "Well it would help if you actually could make a burger in the first place"


Personality has nothing to do with how to draw the character at all.


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## Arshes Nei (May 10, 2013)

Aleu said:


> Personality has nothing to do with how to draw the character at all.



Whatever you're smoking must be good, because "looking Canadian" has nothing to do with personality. It's still a visual description.

Likes: Food
Personality: Canadian

:/


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## TransformerRobot (May 10, 2013)

Aleu said:


> Personality has nothing to do with how to draw the character at all.



Not unless you're talking about The Joker.

Clearly nobody has gotten my reference yet, so I'll outright say it.

*She looks like the Toronto Raptors mascot.

*And now a complete summary:*

She's red and white like our flag.

She likes maple syrup so much she'll drink it down herself.

She likes snowball fights (Didn't mention that earlier either, so sue me).

Looks like a famous Canadian dinosaur basketball mascot.

Therefore, Canadian material.
*
With these in mind I won't have to replace her with a new character after all.


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## Arshes Nei (May 10, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> She looks like the Toronto Raptors mascot.



Uhh... no she doesn't. Maybe in your mind she does...


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## TransformerRobot (May 10, 2013)

Well she's a red-skinned lizard, close enough.


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## Aleu (May 11, 2013)

If she's coming from another planet that is full of humidity and greenery it doesn't really make much sense for her to be red-skinned. Unless there's other factors but you're giving the bare minimum at best so it's really hard to work with.


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## TransformerRobot (May 11, 2013)

Well what about milk snakes?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Red_milk_snake.JPG

Why is it red, white and black? Whatever the reason it could be applied to her as well.


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## Rinz (May 11, 2013)

...You should probably go take a college biology course or two.

Bright colors, like red, usually mean that a creature is poisonous or venomous in the wild. While not poisonous, the milk snake resembles the coral snake, which IS deadly and can live in several of the same areas as the coral snake.

So you're going to have to come up with characters that look the same that are deadly to pull that off.


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## drpickelle (May 11, 2013)

Aleu said:


> What people are saying is that there's more to  things than just "scenery". I don't know if you've ever been anywhere  that is humid and have actually experienced the huge difference in  weather. I'd say either go to Hawaii, Florida, or Arizona in the midst  of summer for a while.



Ah, don't I know it. I'm from the East coast of Canada, and last winter I visited California for a couple weeks. Now, when I left, I wore only a light sweater, since I wanted to minimize my luggage and having a heavy winter coat in Cali would have been useless. So, I left when it was coldest, and arrived to what the people out there thought was cold. The people we were staying with were always telling us to bundle up before going outside, because it was 'winter' in Cali. So, while everyone else was running around in sweaters and jackets, we were wearing tanks and t-shirts, because DAYUM, it was fucking HOT!

We were completely out of our element. I wouldn't want to be there in the summer, and before that, I had considered myself a lover of warm seasons the most. I couldn't get off the plane fast enough when we landed. It was snowing, and I wanted to stay out there forever, in just a t-shirt. I actually missed the snow. D:

I think the main difference, was that summer here, is humid, and there... it was a dry heat. Felt weird.

Also, OP-- if you want your character experiencing the FINEST things in Canada, you should make her a fan of 'Hobo with a Shotgun'. Maybe have her carry around a sawed-off at all times?

Related: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjiwBwBL4Qo


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## TransformerRobot (May 11, 2013)

The only way she's deadly is that on Earth she's strong enough to kill a normal man in mere seconds, mostly by breaking his bones.

Could I say that her species glows red when angry? Or would it better to say that they can poison prey and attackers if necessary (I'm sure there are a lot of red gila monsters)?


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## Rinz (May 11, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> The only way she's deadly is that on Earth she's strong enough to kill a normal man in mere seconds, mostly by breaking his bones.



If she's not deadly in HER environment, or there's something deadly that is colored similarly, then there's no point in it.



			
				TransformerRobot said:
			
		

> Could I say that her species glows red when angry? Or would it better to say that they can poison prey and attackers if necessary (I'm sure there are a lot of red gila monsters)?



And if you're gonna go the gila monster route, then you're going to have to change your environment. Gila monsters live in the desert, not lush jungles. A jungle would be way too humid for them.


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## TransformerRobot (May 11, 2013)

She's an alien, remember? She can have aspects of a number of different reptiles. Hell, maybe if you try cutting off her tail it will grow back in the next hour. Their tails are also used for balance, especially in trees.

Also, in her environment she's the top predator. That's why they're the dominant species on their planet.


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## Rinz (May 11, 2013)

TransformerRobot said:


> She's an alien, remember? She can have aspects of a number of different reptiles. Hell, maybe if you try cutting off her tail it will grow back in the next hour. Their tails are also used for balance, especially in trees.
> 
> Also, in her environment she's the top predator. That's why they're the dominant species on their planet.



Yeah, but you're gonna have to have a reason for it, otherwise it's going to be really clear you're just taking the lazy salad bar approach. WHY does she have the traits of a desert-dwelling lizard if she lives in the jungle? Are there deserts on her planet? Large enough that there's a population of intelligent creatures there? Was there crossbreeding between two species of lizard people that created a race with those traits? Do both species still exist? if there isn't is there genetic modification that allows for it? Why don't other species use the technology and overthrow the primary species? Is there the potential for revolt because of this?

If it were me, I would scrap this character, then re-evaluate. Come up with your world; setting, politics, etc. and your story, then tailor your characters to it. You're just trying to shoehorn reasons why this character can be Canadian, and it's not working because she's a space girl.


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## FireFeathers (May 12, 2013)

These edits are fantastic.  But yeah your lizard girl'd stop eating, get lethargic and kick that bucket quick.  Just make her warmblooded with an ability to sweat and BAM, massive loophole crammed. 

Give her the ability to sweat maple syrup.  all the canadian problems are solved- WAIT. Make it POISIONOUS maple syrup.  insta-conflict.


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## TransformerRobot (May 13, 2013)

Well, I was thinking of making her species resemble red-skinned, anthropomorphized velociraptors, and/or breathe fire in case of cold conditions.

Aleu told me that might work, especially if on her planet the hot parts are extra hot, and the cold parts are extra cold.

Another one I was thinking of was that around 18,000 BC her people attempted colonization of Earth, but disaster struck and the ships carrying them in cryogenic storage were struck down by meteors. Said ships were buried until 2100, when archaeologists uncovered them during a dig in Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park, British Columbia. Obviously there would be a bit of conflict because the humans would be confused and scared that such unusual creatures were now awake on Earth.


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## Arshes Nei (May 13, 2013)

I think instead of thinking about her, you might want to draw her more, explore different designs and stuff.


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## TransformerRobot (May 13, 2013)

While I'm at that, answer me this:

Should I keep the mammalian looking ears, or just put in little ear holes?


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## Arshes Nei (May 13, 2013)

Just draw.


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## TransformerRobot (May 13, 2013)

Here it is so far.


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