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thepixelpenguin · 9 days

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EXOGARDEN LOG #3

Hi! Now is a bad time to be picking up extra hobbies, but my brain doesn't seem to care. Still, I found some time for this one, too. My Minecraft mock-ups are fully realised now, but I'm not sure about uploading them. They probably won't make a lot of sense without knowing what each block represents, and they do kind of spoil the whole game. Nice scenery though. Heck, maybe I'll just post one of them...

But for now, some more plants!

🌼Webbed Flytrap🌼

Fallaranea muscipula

Home planet: Zion

A maroon and yellow flower with a spider-like construct framing its petals, with a gooey nectar web stretched between. If it detects a small creature, the legs close in on its prey, trapping it for gradual digestion. The legs of the flower use a hydraulic system to keep the pressure high enough to trap the creature.

Although this would've fit quite neatly into the jungles of Elysium, that place was getting populated enough as it was, and a carnivorous spiderweb made for a much more Zion-esque idea than the Fractal Fern. I had to have at least one carnivorous plant, and having one based on a carnivorous animal AND a common piece of set dressing seemed only natural. It makes for quite a believable image!

🌼Hopper Grower🌼

Petrophilium bisemutium

Home planet: Ketumati

A simple leafy plant with a pink inflorescence, smooth leaves, and a metallic sheen. The flowerhead is peculiar: the sepal is flexible and colourful, but there are no actual petals. At the base of its stem is a large bismuth crystal which grows around it. The plant doesn't grow in existing crystals, but rather excretes excess bismuth absorbed from the rocks it grows on.

Yes, bismuth crystals really do look like that: they're my favourite for a reason! I knew I had to include it in a world themed around chemistry and general ethereal vibes. Oh, it's a fun one. It dances into the realm of fantasy a little more than the others, but that's part of the art. The faux flowerhead here makes it seem a little more inorganic than most, but it's not at all alien. It turns out flower morphology can be VERY deceptive. Some petals aren't really petals, some flowers aren't even really flowers, it's a mess! Tulips are an odd example: half the petals are actual petals, but the outer petals are just barely distinguishable sepals. Also daisies are a hundred flowers in one? I need a break from flowers...

🌳Furball Tree🌳

Laevidendron eriophyllum

Home planet: Eden

A usually short and sparse tree with little whorls of leaves that have a very soft texture. These leaves grow in separated round clusters on the surprisingly smooth branches. The tree also sprouts fluffy lilac blossoms but only on the side facing downwind

What, you didn't think flowers were the only thing I had to offer, did you?! I'm trying to group my drawings by the category of plant, so expect to see some more trees and grasses as time goes on. This is the first tree you see in the game, hence it earning the privilege of "Tree" in its name. I've never repeated a word in the common names, just to show the sheer diversity of plants there are, and to make it easier to specify them! It does require rather awkward constructions like "Hopper Grower", but hey, I like the half-rhyme and double-entendre.

Anyway, the Furball Tree. I wanted something friendly and whimsical, but a little more realistic than Dr Seuss! I hope you can see what I'm going for: it's like natural topiary. It looks quite sparse in my drawings, but it is supposed to be able to fit in a garden, after all. They probably get no taller than 5 metres. The blossom is just for extra prettiness, a perfect match with the Foreign Flyer, and it makes for quite a handy impromptu compass, incidentally.

===

Oh, I promised you a Minecraft world, didn't I? Well, I can't think of an easier way to do it, so... here.

https://www.planetminecraft.com/project/eden-evergreen-green-exogarden/

You might recognise the Furball Tree and Foreign Flyer, but the rest of the plants I've yet to reveal, of course. Still, it's quite a nice example of things to come. I hope with every passing post, you can see there's more depth to this than I can possibly hope to convey with a few drawings in my spare time... oh well.

#exogarden #devlog #art #digital art

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thepixelpenguin · 2 months

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And now for something completely different... again...

