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Last one of the resketches from my 2011 piece. I put him off because the design was difficult and this is the second revision I'm posting (more like 5th revision total) I have loved so many of the designs that others have used for the green martians. There really was no way to redefine that. I could try my hand at a single take, but I knew that so many of the choices I would make were already old news... This wasn't just ANY green martian though... This was the Manhunter...

Jon is usually depicted in his humanoid form more than anything else. His costume almost always looks more superhero than alien and I know that is intentional for the character. He wanted to put on a more human face... but how long has he been doing that? Once the world knew that Superman, Supergirl and Starfire were all aliens, once they had an Amazonian, and Atlantean fighting alongside a cyborg... Couldn't Jon sort of be himself at that point?

My design for Jon was implemented with the pure thought of what he is rather than what he tried to be. So he doesn't have a cape. He doesn't wear boots. He doesn't shy away from what he is. Martian Manhunter is an alien. Plain, simple, green and different...

As far as the basis of design structure goes for the clothing, I went with a combination of Vernian and Burroughs aesthetics... something I considered classic Martian. I wanted to design an alien superhero that would look just as much at home with the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen as with the Justice League.

From the oyster shell shaped shoulder pads to the medallions and strapping, I wanted to represent the visual depiction of someone from a barren, dusty, harsh world... but I was purposely Harkening back to images of Tharks. I didn't want the Thark eyes or mandibles... but the costume... the body build... I liked that.

My original design included some Aztec inspired chest patterns in order to present the X... but this time I discarded that. I didn't want the patterning to look like It was inked onto his skin. Shapeshifter or not, Real clothing or purely construct... I wanted it to feel like something he was wearing and in the 2011 version even though the straps and shoulder pads were still presented as pieces (though asymmetrically) the markings themselves were a pattern that he consciously projected into his skintone. I still like the patterns I used then. I still like the orchestration of the straps.. but it felt a little too human... too Victorian.

I just made a few different choices this time around. I may still change int back before the big group piece this time.

Description
Last one of the resketches from my 2011 piece. I put him off because the design was difficult and this is the second revision I'm posting (more like 5th revision total) I have loved so many of the designs that others have used for the green martians. There really was no way to redefine that. I could try my hand at a single take, but I knew that so many of the choices I would make were already old news... This wasn't just ANY green martian though... This was the Manhunter...

Jon is usually depicted in his humanoid form more than anything else. His costume almost always looks more superhero than alien and I know that is intentional for the character. He wanted to put on a more human face... but how long has he been doing that? Once the world knew that Superman, Supergirl and Starfire were all aliens, once they had an Amazonian, and Atlantean fighting alongside a cyborg... Couldn't Jon sort of be himself at that point?

My design for Jon was implemented with the pure thought of what he is rather than what he tried to be. So he doesn't have a cape. He doesn't wear boots. He doesn't shy away from what he is. Martian Manhunter is an alien. Plain, simple, green and different...

As far as the basis of design structure goes for the clothing, I went with a combination of Vernian and Burroughs aesthetics... something I considered classic Martian. I wanted to design an alien superhero that would look just as much at home with the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen as with the Justice League.

From the oyster shell shaped shoulder pads to the medallions and strapping, I wanted to represent the visual depiction of someone from a barren, dusty, harsh world... but I was purposely Harkening back to images of Tharks. I didn't want the Thark eyes or mandibles... but the costume... the body build... I liked that.

My original design included some Aztec inspired chest patterns in order to present the X... but this time I discarded that. I didn't want the patterning to look like It was inked onto his skin. Shapeshifter or not, Real clothing or purely construct... I wanted it to feel like something he was wearing and in the 2011 version even though the straps and shoulder pads were still presented as pieces (though asymmetrically) the markings themselves were a pattern that he consciously projected into his skintone. I still like the patterns I used then. I still like the orchestration of the straps.. but it felt a little too human... too Victorian.

I just made a few different choices this time around. I may still change int back before the big group piece this time.