Renzo Manta

How do you make a cartoon character out of a Manta Ray? Well I tried this test, and I came up with Renzo!

Renzo Manta is my newest character I have had the pleasure to create. There's something about semi exotic animals that I like to characterize. They are familiar enough to recognize, and yet still able to stand out as a new cartoon character.

This is just some character studies to get the design right for him. I decided to have him with kite like arms and the head fins just over his eyes. Now real Mantas don't have legs obviously, so I created fin like limbs to make him able to stand. The tail is a simple line, similar to a common mouse tail.

Renzo, I figure, would be a very curious character, questing to know more about the ways surface dwellers live. A bit naive about things, but that's what would make him such an engaging character. He has a natural instinct to learn about new things and look at them in a new light. Due to lack of knowledge, he would be brave enough to front anything all for the sake of interest.

I'm still cycling through colors with Renzo. The blue version I think makes him a bit friendlier, while the traditional black makes him look more realistic. He's a fun character to draw, so there will definitely be more drawings of this new creation in the future!

Fun facts about Mantas:

-They are quite friendly and curious about human nature. They will often swim with scuba divers and approach stopped boats.

-Mantas are able to breach the surface like dolphins and whales.

-They have a "wing span" of about 25 feet, and can weigh about 5,000 pounds.

-They hang out in the tropical waters of the world.