What is the style for LB?

I got asked that question earlier (partly because of Dustrunners, I think), and I've been dancing around it in correspondence so far, so I'll bite the bullet and tell you what I think.

When I started DSR, I was going to leave it up to the pros. The sketches I got at first were very Bluth-ish, very exagerrated characters with very different faces, bodies and defining traits. They were cool, but somehow too cartoony for me.

When I went to re-do DSR, I went heavily towards anime-style artwork, because a lot of the DSR userbase was looking forward to it, and I tended to agree. The few characters you saw (Kana Choi, Tundra) were more manga-esque (more than the other characters you didn't see). I liked the new look. REALLY liked it. If it hadn't been for the language barrier communicating with wakaho (artist from Japan), I think we would've had some absolutely fantastic art from that period.

So now on to LB. What's good for us now? Well, obviously I'm partial to manga-type art. If you're not familiar, you should know that Sailor Moon and Pokemon don't represent the entire genre. I like a hybrid style, something a little different. I can't replicate it, in case you're wondering --- my own art is all I can manage, not what I like.

I see LB as being very gray. Sombre, almost dark, but not into the vampire feel. This is a city that was built to be neglected, and it's being neglected very well. I see a funny visual somewhere where the park near City Hall is perfectly-kept, with clean green grass and immaculate sidewalks, because the geeks want their park to look like a park when they venture outside, but the rest of the city is just so utilitarian that its function is depressing, almost.

Hmm.

I see long lines, angular, grays and grayed blues and oranges. Watercolour, maybe? Can't put my finger on it.

It'll be interesting to see where it ends up. Someone write down what I said about it now.

Wait.