Hello, Hivers! I hope you're having a wonderful day. As always, I'm sharing another recent drawing I made for the @Splinterlands weekly contest. This time, I chose the Manticore.
The story goes that this creature was another product of the strange genetic experiments of beings called Gloridax. The hybrid monster known as the Manticore is a combination of a dragon, a lion, a scorpion, and countless other creatures from which it draws its powers. Except when summoned for battle, the Manticore obeys no one.
This is my version of the Manticore, created in an anime style and intended to convey a calmer, yet still resolute, creature. Unlike the original Splinterlands design, which at first glance appears more aggressive and ferocious, here I decided to depict it in a moment of tranquility, where the creature is in a position more characteristic of animals like the lion, standing on all fours, observing its surroundings with a focused gaze. I wanted to capture its hybrid essence, but with more serenity, without it being in action, and I think the result achieves that balance between wild and peaceful.
The color palette I used for the Manticore this time revolves around warm and some dark tones. Its body is covered in a golden brown, resembling a lion's fur, but with a cleaner finish, typical of anime. In contrast, its red mane adds ferocity, standing out as the most vibrant element of the design. The mane not only frames its face but also reinforces its dominant character. The fur is what will always distinguish Leon.
The dragon wings are painted with dark purple, bordered by black bone structures. This contrast between the warm body and the cool, dark wings creates a visual balance that I really like because of the interplay of colors. Purple is also a color associated with poison, which connects to its scorpion tail.
The tail, by the way, was one of the elements I tried hardest to perfect, even though it was relatively simple to draw. In this version, I tried to make it resemble a scorpion's tail, curving it upwards and ending it with a golden stinger that stands out against the dark background.
The background I chose is a ground-like landscape with bushes and grasses. I focused solely on the ground, as it's more important to highlight the Manticore. It also has a black background that I covered with purple and green to make it look more interesting and appealing. Personally, I liked the result; it really makes the Manticore stand out.
Here, as always, I used the anime style, which allowed me to play with clean lines, flat colors, and soft shadows. The expressiveness of the face, the eyes, and the body posture convey serenity and courage. Here, the Manticore isn't fighting but rather analyzing its surroundings, its domain.
This way of recreating it allows me to show another facet of the character, not only as a weapon of war, but as a more relaxed and tranquil creature. The shading on the fur, wings, and tail is done with a finer brush.
The Manticore from Splinterlands has a more aggressive design, with a bipedal stance, an aggressive expression, and more saturated colors. Its function in the game is clear: to attack from the second position, to fly, and to return damage when attacked. Its official artwork reinforces the idea that it cannot be dominated by anyone.
My version, as I mentioned before, consists of seeing this creature in a different pose, in a different environment, as a different Manticore. Here, I seek another perspective of the Manticore, something calmer and more serene.
Manticore in its original card version, which I used as a guide to create my own illustrated version. It can be found in the 
Illustration created using Medibang Paint Pro software
100% original content
Traducido con www.DeepL.com/Translator (versión gratuita)
