Toolkit 2: Character Design - Main Character Design Development

  Looking over my designs, I realised I have done a lot on my sidekick (a illusion of the main character's wife due to the psychotics) and not much more on my protagonist. Firstly I wanted to give him a name, after some debate I felt that Chester suited his original personality. Although I won't really be using his normal form, I wanted to have a more sold bases of what he would have looked like before the deterioration. 

  For the transformation, I made his pupils more dilated to give the effect of the drugs being in his system, as well as making him thinner and more unkempt. His skin would become greyer and more sullen due to the lack of eating real food, his changed perception just wanting more of the substance altering him and relating it to a food source. In thinking about the effects the experiment would be having to his psyche, dark circles would appear due to insomnia and a heightened sense of anxiety would make him jumpy at noises. 

  Being honest, the more I do these design, the more anxiety I have about the pushing them. This is quite a dark story, esp with the sidekick (wife delusion) enhancing the protagonist's downfall and I'm wondering if to bring these back slightly so to instill hope rather than despair. 

Chester's (Protagonist) Head Turnaround

  In creating these designs and following my tutors advised, I tried to make sure both "states" look alike so as to not mistake either as a different character. Again, I am wondering if the "Zombie" state is too far pushed and if it need reeling back. 

Chester's Transformation ("Zombie" State) Head Turn-Around

Full Body Transformation

  Now I have done these, I will move onto characters interactions and the environment. For the environment, as the "wife" takes over his psyche more in leading him to the "food", it will warp to fit her appearance her her to become more overpowering.