Codex Nocturna Entry: Grogro, the Ancient Guardian

This is the character submission for the Codex Nocturna Character Design Challenge: an ancient stone gargoyle I call Grogro. The design idea was to capture an old stone and the role of a protector. The weathered texture of his skin I rendered in muted browns and dusty blue-grays, suggesting many years spent exposed to the elements. His small, protruding fangs says about his being a defensive creature. The collar and cape represent folded stone wings to give him the role of a guardian on duty. The eyes are small yet alert.

The final piece was drawn and colored digitally over a simple black ink sketch to keep the lines clean and the overall feel intentionally rudimentary like my previous forest folks drawings, He is a guardian of the Fountainhead. He is silent, grumpy guardian who only descends from his perch during the annual parade to ensure the purity of the forest's water.