We’ve all heard of aUI, right? A theoretical universal language constructed by Viennese psychoanalyst W. John Weilgart, with a dictionary of over 11111 words compiled by whoever Andrea G. Weilgart Patten is. It was designed to construct words from singular elements of meaning, each with their own intuitive grapheme and phoneme, arranged such that all homophonous words are also related. The lofty idea of the language of space is that these elements are so fundamental it could be used and understood effectively and efficiently by any intelligent creature in the universe, hence its title: the Language of Space. O△~

I… LOVE THIS IDEA! Love it to bits! It’s a beautiful intersection of linguistics, psychology, the philosophy of consciousness, symbolism, and emergence. It’s exactly the kind of project a nerd like me would work on if I believed I could and had thought of it first. But does aUI actually achieve that idea? I have several doubts.

So great was that initial inspiration that I took it upon myself to help it over its stumbling blocks, to produce... aUI2. Really.

I am aware of efforts such as this which aims to tweak the vocabulary and grammar until it's a bit more bearable, but that doesn't satisfy me. It's not up to the VISION, you understand! Unity, precision, so irrefutable it could be the words of reality itself. The language of space and time and all that ever was. I'll let you be the judge...

Yeah I also don't know what to do with this but it's pretty neat, right? :P

⇂Λ •4♡ϟ •

⎯⇀ᘓ⁀4△~!

#conlang #constructed language #aui #aui2 #linguistics

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thepixelpenguin · 2 months

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And now for something completely different...

If you've ever seen Jet Lag: The Game, or Taskmaster, or one of those bingo board speedruns, and thought "I wish I could do that..." then BOY DO I HAVE THE GAME FOR YOU!

Think of it as a weird sort of scavenger hunt but instead of finding items you're doing viral challenges, with some game show rules to make things interesting. You'll need a decent-sized town, or even better a city, and a consistent internet connection to play properly, but that's all. Oh, and friends :P

This project has been collecting addendums and dust for over a year, and it's about time somebody got some use out of it. Technically the project is already public on repl.it, but honestly, who checks THAT for games? I've done some alpha testing, but beta tests are yet to ensue, so please, if anyone has any feedback on this, I'd love to hear it!

Use it as a content generator, use it as an icebreaker, use it as a holiday time filler, you can play how you like really. Do take a practice round to make sure you're all on the same page.

Just... just read the doc!

#bingo #scavenger hunt #square off

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thepixelpenguin · 2 months

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Elementals

So... uh... I came up with these in a dream?

Well, okay, I came up with two of these in a dream (try to guess which two!) but more importantly I came up with the concept of elementals being like... these primordial entities, like eternal gods incarnate, with separate dominion over their element, but in the form of two 'siblings'. One, the feminine, represents the constructive qualities, and one, the masculine, represents the destructive qualities. Each of them, in their own way, has an interest in what life is doing in their world, specifically humans, which is why they have been anthropomorphised. These are merely the physical avatars they feel are most appropriate for their actions.

I imagined, which is to say dreamed, of this pantheon forced to cooperate on a journey around the globe to discover exactly what advances this new civilised species was making, and what, if anything, they should do about it, and along the way learning how to overcome and celebrate their differences, and respect the others' place in the world. Good stuff! I mean, IMAGINE the fables you could get out of that! Imagine the attitudes they'd hold towards us mortals, and the natural world! All I know is someone can make a story out of these and I just HAD to design them.

Why even use feminine and masculine at all? Well, because that's how I dreamed it! But also, it kinda reminds me of the way alchemy, and some ancient mythology, treats male and female as divine qualities with their own pros and cons of which only a balance is perfect. Plus, idk, something about the feminine being the bearers of life while the masculine are the opposite... seems right.

Why do they have nicknames? Because the puns are too good and I couldn't resist.

If you're wondering why the sketches suck it's because I thought I might bother to add colour one day, but right now... nah.

The Feminine Air "Skye" is based on a dancer, with her cyclone arms and tornado lower half below a cumulus build. Her cheeks always look puffed out, and her sort-of hair-bun is just a good contrast but appropriate for a dancer I suppose. Here she is doing a pirouette whilst paying absolutely no attention. She is generally quite carefree, energetic, unrestrained. She's just as fast and agile as her brother, and uncannily defies gravity for fun, but has no interest in following directions when it doesn't suit her. The only time she shows anything resembling discipline is when there's a life in danger, at which she'll rush to help through any path necessary.

