Art is by \r\n\t\t\t\t\t
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A lot of Tumelo as a character and his setting were highly inspired by the aesthetics of The Wind Waker. In fact, for the longest time, this was the kind of piece I’ve wanted to get: something that evokes the style and brings him closer to his root inspiration. It’s exactly how I’ve envisioned him for so long. Like his hair, I also had his outfit updated to more reflect what I’ve always envisioned for him. It’s obviously inspired by Link’s lobster pyjamas in the Wind Waker and the tropical shirts from Animal Crossing, but I wanted it more personalised and just never updated it until now. So he’s wearing more of a short dress here with longer, airier sleeves, and longer shorts. It’d help him keep cool, I think :3
Also pictured for the first time is his bird, Cassie, a female hyacinth macaw. She’s something like a familiar here instead of just a pet, and is accompanying him on a hike through the mountains of the southern island.
I’m incredibly happy at how it came out.
As noted in his character bio, Tumelo is from the pictured tropical archipelago. It was once one vast island, but volcanic activity caused the centre of the island to plunge into the ocean. The towers that stood on the island’s tallest mountain remain; the tops of their bases just above the ocean surface. Over time, the archipelago gained its namesake from the towers and became known, even locally, as Whitespires. Before, and still, the islands were known individually by their names, while the original island’s name faded into local obscurity. The purpose of the towers has been lost to time, but they’re thought to be on a focal point of mystic power erected to harness the energy from an alleged “wellspring” beneath the island. Closed off to tourists, furs rarely enter the towers in modernity, and much of their inner structures are curiously sealed against the non-native populations, leaving exploration impossible for outsiders, and difficult without knowledgeable guides. Only a select handful of native furs enter the towers, and what they discover or know about their history are closely guarded secrets.
I also had Xie draw up an aerial shot of the archipelago while we worked on this to give the islands more continuity~
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We used several references of the Cook Islands to come up with it. :3
I had this alternate nude version done because Tumelo, like many of the islanders of Whitespires, is a naturalist, and it'd be completely normal for him to enjoy the weather in the buff. It also feels much more natural and just as in-character for him.
It's also nice eye candy, and was cool to have Xie draw him full-bodied. Of all the Tum pics Xie has done, this is the first time Tumelo's been standing. x3
A million thank-yous to \r\n\t\t\t\t\t
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