Legend of Zelda: Link Concept

I've decided to put my plans of redesigning Chrono Trigger artwork in favor of my much put off plans to re-envision the Legend of Zelda. Legend of Zelda is hands down my favorite game series of all time, and I wanted to try my hand at breathing some new life into it. I have tinkered with this a while, but have yet to commit to the project in full. But my frustration in finding adequate work as a web designer has left me with much time to pursue thus effort.

I began with a re-design for Link. I wanted to stay away from the more feminine and elvish style many of my peers use, and went for a Hero steeped in Nordic and Celtic influences. Link always struck me as a lone, no-nonsense, stubborn type, and even the game play seems to portray him as more of a down and dirty, brawler then an overly acrobatic sword dancing gymnast that seem to permeate popular culture. Personally, this design suits my tastes much more then a feminine,androgynous, or anime style. This is just the first of several concepts i wanted to do, as I seek a balance between the traditional Link, and the nordic/celtic style I want to incorporate into his design.

Drawing took me the better part of a day from start to finish. Rather happy how it came out. The background is a bunch of pieces of Scottish highland terrain I pasted together and filtered (not ready to draw whole landscapes yet, and I wanted to wrap this up so I can start on the next picture).