The Masculine Air "Gale" is more athletic, like a sprinter, whose body somewhat follows the form of a toga, with arms which leave great trails somewhat resembling wings. Though he has a ridged brow and chin, there is nothing like hair when he is standing still, but he creates feathery streaks as he moves. He is shown in a sort of flying body press, showing off as usual. He's breathtakingly fast, and must make sure everyone in the vicinity knows that, but isn't particularly goal-oriented.

The Feminine Earth "Bertha" is sort of tree-like, with shimmering grass-green eyes, with an earthen torso and rocky base. The rest of her body is formed from wood, giving her the most clearly defined figure of them all, and a trunk mimicking a bared midriff. She can grow plants from any part of her body, and is by nature curious and nurturing towards all living things. Though she can conjure all manner of life-forms to do her bidding, she believes it ought to be left to flourish without corrupting influence. It pains her deeply to see others suffer.

The Masculine Earth "Brock" is built like a sumo wrestler, but with a sort of militaristic crew cut and shoulder pads of grass. His face is locked in a tired frown, with dull mineral eyes. His body is generally quite blocky, especially his extremities, and he is overall very sturdily built. Though he has immense grip and crushing strength, and is practically unshakeable, he is stoic and stubborn to the point of total apathy. There is nothing he won't apply the bare minimum to.

The Feminine Fire "Cindy" has a noticeably curvier figure, yet is also less well-defined, her limbs and dress-like shape flickering in thickness here and there. Flames pick up around her chest area like the cut of a dress, and further licks around her neck are almost fur-like. Her head extends into a wildly whipping tail, with an ever-present thin trail of smoke. She has an unusually flippant facade for one of the feminine, still vested in fire's interests, but she takes great pride in the unbeatable light and warmth she provides. She can still be vain, and occasionally sharp-tongued, but ultimately she does want to be useful, and will speak up for the downtrodden.

The Masculine Fire "Ashley" has an angular, demonic image, an unusually thin body for one of the masculine, but quite able to warp in shape and stretch his wiry limbs. His lower half often grows chaotically, providing him with unexpected bursts of speed. His hair flares out radiantly, always with what appear to be two blue-tipped horns. He is quite slow to spark into action, feeling little motivation where his greed cannot be satiated, but once his wrath is earned, he is relentlessly aggressive. He has a habit of roaring as shown when his power spreads, and though his desires are fickle, he fiercely defies control.

The Feminine Water "Flo" has a rather rounded shape, with ripples abound, spreading into something like a skirt with a scaly appearance. Her arms, in particular, tend to morph in and out of their proper form, rarely forming hands. Her hair flows out in a wavy fashion that is hard to distinguish from her body, and often flings out in droplets and sprays which can catch the light. She is a playful sort, as often on the move as she is intentionally resting, sensing her surroundings, feeling the slightest of vibrations. She will often seek out those in need of her, although she is just liable to get distracted along the way. Of all of them, she is the most sociable, getting along particularly well with the Feminine Air and, sometimes, the Feminine Earth.

The Masculine Water "Eddie" is a towering top-heavy form, as if he might crash down at any moment. His back frequently peaks into fins which run vertically. His hair forms a wave crest on top and a beard of eddies and seafoam that could rival Poseidon. His arms follow heavy deliberate movements, but his hands and fingers are less controlled. Parts of his body can turn to ice on command, usually protecting his bulk in sheets or letting his fingers be used as piercing weapons. Maintaining a severe demeanour, he considers the welding of his power incredibly important, self-righteously dooming all he sees fit to. He heaves around as if carrying the world on his shoulders, but ultimately does whatever he can be convinced is for the greater good. As conceited as he is, he is quite flexible in that regard.

