Circuit Breaker Redesign

Hey guys, it's been a long while since I've illustrated something TF related that I've felt like showing. One of my favorite things to do is sketch, and over the last 4-5 years specifically, I've really enjoyed sketching Alts and BTs. Ever since I've gotten back into TFs, I've really enjoyed illustrating TFs, but have rarely moved on to a final piece. Greg Gaub has really been the only person successfully get me to the final stage. Much of my lack of output has been due to my shift of focus to customs and kitbashes. I've been illustrating most of my life, so I hope you don't blame me

I really am not intentionally trying to mislead here either, because this is merely a sketch as well. I've recently been going straight through the Marvel US run of comics via the IDW trade paperbacks. One of the few drawbacks to these great collections is that they were forced to take out Circuit Breaker due to copyright concerns (and I'm curious as to how the later run of the comic will be because Circuit Breaker and other characters have a pretty significant portion near the end of the run).

That being said, I have to admit that I've never enjoyed the character design to Circuit Breaker. I thought that the character was interesting enough, but she's a bit too superheroish to me (and I know that's mainly because she was created as a result of Marvel Comics ultimately). I've always associated Transformers more with anime and manga, despite the influence and run of the US Marvel Comic. One of the few things that I enjoy on a level as similar as Transformers is Ghost in the Shell. I've always loved anime and manga, and Masamune Shirow's work (Akira and Dominion: Tank Policee were some of the first anime works I saw). I really enjoy the cyberpunkish manga and anime as well

I was at work Friday night/Saturday morning and decided to sketch out this design. It hadn't been long after I had scanned through some threads here in Radicons Fan Art, and one such thread was [IMG]Mister Gone's TFA Circuit Breaker[/IMG]. My vision is that I want the circuits and things to be a bit more subtle and designed more akin to a technology that would be use for cybernetics and androids from the GitS mythos, especially as a result of the mecha nature of recent renditions of Transformers. I revisioned that if Josie Beller had been in such an accident as portrayed in the comic, that she would end up looking less like a naked chick with metal strands all over her. I'm assuming that given my affinity for [i]GitS/I], I'd take the opportunity (were I handed the reigns) to just do more with the whole concept.

Anyways, while just a sketch, that's what's behind it. I just scanned in my sketch. I'd like to color it at some point, just to illustrate how I'd redo some of the circuit details in contrast to the Marvel Comics design. I'm thinking that much of the "armor" would end up a bit more plastic looking like an android with some metal armor and such (for combat) as well.

Anyways, I hope you like my work. It's certainly not without its flaws on a proportion basis and such. I essentially just wanted to start exercising the drawing muscles that have gotten just a tad rusty



Head redesign, detail




Design, full view


If anyone wants to use these to color, feel free to. Please just provide proper credit, as per Radicons Guidelines and Etiquette.

Attached Thumbnails

   

I like the more realistic take on her with the more complex details. I could totally seeing this fitting into the movie verse or IDW's comics.

Hehe, wow! I think you hold the record for quickest response to a project thread authored by me ever. Congrats! I will share a cookie with you

Yeah, by default with my listed interests, I feel the design is much more grounded in reality. I don't fault Marvel Comics and their design much, simply because of the views of cybernetics then. As a kid, I never really enjoyed the characters like Circuit Breaker because in a Transformers comic, they just don't "fit". One of the main things I thoroughly enjoy about Ghost in the Shell is that it's totally plausible, and the quality of the work directly affect this.

Thanks for your comments

Your redesign makes more sense compared to the original Marvel design. Also makes it look like she has some serious tech/fire power built in.

Now THAT looks more like a threatening Circuit Breaker, and not covered in metal eletrical tape. I also like how she's actually wearing ARMOR instead of that skimpy getup she had (which I never liked anyhow)

Oh yeah, I remember that crazy bitch

That's really awesome!!! That's got just enough a
"Anime/Manga" style mixed in with "Heavy Metal" graphic fiction and a bit of straight up Marvel to get a big hug from me! I would love to see this colored, and maybe a couple motion poses too. The cybernetics look great and it is very modern and edgy, but instantly recognizable as CircuitBreaker! I'd make her a tad curvier in the hips, (not Frazetta curvy, mind you) to make her seem a bit older than a teen (unless that's your angle on her)

SQ7, How do you post sketches? Do you need a printer/scanner? I think I have one of those. I'm sooo low tech, Aaaaargghhhh!

