The Topic of Designs and Re-designs

[SonikkuJeneshisu89]

I'm very happy with Sonic's current design and I would honestly be upset if they changed and redesigned him. Modern Sonic's design is the most consistent of all the designs he's gone through whether they were official 2D artwork or 3D Models and it's the most refined design style. All of the other character's current designs are fine to me too and are merely more refined than their models and 2D artwork a couple of years ago. My second favorite is probably the Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 official artwork for all the characters. I don't know what it is but I just love the way their drawn and stylized. And my 3rd and other personal favorite is Oshima's classic Sonic style. The official 2D artwork for Sonic 3 and Knuckles and Sonic The Screen Saver are my favorite classic designs of all the characters.

[Somebodyelse]

I'm a big fan of Sonic's current design, in fact I'd say he's looking the best he ever has right now, but having said that I've never really seen what all the fuss is about in terms of which version is best; I feel like they're all pretty similar and all pretty awesome. Some are certainly better than others --I am NOT a fan of the "Lanky Sonic" of Sonic Heroes to Sonic 06-- but on the whole I'm fine with pretty much all of them. On that note, there are a few universal elements of Sonic's design, things he's been known for since the very beginning, that have always bugged me!

     First there's his arms. I feel like Sonic's arms are quite a bit too long. It looks alright in his more dynamic poses, but when he's standing neutral, his hands are at his ankles! It's a bit awkward and caveman-like. I'd also like to see his arms beefed up a bit around the shoulders; they look to me like they're about to drop right off his body from the weight of his enormous mits!
     Second on my list is Sonic's lack of neck. Again, it looks fine sometimes, but from certain angles and in certain poses he looks really awkward. Obviously he shouldn't have much of a neck; it would ruin his silhouette and hedgehog's aren't exactly known for having necks in the first place, but just a little hint of something connecting/separating his head and body would be nice.
     Finally, there's the whole... cyclops thing. I'm sure this one's going to be controversial; it's such a unique staple of his design, but lately I'm just not diggin' it like I used to. It works in a wacky, loopy, cartoony sort of way; when it can wiggle around and deform it gives Sonic a wonderful range of expressions. It looks great in the Sonic CD cutscenes, for example, but rendered in 3D with so much definition and dimensionality it becomes stiff. Sonic's face is frozen. And then there's the whole... Butt brow thing...

So there's two ways to go with this, the way I see it. Either redesign him to be more anatomical, more realistically proportioned, or else take him to the cartoony extreme! Take away any sense of anatomy and dimensionality! Flatten! Simplify! (Here's a thought-- Rayman pulls off the cyclops eye thing quite well, even in the 3D games. Maybe if they take Sonic more in that general artistic direction... he can keep his limbs, obviously...) I'm down with either possibility and have been working for some time on coming up with a design that fills my needs, though so far I've been working more towards anatomical correctness than cartoony loopiness. Hopefully I'll get to that version some day.

Here's my design, in case you're interested:
http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/046/a/d/sonic_the_hedgehog_by_mistermacanulty-d5v3pq3.png

Having said all that, I just want to restate the fact that I'm totally down with the current design and if they just keep using it forever I'd say that's probably for the best. I just can't help tampering with it for the lulz.

[Mogtaki]

But he wouldn't be Sonic then, he'd just be a Disney-kind of character.

 

I'm guilty of giving redesigns to Sonic characters in my own style, but all in good fun: http://hylian-rinku.deviantart.com/art/A-Different-Sonic-340569549

[Somebodyelse]

Scary! But I do notice, despite your version being a whole lot more badass, that you made many of the same changes I did in your own way...

[Clouder]

But he wouldn't be Sonic then, he'd just be a Disney-kind of character.

 

I'm guilty of giving redesigns to Sonic characters in my own style, but all in good fun: http://hylian-rinku.deviantart.com/art/A-Different-Sonic-340569549

I looked at your redesigns and immediately thought Crash Bandicoot.

[MamboCat]

But he wouldn't be Sonic then, he'd just be a Disney-kind of character.

 

I'm guilty of giving redesigns to Sonic characters in my own style, but all in good fun: http://hylian-rinku.deviantart.com/art/A-Different-Sonic-340569549

 

Oh wow. I just had a sneaky peek at your other redesigns. I freakin' love your Shadow. XD

[Mogtaki]

I looked at your redesigns and immediately thought Crash Bandicoot.