===

You may be wondering why the feminine figures are somewhat less varied than the masculine. There's a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, the feminine were supposed to represent the elements as they pertain to life, whereas the masculine simply represented forces of nature. As such, I wanted the feminine to appear a little more like an average human, the dominant lifeforms, and the masculine to appear a little more warped and monstrous. I also personally like the implication that the virtues of humanity represent us much more than our conquest. Secondly, I'm bad at drawing.

In general, though, I tried to make them all quite formless and ageless. Only the Masculine Earth has defined feet, and only because the pose didn't make sense without them. Only the Earth have proper eyes, thanks to their element's versatility, and all their bodies have somewhat ambiguous boundaries. Even the human-like feminine have, say, wrinkles of bark on a youthful face, or a puffy face for a lithe body, or a childish visage on a developed figure. They'd be an easier sell animated but HELL if I have the skill for that.

I don't know what to do with these characters but they're neat, right? :P

#art #elemental #character design #original character

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thepixelpenguin · 3 months

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Mario Kart Tour: Oxford Foray

Told you this page would be random.

I think an underappreciated aspect of Tour's city track design is their atmosphere. They don't just tour recognisable landmarks in a believable layout, they really capture the city's character! From New York's dazzling nightlife to LA's casual appeal, Singapore's extreme extravagance to Sydney's energetic simplicity, Vancouver's splashes of colour and natural beauty, Amsterdam's effortless harmony with canals and nature alike, Rome's ancient architecture with comfortable life on top, Madrid's modern bustle with impressive history underneath, Athens' proud (and hilly) past and Bangkok's humble yet hopeful future, and Berlin's seamless integration of all eras: they're all accurate as far as I can surmise. There's only a few that I think don't quite hit the mark. Paris’ modernity is smothered in quaint romanticism, though what else could one expect, Tokyo has little of its maximalist flair, but perhaps the graphics limited that, and then… London.

I'm certainly biased, it being my home country and the only city on the list I've seen for more than a day, but it seems to only hit the beats of its most recognisable icons: laudably no doubt, but the city isn't just its imposing imperial riches! What strikes me about London is its fast-paced mishmash of cultures that fill in all the gaps between the great British statements like water running over cobbled streets: history and novelty around every corner! The course gives me the impression of the former but not the latter.

I'm not sure I'm qualified to rectify this, but I can make up for it with another English icon! My hometown has its history, but not enough to base a tour around. My current homestead, however, is undeniably culturally significant, and it's not just that. I hope I did well to convey the place as storied and not just interesting, but inviting, a genuinely fun place to stay for a day or a year. That's how I feel about it at least.

HERE WE GO

1: Our foray begins on the left side of the picturesque High Street, between Queen’s College and the Examination Schools. It’s a noticeably wide street (and a noticeably wide gothic limestone starting gate with a waving chequered flag to boot), with a cobbled dividing strip, and plenty of buses to crowd the way! As the road narrows and items are collected, there’s a right turn into the Covered Market, which has three narrow lanes to choose from, and a few opportunities to weave between.

Out of the market is a sharp right turn down a walled alley, with the lovely Exeter and Lincoln colleges adjoining. This is before a huge 180 turn with another item set around the Radcliffe Camera, an impressive dome in the middle of a big communal square. Having lost its fence, at that, so if you’ve got a mushroom and are prepared to miss out on items, the shortcut is worth it! Racers continue north past All Souls College and the Bodleian Library to reach the roundabout connecting Broad Street and Holywell Street. Remember the Bridge of Sighs to your right.

The route continues up Parks Road, a leafy avenue with plenty of boost panels, before splitting around Keble College! If you continue straight forwards, you get an easy wide road, and a view of both the Natural History Museum and University Parks. However, if you take that subtle sharp left, you can find a potentially faster cut-through that’s a bit tougher to navigate. I didn’t even have to design this one!

Both options reconvene at the apex of St Giles, where a patch of off-road leads to an optional ramp, and the road broadens to quite a degree, leaving room for a ridiculous row of coins. The abbreviated straight ends at the Martyr’s Memorial, which now has just a humble patch of grass behind it instead of an entire church, just to improve the flow.

