Character and weapon prop design produced as part of my MA Concept Art degree 2022. Weapon design and process below!
I wanted to create a character whose physique functioned realistically for the weapon type they carried-- that was the target of this mini project. When studying athletes, those involved in weight-lifting and hammer-throw sports tend to carry more body fat and build muscle in specific areas around the core (eg external oblique). You very rarely see prominent definition as this is usually a sign of dehydration, which isn't great for endurance! Because of this I decided to show his musculature instead by relying on Roman-inspired gear, which often had muscle anatomy decoratively sculpted on it. This character was an exploration and embracement of those body types and sense of realism-- with a big themed hammer to boot.