Random character movement question (Matilda and Abyss)

[killpurakat]

So... not to get anyone's hopes up. May never happen, or be waaaaaaay in the future. Buuuuuut...

I'm thinking of making Matilda and/or Abyss costumes and trying to match the characters very closely. So... trying to make good naga/snake and centaur mechanisms. (Also, not for Halloween, so there is not a crazy time constraint; feel free to say whatever with regards to design ideas.)

I have a few ideas, but then it hit me that I may be thinking of how these characters move all wrong, because we don't see that (limits of comic panels!). So, I figured I'd ask y'all, the fans, what you think. And even if you agree with my thoughts, one of you may say something that gets that *ZING* of inspiration and I'll suddenly know exactly what I'm going to do.

For Matilda: my brain goes to standard horse movement, I think because of the taur aspect, but I realize her lacking thumbs (or whatever the equivalent would be) on each limb might mean I'm not getting her gait right. I don't think any of her four "legs" move like human legs (which will cause some problems with matching to me), but... she is a cobra taur, which means more reptilian, so should I be thinking of a lizard's or bird's movement with respect to the legs? Or what?

For Abyss: so, snakes, obviously, are the first thing I thought, but... I'm a bit confused on HOW that tail moves. Because she has her upper half off the floor and has to maintain it that way when conversing with others (I assume), would her lower snake tail part wiggle from side to side or do more up and down in a caterpillar crawl? Snakes do both, but we often think of them as wiggling from side to side, but they usually are keeping their heads down then. And one picture I have of Clan Leader Jin shows more of an up/down pose, and Jin is similar in body type to Abyss, so I'm inclined to think that might be preferable and more stable, but...?

At any rate, let me know your thoughts on the matter. also just fun in general imagining these character for real and what that would mean for their movements and such.

[YBlu]

Well, Matilda's posture can sorta switch between reptilian and equine, so I guess her movements can change accordingly.
But, in general, I imagine she moves like a horse, but in a more flexible, cartoony kind of way.

She can also sit on her hind legs kinda like a dog (Matilda Page 46)

[Prroul]

Take a look at how monitor lizards move, and you might get a better idea about how Matilda's body moves. Yes, she's a 'taur', but there's very little horse involved. Her spine clearly shows at least reptilian if not snake levels of flexibility, and that's going to substantially change her gait and movements. Furthermore, her leg structure more closely resembles that of a lizard, rather than that of a horse, which means it isn't very well suited for trotting.

I would expect a great deal more butt-wiggling in the movement and side-to-side motion than up-and-down motion.

[YBlu]

^ Yeah, that's probably more like it

[killpurakat]

Re: Matilda's movements:
That's actually what I was thinking a bit too, like her movements are the standard taur horse movements, but with the smoothness of a snake over it (likely won't be able to capture that, but I can maybe come close). I sort of think of a horse going over jump obstacles, in a sinusoid-like repeated pattern of up a bit, down a bit, up a bit, etc. (Which... yeah, I don't think I'm good enough to pull that off.)

I'm not sure about a side-to-side for her, simply because while snakes do that to propel themselves and lizards/crocs do it when slow walking, her legs aren't quite like theirs and she has so many limbs. I feel like she holds herself above the ground too much to do the squat-wiggle, and gets too much forward motion from her feet to do much side-to-side movement, but maybe a slight one? With monitor lizards the elbow joint sticks straight out from the body, but she looks to hold herself higher than that, and when she sits or goes on her back haunches, it is more dog-like than lizard. But something more for me to think about...

Thanks!

[Amber Williams]

When Abyss is being considerate of other folks, she moves very slowly on her tail.

When she's moving normally, she uses her arms and lays on her stomach and looks like something right out of a horror movie with that creepy crabwalk of her arms.  Her joints technically can bend both ways.

[ZacAttac21]

When Abyss is being considerate of other folks, she moves very slowly on her tail.

When she's moving normally, she uses her arms and lays on her stomach and looks like something right out of a horror movie with that creepy crabwalk of her arms.  Her joints technically can bend both ways.

Sweet! I'd like to see that.

[killpurakat]

When Abyss is being considerate of other folks, she moves very slowly on her tail.

When she's moving normally, she uses her arms and lays on her stomach and looks like something right out of a horror movie with that creepy crabwalk of her arms.  Her joints technically can bend both ways.

Thank you for answering, Amber. I am now going to go hide under my blanket fort and pretend you didn't answer, Amber. Bye bye, Amber. 

When Abyss is being considerate of other folks, she moves very slowly on her tail.

When she's moving normally, she uses her arms and lays on her stomach and looks like something right out of a horror movie with that creepy crabwalk of her arms.  Her joints technically can bend both ways.