 

I got a lot of inspiration for my art from Charles Zembillas growing up, so maybe that's where that came from (and you're not the first to say that either *looks at the comments section*).

 

And thanks Mambo! Pfff, everyone says that's their favourite...I'm pleased!

[Spin Attaxx]

Your redesign is too Naruto-ish for my liking.

 

But it led me to interesting pics of Blaze though, so... thanks?

[Mogtaki]

Naruto? Even looking at pictures of Naruto I don't see a resemblance at all in anything we've popped up here.

[Spin Attaxx]

^ I was talking about the picture you linked to. The one where you had a redesigned Sonic.

[Mogtaki]

I still don't see it, but whatever! The only way I've seen Naruto is on deviantart's front pages and the little playthrough Game Grumps did so I'm not influenced from that. I'm still not seeing it at all, though.

 

I guess Sonic can be redesigned in a lot of ways when it comes to looks with many designs seemingly try to get rid of the implication of cyclops eyes or giving Sonic more spines than he actually has visible...then again, the spines are getting even more gummy-like as his design goes on.

[Somebodyelse]

If people haven't seen this design, it's definitely worth checking out!

 

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/037/b/5/classic_sonic_by_fentonxd-d5u0e8m.png

 

if you ask me, it's about a billion times better than the Classic Sonic used in Generations. That one had too much of the americanized mohawk-sporting fatso in him for my taste. The concept of "Classic Sonic" has always confused me; it seems like Sonic was completely redesigned in every game he's been in right up until Unleashed! There is a Modern Sonic, certainly, but there are quite a variety of classic and intermediate Sonics.

[Mogtaki]

There's a few flaws I'm going to point out over that picture that I don't like in terms of design.

 

The eyes and their connections.

 

For one, the eyebrows are too far out, too projected. He looks like he's got a caveman brow.

 

Then there's the way the corner of the eye connects to his cheek, why is it so far in? I guess the best thing to say is the eyes are really bugging me in that design.

I'm also not too big on fat-Sonic, typically because you don't relate somebody who is fat to someone who can run really fast with seemingly endless stamina. They need to be fit and healthy looking with legs that look like they can carry the weight and what not.

[Somebodyelse]

I'm also not too big on fat-Sonic, typically because you don't relate somebody who is fat to someone who can run really fast with seemingly endless stamina. They need to be fit and healthy looking with legs that look like they can carry the weight and what not.

Exactly!

 

 

 

I hadn't noticed the cheek connection, that is a bit off. The eye ridge, surprisingly, doesn't bug me. Usually does.

[Diogenes]

Aside from the assface version, I never really saw the classic design as being fat, tho'. Round and fat are not the same.

[iDEATH]

That one had too much of the americanized mohawk-sporting fatso in him for my taste.

 

really? I mean, yeah they used assface for the promo images but his model in game was a lot different and looked awesome if you ask me.

 

Also, gotta agree with Diogenes, never saw him as fat, just round.

[Amomynous]

^Both of them where saying the Americanised version looked fat, though MisterMacanulty was saying classic Sonic did in Generations which I think not.

Edited February 17, 2013 by Mysterics

[Somebodyelse]

Alright, alright, I meant no offense! I'd better explain myself before this goes any further. You will notice I didn't say "he was fat" I said he had "too much of that look about him." Classic Sonic in Generations looks to me like they were trying to sort of blend various versions of classic Sonic together into one design, and I wish they hadn't included so much American influence. Also, it's not really about Sonic looking fat, it's about the ratio of body to limb/head size. He's round either way, I was just too lazy to explain all that and it's a lot easier to call the larger one fat. Classic Sonic in Generations certainly wasn't fat, but his design wasn't what I wanted it to be.

[Chaos Incarnate]

I decided to bump this topic because I'm noticing a lot of people around the internet have taken to the idea of Sonic wearing clothes, or have been coming up with their own redesigns for the characters. 

 

I'm personally completely fine with how Sonic has been looking since Unleashed, and none of the other characters aside from maybe Rogue have gotten a significant redesign since the Adventure series. Sonic's Unleashed design is the best he's ever looked, at least in 3D IMO. I'd be fine if it was never altered.

 

But yeah, back to characters like Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles wearing clothes. How would you feel about that? A change like that would just feel really drastic to me, I'm not sure how I would feel about it. I've still seen some pretty damn awesome art like this, though.

