If you're like me and hungry for original animated content from indie creators, then these are for you! These upcoming projects are still in the works and deserve all the support, shares, and hype they can get! Whether they're still in the early stages of development, or nearing completion, following and supporting their progress will be worth the investment. Hopefully, I'll get to share more in the future, so look into this couple of projects that I personally can't wait for!
I apologize ahead of time for the poor cropping skills. I am a writer, not a graphic designer.
"Phantom Tagger" by splattered_dreams_
Image Descriptions, in order of left to right, up to down: Illustration of Adrian looking in a mirror, his reflection appearing as his hero alter ego. Art by @padi.grim.art on Instagram. A collage of Phantom Tagger concept art, including fight poses. The Phantom Tagger wears black pants, a white shirt under a long red cloak with a high collar, a red mask tied around his eyes, and matching kicks. Art by @jydawn_ on Instagram. Illustration of Adrian Rodriguez. Adrian is a young adult Afro-Latino with medium brown skin tone, dark brown curly hair in a high-top afro, brown eyes, and glasses. He is boyfriend shaped. Art by @cybersamurai_ronin on Instagram. A comic style illustration of Adrian's power-up transformation. Art by @jydawn_ on Instagram. Illustration of Phantom Tagger with character Ronin, an ambiguous lady ninja. Art by @padi.grim.art on Instagram. Phantom Tagger surrounded by colorful monsters, one of which places a clawed hand on his shoulder. Art by st3s.
From the creator splattered_dreams_ :
Highschool graduate Adrian Rodriguez is now a burger flipper at a local food chain that nobody hardly ever visits, guilt-ridden and ashamed of being unable to fulfill his late mother’s final wish: becoming a professional illustrator. He’s always been told that he was a great artist, and he believed them, but something he couldn’t possibly prepare himself for? Was the unbridled harshness of reality.
Failing his entry exam for his dream Art University, Adrian is now stuck in his hometown of Highbrook struggling to make ends meet with his older sister Aaliyah, who’s News Firm is growing tired of her always publishing stories of imaginary creatures. Her most infamous being that of the mysterious entities dressed in shadows that feed off of the nightmares of humanity. If only life really WAS that exciting! Adrian feels as though he has reached a dead end in life. Having put everything on the line for fulfilling his mother’s wish, it seemed as though there was no point left for anything at all…
That is, until one fateful night.
On his way home, Adrian had been ambushed by a group of muggers. Sprinting through the late night urban streets, he’d be pushed to the very limit. Turning down an alley littered in graffiti and into a dead-end, Adrian thought he was finished… until he saw something he hadn’t seen before. A brilliant door which had been spray painted atop aged red bricks. The bright colors that composed it practically swirled on its form, and it seemed to give off the dimmest of luminescence. As he placed his hand on the frame, it felt real. Like it wasn’t paint at all. Before he knew it, the door had opened on its own, and on its other side? Adrian found his world changed… forever.
Tossed into a realm of dreams, where things which only exist in the mind could become reality. Suspended in a sea of wonder, Adrian would be given the very thing he thought he’d never find again: purpose.
“The Phantoms have chosen you.” A voice ushered along the winds of this realm. “Claim them as an artist claims his paintbrush. Dip into the pools of great power to flourish them into reality.” In an instant, bright colorful threads of energy surged throughout Adrian’s body, and the voice left him with one parting remark.
”You are the brush, and the world is your canvas.”
In a whisk of light, he’d be sent back home… and swept into a fantasy lying in wake with eyes unclouded. Surrounding Adrian, the painted graffiti that had once sprawled itself across the alley walls… spilled off their surfaces, and came to life. Without warning, the painted creatures ambushed him, coalescing around his figure… before taking the form of a glistening red coat.
Magic. Magic was real, and surrounded us. It was then that Adrian realized that maybe… other things might be real, too. Like the monsters his sister wrote about, morphing in the darkness as they prowled the night city. And what accompanied them, were the malevolent concoctions of artistry given vengeful life. Murals bleed off of walls to become hulking monsters. Vases morph into samurais with ceramic plates of armor. Marble statues shatter and reform with liquid gold melding the pieces back together into forms incomparable to the original…
Using his newfound powers gifted to him by a world beyond his reach, Adrian must be ready to stop the encroaching dangers of a hidden threat, ready to surge from the unseen corners of his home. He’ll have to make this count, as this new life… could perhaps be all he has left.
He is the Phantom Tagger, and the world is his canvas.
For about a year, splattered_dreams_ has been sharing about their original character Phantom Tagger on Instagram, baiting those lucky enough to find them with lore, commissioned art, and an astonishingly original power system. They say that their world is inspired by Dorohedoro, Kingdom Hearts, and One Piece, but followers may also be able to spot elements from Iron Man, Danny Phantom, Spiderverse, Hellboy, and Daredevil. Phantom Tagger's story, while being a kickass superhero journey, also tackles relatable themes like loss, post-grad crises, and disappointed dreams. Fans of pretty much any stage of life can find something to root for in this urban hero. While the creator is still in the concept phase, they are working on the possibilities for Phantom Tagger becoming a graphic novel, video game, or even a show!
Find splattered_dreams_ on Instagram to stay up to date on development details and for more awesome concept art, backstory, character lore, and animated clips!
Links
"May the Mermaid of Lily Lake" by Andrii Ivanov
Image Descriptions, in order of left to right, up to down: Illustration of May, a swamp mermaid with green skin, white hair, and big black eyes. She looks shyly across the surface of lilly pad water among drooping willow branches. Illustration of May swimming after a sinking Man. Illustration of May and nameless Man. The two speed away in a truck from armed hunters in another car. May clings to the roof in the pickup while the Man steers. The hunters are close behind. Illustration of May and the Man. May shows him a magic, glowing lily and gestures to a soft light in his heart. They hold each other's gaze in rapture and bewilderment.
"May the Mermaid" is a passion project by professional digital painter Andrii Ivanov that he began on his Instagram page. What began as a collection of about 12 illustrations with sparse lines of dialogue in the captions, quickly became an online hit and an ongoing series that fans (including myself) eagerly anticipate additions for every May. The story follows May the swamp mermaid and her journey of fighting for life, love, and freedom. Ivanov's gorgeous and emotionally captivating paintings are a testament to his expertise in character design, color theory, spacing, pacing, and the art of "show-don't-tell."
Currently, individual prints from the story are available for purchase, a music video version of the story can be found on YouTube, and there are teasers for a picturebook. Best of all, Ivanov is also working on an interactive version of the tale, details for which can be found on his Instagram.
From the creator, Andrii Ivanov:
Hello, everyone! I’ve been working on one thing. I’ve come up with an interesting idea about May. The story you know about the green mermaid can become interactive!
If you are interested and would like to support this project, I have opened a Patreon. There you will find «May the Mermaid» please read the description. You can find link in the account Bio - patreon.com/andivart
I have organized the Tiers not by size or the number of benefits, but by the personal projects I am developing.
If you are interested in any of the projects, you can support it. Thank you for that!
There is also a separate Tier called “All in One,” where all posts from other Tiers are duplicated, along with individual art that I might create for my Instagram. This Tier also includes updates from the @NickTravell project.
Given that I run several projects simultaneously and cannot constantly publish a lot of updates, I have chosen a subscription model that is payment per post. This will be 1 post per place or two, and sometimes 1 post every couple of months. I consider this format to be fair.
Some posts will include not just the final results but also the processes
I also have a Buy Me a Coffee page. The link can also be found in the bio - buymeacoffee.com/andivart.
Links
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