Portrait sketch of a Victorian Nobleman whose curly mustache might be a fashion choice or one he twirls when he's thinking of his devious machinations.
I think the Victorian-era fashion and aesthetic is endlessly fascinating. It was a fascinating era in history. In the East, sword-wielding samurai still walked Japan during the final years of the Edo period. In the American West, cowboys settled disputes in dusty roads that split frontier towns. Meanwhile, across much of Europe, Victorian gentlemen courted women in lavish ballrooms while industrialization transformed society. The wealthiest attended extravagant parties, while the working class labored in smoke-filled factories and crowded slums.
There's something about that collision of elegance, industry, and inequality that feels incredibly rich for fantasy worldbuilding. It's easy to see why aesthetics from this era continue to influence fantasy and science fiction, and I think they have most definitely inspired shows like Arcane.
That was the inspiration behind this dapper gentleman. Is he quietly working against the powerful oligarchs he's undoubtedly a part of? Or does he thrive within the system, living in luxury while an army of goblins toils in muddy streets, building his next grand invention? That's the thing I love most about character design. A single sketch can become the beginning of an entire story in my head.
