Depression developmental concept art

My original idea was that depression is a very lazy illness; sufferers have no get up and go; they slouch about, that's why my creature is slouching. like its been told to do something but it can't be bothered. I decided to give it an octopus-like theme because people with depression tend to be stuck in their rut - much like an octopus clings to rock to avoid being washed away by ocean currants. So it was intentional. Then I see depression as an all consuming illness that effects everyone around the sufferer, as well as the sufferer themselves. So I gave my creature a huge gaping maw-like mouth that is full of teeth to show the dangerous nature of the illness (suicide, ect)

The I asked Bryony, a sufferer who as well as having anxiety, also has depression. She told me she had two ideas - the first was a cat like creature that had a stance like a werewolf - its fur was matted and scruffy and its a dark purple colour. It has tiny nasty eyes and huge snarling fangs - a mouth full of teeth and nasty sharp huge claws. She said she had been using this creature as a visualization in therapy class for the last few months. really scruffy fur and hunched posture. Drooling.

There were the first ideas I had but she said it wasn't as slim as those- it needed to be nastier looking with no neck and scruffier. Barrel chested She sent me a rough outline doodle of what it was supposed to look like and I worked into it. This is the finished result. She also said the face was less dragon-y and more cougar/panther.

She loves this design and I've very proud of how simple it is too. It shows movement as well which I love.

She loves the colour and thinks its exactly what she had in mind.

The other character design she said was blue and made of slime almost - like a gel. It would be dripping and gooey. A humanoid figure that didn't have a head - but had the gel separating to form eyes and a mouth in the centre of its torso. It never stands up straight - always slouches and leans and slumps. Its a melting blue sludge basically. This monster she told me, represents the lack of motivation you feel when depressed, and the total numbness.

looks almost like a Scooby doo monster

Bryony loved this design and said although she'd have him slouching more, I've got it spot on.

I asked My flatmate's dad next - Stephen W H; who explained his depression as more of a scene than a creature - he saw a small room covered In doors. It was a dark room, and in the middle he sees himself as a child, sitting cross-legged. He's afraid to go into the doors because there's dark silhouettes of people with glowing yellow eyes behind them - watching him. The only light in the room is coming from those eyes, Just the eyes are visible on the people. You can tell they're human but you can't see the details on their faces or body. It's as though fear has frozen him to the spot. He's scared because he doesn't know what's behind those doors. Only one set of eyes behind each door.

It took several attempts to get his idea on paper; we narrowed it down to just three doors out of many

This one, Stephen really liked as a design but it didn't portray what he was imagining. So back to the drawing board.

Too many doors - room too big and only one humanoid figure behind each door. need more detail on person in the middle. Doors need to be from floor to ceiling too - only perhaps three needed.

The figures need to be standing up straight and have the figure in the middle as a little child not representing how Stephen is now.

I prefer this one because its got more atmosphere and looks more 3D than the final one. However the child is glowing a bit too much - he could do with being less luminous.

Simplified version with cut out effect. Stephen likes this one and said this is as close to his idea I am going to get and thinks this is the right design.

After that I asked my close friend Clarissa Hill - who although having never been officially diagnosed with depression - both her and myself think she has had it in the past- truthfully. She told me she saw either a long staircase, like the ones inside turrets of churches - going down into a black void. Never ending.

I tried a few simple colours added to it to see what it would look like; but she said it was secondary to her other idea

She said she saw herself trapped in a smallish cage - not much bigger than herself. she has huge wings that are ruffled and sticking out through the bars as they are too big for the cage. she is hunched over and sad - she can't move. The bars are rusted and a copper colour. Her hair is falling down like rats tails and she's dressed all in black with net sleeves (kind of how she usually dresses) She said the wings were black fading into purple, and the background was a dark grey. She also wanted the character to be wearing converse; I think she was personalizing it as much as possible, as she really did see herself in that situation. This image makes me so sad, as when I look at it, it really symbolises her life. Trapped and burdened with something that she loves so dearly. Its heart wrenching looking at this picture. She wanted the room to look old and dusty.

I did several coloured variations and she said this one was the one she wanted to use:

Then I asked a old friend back in Hampshire called Molly Drew. She told me she saw depression as a skeletal like figure, that sits on your shoulders and holds you in. Its got soulless eyes and seems to be gloating. Its huge but the ribs fit on the shoulders nicely. The background is dark red and blue, and the skeleton is that horrible beige bone colour. Its bones look brittle and thin It towers over you and holds you in like a hug, You're its prisoner and its definitely a humanoid skeleton. It's like you're carrying it and its hanging lifelessly over your shoulders. Bigger than you but its just bones and its alive. It's hands are massive and hold you in place.