That One House

This is my first draft of the Day house. In other words, it's the house where the model supervillain family lives. Recently I wanted to practice creating a setting that reflected not only the surface aspects of a character but also the darker internal parts in a way that didn't break the realism. I figured Harrison would be a good pick for that project. I didn't do much detailing or atmosphere. I just wanted to see the basic design of the house and area around it. I really like that the Day house looks like one that could actually be built in a moderately wealthy neighborhood. It's not over the top or obviously uninviting. It just has little details that give it an ominous look.

That said, I did take inspiration from Disney villain lairs. Gru's house from Despicable Me was also very helpful, particularly because I could see it in contrast with the other houses around it. That way I could tell which subtler details made it stand out: the steeper angles and thinner windows. But I'm especially proud of the second story window in the center. The blinds really help to sell the double sided paranoia. I originally imagined the house with no garage. I only realized I needed one when I was looking at other houses for reference, so I made it a separate building. It's better like that anyways.

But my favorite details are the ones I thought of before I started drawing. The ones I wanted to add for the symbolism. That single lamp is one of them. It symbolizes a lot of different things. It's not motion sensitive. It turns on automatically at night and stays on until morning. I'll be leaving home soon, but God will still be with me. Thank you God.