Art Archive

PROMPT: An old character you don’t use anymore, and then redesign them.

I’m doing Character Drawcember this month because it looks really fun! And it’s light on the load! 😀

For Week 1, I went for the old character redesign route and dug up really really old artworks and holy shit look I found embarrassing magical girl OC’s from ye olde times. I was a big magical girl fan growing up so of course I made my own team of them when I was a kid! I don’t even remember the plot of this shit, it’s just that they’re special girls. I decided that rather than picking one, I’ll redesign them all. Then I realized, “Shit – this was what I was doing when I was in gradeschool? No wonder I was bullied.”

So yep. Looking back at them now, I remember the way I used to draw. All perfectly skinny girls with light skin. As a little girl growing up in the Philippines, my mother
probably drilled me every single day that I won’t look good unless I have pinkish white skin like every model in the TV commercials “so you will use this whitening soap and whitening lotion EVERY DAY”. I however was always completely content with my natural skin color, so just to rebel a little, I made one of the girls have darker skin. Only one of them though because I was a kid and even though I like myself the way I am, my mom had somehow succeeded in making me think white is still prettier. And I wanted my girls to be pretty.

I don’t even know what is going on with those outfits but to be fair I never had a say on my own clothes until way into high school so yeah I sucked haha.

So going on about them individually. I actually don’t remember too much about them anymore. Not even the plot. (Does it even have a plot.) Just that they have powers. But because I’m uncreative and I think I was reading the W.I.T.C.H. series back then, so of course I gave them elemental powers.

Aimi controls Earth. Yes, she’s on all green and I haven’t even known about Lorna Dane yet. I didn’t change her that much. Just gave her a more mature-looking outfit. I remember that she’s the big sister character, taller than the rest and looking really sensible. She has a little sister because if you’re an older sister you’re reliable. Look at me, I am reliable. I sucked at this thing oh god. Wait till you hear the next one though.

Kazu controls Air. She was my favorite of them just because she’s a famous pop star and her hair is pink and she controls my favorite element and she’s got a great loyal childhood-friend-slash-dedicated-pianist-slash-boyfriend-actually-fiancee-because-of-arranged-marriage-shenanigans-idk holy shit everything’s going on for this girl. See, I’m embarrassing. That’s what Young Ali thought was super super super cool. Don’t worry, there’s no romantic drama because I didn’t want that shit so her boyfriend’s not a problem. He’s there and he’s fine. So now redesigning her I made her look a bit sportier because she’s supposed to more around and dance a lot. Also a more bearable hair color. Her original hair style was really anime and it was designed to look like a quarter rest. I put the rest in her jacket instead. Also darker skin because look at me mom I do what I want now. She’s still my fave, tbh.

Sanae controls Water. I don’t remember much, but she’s supposed to be like the epitome of elegance. And she’s aloof. Okay, maybe she’s the better-than-thou ojou-sama character who always trashtalks the other girls because they’re annoying and she’s not. I don’t remember anything else. But her necklace is special so it stays. So with the redesign I just wanted to retain her elegant flowy look and gave her heels. I want her to step on me.

Tomo controls Fire. Obviously. I liked her a lot because belly button piercing and red heels. I… think she was supposed to be a model because when I was a kid being a model or a celebrity is the only excuse a lady can have to show their stomach. That’s what I was taught. The family’s conservative, see. So this time I made her hair shorter and more boyish to contrast with Sanae’s lady-ness. Also improved on her top. Made her curvier because thick thighs save lives and ditched the heels because even though I know she can rock it, I think she’ll appreciate the more sensible red boots.

Alright, so this has been an embarrassing, but fun exercise and a good trip down memory lane. I’m never doing it again. HAHA.