A quick left turn introduces Broad Street, which, you guessed it, also widens out, somewhat narrowed by some of the city’s numerous bike racks. However, this one has its right half covered in short wooden ramps, for the first half! These can be useful for some trick boosts, but more coins lay the other way. Items are given at the halfway point. Before reaching the roundabout at the end, there is a conspicuous diversion past the Sheldonian Theatre (which has no fence, to make way for the race) and through the library complex towards the Bridge of Sighs. Racers may either run straight through the gate (tricking as they go) or take the grated glider ramps to make it over the bridge!

The return to the start line via New College Lane and Queen’s Lane is a winding, narrow path, walled in by the historic namesake colleges. You’ll have to forgive them for not having karts running through their grounds. Nonetheless, navigate those chicanes and a final left turn (with a sneaky cut over the pavement) brings you back to the line. It’s a long one alright!

2: As in track 1, we begin on the High Street, though this time we forge ahead past the Covered Market, the traffic turning off before the Carfax Tower, until the course swerves into the Westgate Centre. In a strikingly similar manner to Coconut Mall, the route has two walkways either side of an optional drop with escalators, before a right turn into a more open area where the drop and escalators are forced. I swear it’s coincidental! The decor is distinct at least.

After grabbing items wherever you may encounter them, exit the mall via another sharp right turn onto open road. Make use of its breadth before you have to navigate the Castle & Prison, which is exactly what it sounds like! A couple of narrow turns later, there is a brief anti-grav uphill to wind up the Castle Mound to a big glider ramp, from which one must avoid the dreaming spires of Nuffield College and St Peter’s College some random church, or grab some of the revolving coins if you’re daring…

Though you could just drop onto the street, the Ashmolean’s grand ionic forum is a perfect landing place, where one can drift around to jump down the stairs and find themselves heading onto Broad Street once again! This time, the route heads past the theatre and turns at the roundabout, so the other lot of ramps, this time occupying the left half, can be made useful. The lap ends the way you’d expect after turning at the roundabout.

3: Unlike both 2 and 1, we start our race on Cornmarket Street (under a long hanging sign of oil paints on wood, the closest I can get to putting a pub in a kids’ game), a place I would be remiss not to include, along with its clutter of bicycle parking. If there’s one thing you notice about transit in Oxford, it’s how many bicycles are in the way. However, if you can dodge around the racks, you may find some coins or even dash panels…

Anyway, Cornmarket is a simple, if not uninterrupted, straight, which racers take south, spying once again the Carfax Tower and then the Town Hall and impressive Christ Church. You know, the big one. The road continues down St Aldates with all its traffic, but soon turns left through the open gates of Christ Church Meadow! The next half of the lap takes place in greener pastures, first down a puddle-ridden southward straightaway with sparse items and Moo Moos spectating, then when the course meets the Thames and Folly Bridge, a more wide open snaking route with grass shortcuts abound! The riverside path remains intact, but still off-road.

After doing this eastward a while, the course drastically narrows as it winds its way northward strictly following the meanders of the Cherwell. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from driving through the river itself, but the bumpy terrain and drag force balances any advantage of breadth. A wiser path is found by jumping onto a series of punts, which can be quite hard to aim for, but offer a trick each time. They’re not hard to come by in Oxford. This continues all the way to the Botanic Gardens, which can themselves be snuck through via a gap in the fence. Those wishing for a complete row of item boxes and, of course, the exquisite surroundings, can find themselves jumping over the pond in the south section before reaching the north, where a quick right around the fountain directs you between the greenhouses to reenter the river. The river, of course, does continue past the gardens, but who would want to miss out? Especially when that part of the bed gets so muddy…

When you’ve finally made it to Magdalen Bridge, you need only drive under it to find a wide slope up to the roundabout, which is drifted around before crossing the bridge to witness the lovely Magdalen Tower! We then cross the line - the line from the other versions, that is - before sneaking past the University Church to reach the road past the Radcliffe Camera. The Bodleian Library can now be dashed through for a guaranteed double box, if you can find the narrow entry! The rest is obvious: take Broad Street one last time, westward now, to reach the top of Cornmarket Street.

