#ampeel

Bulb Zone Subnautica

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Blood Kelp Territory. (total drawing time: 6 hours, 46 minutes.)

AMPEEL

They’re a little hard to see on Tumblr’s white backdrop, but I'm a fan of the Ampeel's prongs. While they look busy in a static image, in motion the prongs form an undulating wave that mimics the waving of a finned fish's appendages. Even their light-up tips don’t detract from the design, since that's generally how bioluminescence works: in small, concentrated spots that attract prey by wiggling. The only negative is that the sheer number of them is a little off-putting. The Ampeel's coloration is another point in its favor. Instead of being neon yellow or covered in zig-zag lines, it's just a mottled greenish blue color that would camouflage it fairly well from above. Its underside is also lighter than the top, which most real fish also do for a similar reason! Even though I like the glow on the prongs, I'm not as big on the glowing eyes. Eels have incredibly strange and pretty eyes on Earth, so it's a disappointment to see them replaced by generic light ovals, even if it is a neat effect. One fun part of the Ampeel's body shape is the segmented sections it's divided into. The cylindrical chunks are visually reminiscent of the "voltaic pile", the first chemical battery, and the comparison couldn't be more apt. Working in the battery visual motif without breaking natural immersion is a great way to add depth to a design. Plus, the visuals of the fish itself don't need to communicate the danger or electrical nature of the creature, since the arcs of electricity will do that, so the battery reference can be as subtle as the designer wants.