Bring it on, Decepticons

Reference for Arcee’s back

We have a short answer and a long answer.

The short answer is could we do more? Certainly. Have we donea lot already? Absolutely!

As for the long answer, you asked two questions. We’ll answer thequicker one first.

1) Why does NO ONE have a broad nose?

We genuinely do not know how answer this question because, as far as wecan tell, we have MORE THAN ONE character with a broad nose.

 Don’t get me wrong! Our art is WILDLY inconsistent.

It is “we have multiple artists” inconsistent.

It is “we have been doing this for almost three years and our arthas changed” inconsistent.

It is “I am so done with this episode just make her face two dotsand a line” inconsistent.

It is “looking up a reference sheet is hard what if I justbullshit this” inconsistent.

It is inconsistent in ALL the ways something can be inconsistent. Butour goal was a variety of body types and, by god, have we succeeded!

2) Why does ONLY a villain havea convex nose?

This feels like a two part question. Why is Slipstream the only onewith a convex nose? Why do the Decepticons have more extreme facial features(specifically noses) than the Autobots?

First, Slipstream’s designstory has come up before. To reiterate, Airachnid and Slipstream’s featuresare meant to show they are opposites but also fit together well.

We gave the traits we wanted to each and then removed the correspondingtrait from the other.

When Airachnid got a booty,we took away Slipstream’s butt. When we gave Slipstream a broad chest andshoulders, we slimmed down Airachnid’s upper body. When Airachnid got a sharpchin, Slipstream’s chin was rounded down. When Slipstream got a prominent nose,we downplayed Airachnid’s nose.

Our focus was very much on diverse body types, rather than detailedfaces. The Slipstream-Airachnid foil was the only time noses specifically cameup for discussion.

Would it be cool to have more convex noses going forward? Yes,absolutely.

But, as the bland, vacant, occasionally lumpy stares of our originaldesigns can attest, back in 2013, our goal was diverse silhouettes, not coolfaces. I assure you, we did NOT zoom particularly close up on these designs,lol.

Second, the villains’ noses looking different than the heroes’.

If you are referring to the icons used in the episodes themselves, thenthe distinction you’re seeing between “hero” and “villain”comes from the fact that Anj drew theAuotbots and I drew the Decepticons.

We don’t expect anyone to know that. Quite the opposite actually! Theintent is to make things as seamless as possible. However, when you puteverything next to each other, the linework and noses are the easiestgiveaways.

Anj’s background is illustration so she tends to add more detail. Thelook is more G1/IDW and gives you a clear sense of where the“nostrils” are. She feels things out more.

On the other hand, I come from an animation background. I like simpleshapes and minimal lines because I am used to having to draw whatever I designfive hundred thousand times. My shapes are more exaggerated but, when I don’ttake the time to shade, they can end up feeling flat.

Both sides have a fair share of noseless faces, although theDecepticons tend to lose their mouths as well.

The point is, if you feel the Decepticons are more exaggerated than theAutobots, you are absolutely correct. Good eye! Most people don’t notice whenwe split tasks between ourselves.

If you can’t stand how either of us draw noses, that is completelyfine. You can like or dislike a project for whatever reasons you want! Wegenuinely wish you the best of luck in finding or creating fanworks that bettersuit your tastes.

From where we are sitting, however, this ask feels like a great sign!