 

 

I think this fits Sonic OK, I could see something like it working. It's close to his iconic design just looks a bit more... edgy I guess. 

[Aero]

I decided to bump this topic because I'm noticing a lot of people around the internet have taken to the idea of Sonic wearing clothes, or have been coming up with their own redesigns for the characters. 

 

I'm personally completely fine with how Sonic has been looking since Unleashed, and none of the other characters aside from maybe Rogue have gotten a significant redesign since the Adventure series. Sonic's Unleashed design is the best he's ever looked, at least in 3D IMO. I'd be fine if it was never altered.

 

But yeah, back to characters like Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles wearing clothes. How would you feel about that? A change like that would just feel really drastic to me, I'm not sure how I would feel about it. I've still seen some pretty damn awesome art like this, though.

 

-pic-

 

I think this fits Sonic OK, I could see something like it working. It's close to his iconic design just looks a bit more... edgy I guess. 

 

Ehh, it's cool and all, but I feel like those pants would weigh him down or something.

 

They look fairly baggy anyway, so I can't really see Sonic running in those. I mean, at over 400 MPH, I'd expect those things to burn or fly off.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

 

But yeah, back to characters like Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles wearing clothes. How would you feel about that? A change like that would just feel really drastic to me, I'm not sure how I would feel about it. I've still seen some pretty damn awesome art like this, though.

 

 

I think this fits Sonic OK, I could see something like it working. It's close to his iconic design just looks a bit more... edgy I guess. 

As much as I love Robaato's take on Sonic characters (and Robaato, if you're ever reading this post, I still have yet to see Blaze and Silver, dammit! >=[), I feel Sonic's quills there would be too much as far as a redesign goes. That and the gloves could be more form fitting here.

 

On the subject of clothes, I'd actually love to see them on the males. Although make it an optional thing and don't draw any (or at least too much) attention to it in the narrative; make it so that whether Sonic is with or without clothes, the narrative doesn't see any difference between the two.

 

Those pants he's wearing in Robaato's take would be pretty damn sweet tho.

Edited September 14, 2013 by ChaosSupremeSonîc

[Faseeh]

So I'm the only guy who completely hates the design above. okay.

 

Those pants just don't seem right, they'd be flying in the air when Sonic's running, far too baggy and distracting. 

 

The way the arm starts out is weird too. Like, I like to see that defined semi-circleish thing.

 

He's just too tall and all too, this isn't giving me the cocky, youngster who runs fast feel at all.

 

The belt thing or whatever that is just...eh.

 

I don't like the eye colour too haha.

 

I mean it's a fine piece of art, it's creative and imaginative, but... maybe I just don't like humanoid art of anthromophic characters or maybe I just don't dig some so called anime artstyles. 

 

But yeah, if this is an actual thing, then yeah, I doubt me liking the look of Sonic at all anymore.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

 

But yeah, if this is an actual thing, then yeah, I doubt me liking the look of Sonic at all anymore.

It's a completely reimaginized alternate world fan-art done for fun. I mean he's even got one for Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Rouge, Tikal, Amy, and Cream...and Blaze. It's not an actual thing that's gonna be official, especially when the same guy does fan-art of normal Sonic as it is.

Edited September 14, 2013 by ChaosSupremeSonîc

[TwiceStyle]

Art style-wise, I enjoy the Generations design, as it brings classic zones into the modern age in stunning detail. It's as shame that they moved away from it in favor of a cold, lifeless, and toyish look.

[Balding Spider]

So I'm the only guy who completely hates the design above. okay.

 

Those pants just don't seem right, they'd be flying in the air when Sonic's running, far too baggy and distracting. 

 

The way the arm starts out is weird too. Like, I like to see that defined semi-circleish thing.

 

He's just too tall and all too, this isn't giving me the cocky, youngster who runs fast feel at all.

 

The belt thing or whatever that is just...eh.

 

I don't like the eye colour too haha.

 

I mean it's a fine piece of art, it's creative and imaginative, but... maybe I just don't like humanoid art of anthromophic characters or maybe I just don't dig some so called anime artstyles. 

 

But yeah, if this is an actual thing, then yeah, I doubt me liking the look of Sonic at all anymore.

 

It's weird, it looks so much like if Sonic was a resident of the Klonoa world. Whatever it's called.