I would like to post some of my 2D character compositions to support a fan fic I am writing. Nothing big, just some static poses to represent the characters in the story.

I really, really like your style buddy, it's like a refined version of mine (much more refined actually!) I'm kind of the Art Adams, John Byrne era Marvel style, but with a bit of "toon" to it, if that makes sense.

ooooh, pretty background scribbles!

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That's awesome, has a 80's/early 90's anime feel to it.

Great job!

Thanks, buddy While I did have the intention of making the redesign a bit more practical, I'd have to credit my influences and inspiration a bit more (like I said in my initial post). Her character design has always bothered me, if for no other reason, because of the lack of practicality of it. The Marvel design couldn't be better summed up than this:

You really hit the nail on the head with that! That's SO funny

I did forget to mention the "skimpy" aspect of Circuit Breaker. My aim with my artwork, if anything along those lines, was to have a "sexiness" without having to use the skimpiness of the original design. I'm not really into the whole superheroine genre anyways. Regardless, I never thought that angle of design worked well for a Transformers character of this nature.

I don't care how angry a person would be, she's going to be fighting Transformers and she's human. She was in a tragic accident and only used technology during her recovery and her enhancements. She's still flesh and blood and can still be stepped on by a Firecon even, much less Megatron or Scorponok.

Well, I got a big hank hug. Awesome!

I'm glad you think it's instantly recongnizable as "Circuit Breaker". I was a little concerned on my end when I was redesigning her whether or not she would be or not. Near the end of my sketching process, I really threw my concerns out the window. I figured that if ever this character were used again in the Transformers continuity, someone would do the same anyways.

You hit my own critique on the money, too. The body proportions are way off, especially on the lower torso on down. I'd worked out what I wanted on the redesign process (I'd be giving her some footwear that would be a bit more sexy, yet a whole lot more functional that works with the overall aesthetic). The discipline I need to harbor once again with my illustrations is just having the discipline to once again see a piece through from start to finish with all of the editing and such to fix problems like this. At this point, though, I'd be creating a new drawing anyways.

To answer your question, yes, I have a scanner that I use for illustrations You could use a digicam I'd say, but you'll end up losing a LOT of resolution this way because you're photographing the air in between your illustration. A scanner is as close as you can get to the actual illustration, and you can always play with the dpi as well. I scan at 600 dpi, then after I've made initial edits in Adobe Photoshop, I bump it down to 300 dpi for future work. I always use 300 dpi for images when I work in Photoshop. Whether it's a custom photo, an illustration, or even a photo collage, that's where I'm working at. Anything less, and I start to lose resolution exponentially.

A super scanner typically runs anywhere from $99-$200, but I've found that the higher end scanners are mostly bells and whistles I don't need. My HP scanner that I bought for $99+tax will do everything I'll ever need. I'm not a fan of all-in-one systems for many reasons, but the trend is almost exclusively this way now. It's actually very difficult to find a printer that's not this way now (and I know because I'm the one who shops for a single unit ).

I would absolutely LOVE to see your work. Even if you have to photograph it, go for it!

Thanks for your comments on my style as well. I'm actually intentionally trying to refine my style to be a bit more manga oriented simply because of my interest in Transformers and how I feel the style is most applicable. That being said, I'd love to do some Ashley Wood type of work that is totally abstract as well. I am heavily influenced illustratively by Todd McFarlane, and I think that comes through alot, even when I'm not wanting it to! Don't get me wrong, I don't necessarily think of that as a good thing, but it could be worse!

I've got another layer that has the smudges too! After I got these sketches in PS, I really enjoyed all of the little imperfections. That's one thing I've always liked about this type of illustration

Thanks for the props, man! I think by this point (as I was saying to big hank), my style to some extent is pretty locked in. I'm really trying to build more anime/manga influences into my work as well. That being said, I've always been more of a fan of manga that looks more like Ghost in the Shell and some manga Transformers versus newer things that look a bit more clean and streamlined. I've always enjoyed the grittiness of mecha like Gundams as well versus the cleaner, more technical illustrations I think that's one reason I like E.J. Su's work so much because he blends a lot of both into his work