So how might these all fit together if they were given the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe treatment? Honestly, probably better than the individual courses! Lap 1 takes version 1, of course, but stops short of Broad Street, instead cutting through via Cornmarket to start lap 2, with version 2 taking over by way of a right turn at Carfax Tower. Lap 3 simply commences from the High Street and doesn’t bother with the whole Broad Street diversion: we’ve already seen it!

Oh right, I also made the music for it! You'll have to forgive Musescore's playback engine, they try, bless 'em.

It too had to be truly emblematic of Oxford, and besides the obvious historical, academic, fancy vibes, no sound reminds me more of this place than the echoing of church bells! And there are choirs in every college. So I ended up with a rather baroque piece, arpeggiated bass, change ringing, suspensions and all, which certainly suits the locale, but does NOT typically suit Mario Kart's encouraging energy. Heck, they almost always rely on synths, too, let alone their melody-first composition style that is entirely unfamiliar. How did I fit the mould? By focusing on intensity of Biblical proportions! If there's one thing choirs and organs can do, it's a ramp-up of DRAMA. With enough build and release, it's got the natural energy. Slap on a drum-beat and it ends up shockingly fitting. With all the zero inspiration I had to go on, I seriously surprised myself with this one. Judge for yourself!

Oxford is quite a convenient place to work with: most cities are so massive that you have to smush all the landmarks together and the layout doesn’t quite come naturally. But this place is already so compact, and packed with unmistakable buildings! Also, I know they’re trying to be flattering, but can you believe London saw not a drop of rain?! I think Oxford should be partially cloudy by contrast, providing a gentle rainfall, but with enough streams of sunlight to pierce the depressing grey… it could make the meadow look positively angelic!

Perhaps one day I’ll try my hand at Hong Kong Hustle to address Tokyo’s plight… or Shanghai Streets, I can’t decide! And then there’s one that is so easy to make that it’d be kind of funny just to do for the sake of it. We’ll see.

If anyone wants to take the names Rio de Janeiro Jaunt, New Delhi Journey, Moscow Scoot, Stockholm Swing, Cairo Cruise, Geneva Chase, or best of all, Brussels Bout, be my guest. And if any modders feel like 3d-modelling most of Oxford for me, I would love to give it a look :D

#mario kart #mario kart tour #mario kart 8 dlc #fanmade #soundtrack #level design

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thepixelpenguin · 3 months

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EXOGARDEN LOG #2

Hi again! I've been busy, mostly with uni, partly with designing levels in Minecraft (maybe that's a future post...), and partly with these next drawings :)

🌼 Nature's Palette 🌼

Supercompositae versicolora

Home planet: Mag Mell

A sprawling flowering plant that prefers humid climates. The inflorescence on its head is actually made of dozens of tiny individual flowers, which can take many different colours in a single head. Each petal also stains very easily, often leaving a psychedelic-appearing runoff.

It's a pretty fun one and a pretty one! After all, Mag Mell has a bit of a theme to it. Well, all the planets do, really. Let's take a look at another inhabitant.

🌼 Luminescent Echo 🌼

Crassipetalis sonoluminosus

Home planet: Mag Mell

A broad, thick, damp-smelling flower with a pale stem and six bulky cyan petals that grow in the shallows of swamps and marshes. Sounds of a particular frequency range and enough amplitude cause an electrochemical reaction that makes the head glow and emit particulates, which are picked up by the wind.

Yeah, no prizes for guessing the inspiration here! Still, imagine the hybrids...

Okay, one last one! Yeah, I can think much faster than I can draw...

🌼 Dust Bowl 🌼

Altipelvis cinereus

Home planet: Elysium

A large cup-shaped orange-speckled grey-white flower that grows on the upper branches of the local trees, but is an independent organism. It gathers lots of potassium from the golden embers that float downwind from the volcanic regions.

