This is a bust practice of Cloud the Robot Rabbit, the main character from my sci-fi project “Electric Hearts.” The original version was created in 2017, and a redesign occurred in 2025. The picture above is the new version, while the one below is the old one.
2017 was a year when my creative state was relatively poor during the low period from 2012 to 2022. The 2017 version was intended as head practice, using Cloud’s hairless design to address head anatomy issues. However, my understanding of anatomy at the time was lacking, resulting in an unsatisfactory outcome. I was so embarrassed and deleted it shortly after posting. Additionally, my mental state was so poor that I couldn’t even clean up the sketch properly; what is being shown now is the result of a simple cleanup done in 2024.
Problems in the old version
The 2017 version has several issues that make me uncomfortable:
- The head structure is bad, with oversized eyes taking up too much space and the sides of the skull are too small. Cloud’s rabbit nose was replaced by a generic triangular one. The facial design is “correct” but unappealing.
- Design stopped at the color blocking level, while mechanical details appear as thin sheets, lacking the structural beauty. The “cloud” design language is also unclear.
- Overall composition feels stiff, showing no awareness of composition. The shading color is entirely neutral gray.
Redrawing
The 2025 version was part of a series of re-drawings of old pictures. I made specific adjustments to the following issues:
- The head has been restructured based on my current understanding of anatomy, especially the face has been adjusted to be more appealing.
- Mechanical details were redesigned. I emphasized Cloud’s robotic nature through thickness and multi-layer nesting, incorporating the traditional Chinese “cloud” pattern. The shading was adjusted to a cool grey.
- Adding both hands to enrich expression and make the composition look less monotonous.
Looking forward
The new version is a significant improvement over the old one, but it came from quick improvisation for better visuals rather than thoughtful design. Cloud’s design details may evolve in the future.
Cloud has floating arms that can fly independently within a few meters of his torso, so I didn’t design upper arms. However, due to technological limitations in the Evernight Era, I plan to make floating arms non-standard. Instead, foldable upper arms will be integrated into the large forearms. When not needed for flight, they can connect to the torso to conserve energy.
Leave a Reply