Sweet! I'd like to see that.

I can't do that. I don't have the arm strength, joint flexibility, and it likely would be a safety hazard, so... yeah... nope!

Still wondering if side to side or up and down would be better for tail movement, though, if you want to weigh in on that.

[InhumanInterest]

Somehow I hadn't considered reptilian movement for Matilda at all. I'd been thinking almost completely in the area of big cats and more specifically pumas based on leg shape.

[killpurakat]

Somehow I hadn't considered reptilian movement for Matilda at all. I'd been thinking almost completely in the area of big cats and more specifically pumas based on leg shape.

I thought of cats, specifically big cats, as well, but I have a love of them and felt that my be my own bias, wanting to equate a cobra-taur to a leopard or jaguar or mountain lion. So I was trying to figure out logistics based more on standard taur and reptilian features. I have a feeling the fantasy nature of Matilda means I shouldn't do this, though.

There's also the issue of how those cats hold their heads while moving. They rarely have their heads straight up (more forward and slightly above or below the spine), so the balance of her upper body at the waist joint becomes a problem if thinking of purely feline movements.

Tricky, tricky puzzle, with no right answer, likely...

[e_voyager]

When Abyss is being considerate of other folks, she moves very slowly on her tail.

When she's moving normally, she uses her arms and lays on her stomach and looks like something right out of a horror movie with that creepy crabwalk of her arms.  Her joints technically can bend both ways.

That's either a fuel for sweet dreams or nightmares depending on what being she manages to charm. Honestly I don't you know if any being that willing to interrelationship knowingly with a cube I like Daniel's father requested their Cuban partner remain in their own form most of the time.

[InhumanInterest]

Now that I've seen her climbing Mt. Gandma I have to say I've changed my mind Re: Matlida. Reptilian definitely seems the way to go. Her current position seems especially "gecko."

[killpurakat]

Now that I've seen her climbing Mt. Gandma I have to say I've changed my mind Re: Matlida. Reptilian definitely seems the way to go. Her current position seems especially "gecko."

Well, I've seen kittens pretty much do this too. I'm hoping I can pull off something between a cat and a reptile... but likely it will be hindered by this chunk of meat and bone that I have to fit inside.  My only legs don't quite match Matilda's front legs, and my middle torso isn't as long as hers appears to be, so it won't be perfect.

BUT I CAN TRY! (Did work on mechanical modeling of this costume today. Loooooong ways off, and I may have to make a plushie first to get a handle on her proportions, but some small progress.)

[InhumanInterest]

Definitely, but kittens always seem a little more stiff when climbing to me, the spine bending like that seems more gecko to me.

RE: Actual costume design, it does seem like that's going to make a lot of hard work there. I could see making a mechanical design to work the legs independently of your own and maybe wearing a black body suit to minimize the visual impact. Regardless, I wish you well on that project, it sounds absolutely awesome. (So does the plushie idea).

[killpurakat]

Plushie will be easier, and if all my ideas fall flat and I can't do the costume, at least I will have made something cute. Because "CUTE" and "MATILDA" are one and the same.

(And I do have an idea to maybe get the torso and front legs better fitting, but as I am recovering from foot surgery ATM, I can only do modeling right now. Hopefully in a few months, with more healing and unlocking of the foot movement ability tree, I can attempt the idea I'm thinking of.  )

[YBlu]

The plushie sounds like an awesome idea!

[killpurakat]

The plushie sounds like an awesome idea!

Not saying it will happen soon, but I will keep everyone posted on the progress and have links to pics when I get to that point.

[YawnPB]

Have you ever watched that show Jim Henson's creature shop? At least that what I think it was called...  The contestants make all kinds of critters and you could borrow some techniques 

[killpurakat]

Have you ever watched that show Jim Henson's creature shop? At least that what I think it was called...  The contestants make all kinds of critters and you could borrow some techniques 

YAS! I love Jim Henson's work, and the stuff that comes from his legacy!  I also watch Adam Savage's builds and interviews. Good ideas all!

I admit a huge problem is I'm trying to think of how to make things portable, which not only means fitting it in a suitcase, but fitting it in a suitcase and making it clear that this is a costume/puppet and not something dangerous, thank-you-nice-TSA/border-patrol-people.  (I've actually had friends tell me their horror stories of costumes ruined by being unpacked and shoved back in the suitcase improperly or even cut to ribbons because they were a bit poofy or had metal wiring in them. WANT TO AVOID FOR SURE.  )

Right now, some holiday present planning has come up, but I am working on making a Mattie plushie model, so that will come first, and then... we'll see.