There's a lot more to this one than first meets the eye! It's inspired by the Amber Spyglass, of all things, and I rather liked the idea of a volcanic plant that didn't require actually going to a volcano. Besides, I needed a way to reward climbing trees: you'll see why...

The Elysian Broadleaf has changed designs a bit over time too. That's the name of its humble abode. Actually, "humble" is not the word I'd use to describe them, being the biggest plants in the game!

That's all for Exogarden for now. I do wonder whether I should start throwing my other unrelated stuff on here or if that would just clutter things up. Eh, future me's decision. I'm going to bed.

#exogarden #digital art #game design

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thepixelpenguin · 3 months

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EXOGARDEN LOG #1

From the maker of innumerable unfinished projects and a guy somewhat obsessed with speculative evolution, comes a (hypothetical) simple gardening game with exoplanet exploration! Think a fusion of Slime Rancher, Outer Wilds, and, uh, Stardew Valley? You know, making your own little garden to take care of, wandering alien environments to document new species, and filling the Almanac with the plethora of species and hybrids to discover! No clear goal in mind, but why not discover everything, right? You’ll have to if you want to explore everything

Essentially it is Scientific curiosity: the game! Which suits me quite well :P

Of course it's the plants themselves which will be the star of the show, and I had a ton of fun coming up with all these ideas! That's kind of what I do: world-building and theory-crafting just because I can. In fact, I think I had a bit too much fun, there's like 70 of them now???

Anyway...

How about I show off one of my personal favourites, the first encounter of alien botany, and the emblem of the game?

🌼 Foreign Flyer 🌼

Xenoanthus velus

Home planet: Eden

A tall, airy, vibrant red or pink flower with eight sail-shaped petals and pennant-like anthers which can take root almost anywhere. When it's pollinated, it detaches the entire inflorescence which catches the wind, frequently travelling to distant lands.

Of course, if I only showed them off one by one, I think I'd never finish...

🌼 Violet Burst 🌼

Litoris montecchi

Home planet: Penglai

A bluish purple flower with eight long thin lightly-creased petals and a large ruffle of leaves. It is an excellent photosynthesizer, always taking the sunny spots at the beach, making it compete with the Scarlet Burn. It often gets poisoned by the chlorine in the seawater, however, so it doesn't live long.

🌼 Scarlet Burn 🌼

Litoris capuleti

Home planet: Penglai

A mostly dark red flower with four short wide slightly-curled petals and a flared stem. It has an incredible excess of roots, preventing it from being washed away by waves and getting water and ions from the saltiest of seawater. It often competes with the Violet Burst for space, but cannot photosynthesise nearly as well.

And now to show off one of my favourite things... Hybridisation!

🌼 Lovers Tango 🌼

Litoris × cordatus

Home planet: Penglai

A chimera flower with two spiralling stems and hearty mottled red and indigo petals. It has ample roots and wide leaves, gathering enough nutrients and light to be in full bloom all the time. The conditions for such a flower to compete with either of its parent species must strike a precarious balance, however, so its population always dwindles when either's niche dominates

I LOVE the concept of fusion in fiction and in art, it's so fun to see how distinct elements of design can be carried into an entirely new complete package. So, of course, the fact that we can do it IN REAL LIFE had to be included somehow! The other hybrids are... less orthodox than this one. But that's just because I'm not making more than one species in any other genera...

Okay, one more, this time a bit more... alien.

🌼Perennial Reactor🌼

Nanophyllus nuclei

Home planet: Ketumati

An unassuming tiny three-leaved plant which produces bright golden flowers with hundreds of petals, so small that they visibly blend into one. Unusually, it uses nuclear radiation in stimulating photosynthesis, to make up for its tiny surface area and limited chlorophyll, which can sustain it for thousands of years.

That'll do for post #1. I'm pretty new to this digital art thing, if you couldn't tell, but honestly, I kinda like the amateur-field-guide-in-progress vibe I'm producing. Fits the concept, you know?

I have no idea when I'll feel like posting more of this stuff so uhhhh bye!

#exogarden #digital art #game design

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