Game-Art-HQ

Red XIII / Nanaki, the Beast from the Final Fantasy VII Games

Red XIII from Final Fantasy VII and the many pre- and sequels of the game is one of the playable characters of the main game. Red XIII who is also known as Nanaki is of course not as popular as Cloud, Tifa, Aerith or Yuffie but the three available spots to draw him for this art tribute were claimed in only a few hours which shows that there are still fans of him!

To see the artworks in their full size, just click on them!

Why did you choose Red XIII?

I thought it would be a decent challenge to create an art tribute for him, and also its nice to draw perhaps a lesser known or at least less promoted character.

What do you like about him and about FFVII?

Nanaki is a deceptively deep character with a rich back story and he outlives all the FFVII characters! As far as what I like about FFVII, well, it was the first Final Fantasy I ever played and it has some of the most memorable characters out of all the games. Great storyline too (when I could follow it).

What tools did you use for the artwork?

Paper. Pencil. Ink. Crappy scanner. Adobe Photoshop CS5. Wacom
Intuos S5.

Please describe your take on him

 After about four failed sketches I started to get this epic roaring in my head and this came out. I wanted something a bit powerful and emotive. Plus a few retro effects that I wanted to try out.

Is there something else you want to tell the visitors of the Final Fantasy Art Tribute on GA-HQ?

Hey everybody, I have mad free time so email me at dezzmanx@gmail.com or note me on my profile on deviantart.com if you are interested in commissioning me.

Artwork and description of it by Desmond Thompson

About the Artist:

 Desmond is a professional artist from North Carolina in the USA. His REDXIII was his first submission to a Game-Art-HQ Art Collaboration.

Why did you choose Red XIII?

 I chose Red XIII because I wanted to draw something a bit different than my usual and he is one of my favorite Final Fantasy 7 characters.

What do you like about him and about FFVII?

 I love cats and his design gave me a kinda lion-esque vibe, so he was always a member of my party whenever I played.

Final Fantasy VII inspired my imagination and took me on a journey unlike any other. I recently replayed through it a few months ago and I still loved it just as much as I did when I was 13. It’s not a game without flaws (the rather ugly overworld character models being one), but it is a game I always recommend and will revisit for years to come.

What tools did you use for the artwork?

As with all my art, he was drawn first on 11″x14″ paper in mechanical pencil, scanned and digitally cleaned up. He was colorized in Photoshop.

Please describe your take on him

 Red XIII is wise, intelligent, and reserved. He doesn’t say a whole lot, but he speaks when he needs to. There are numerous touching sequences throughout FFVII, but Red XIII’s discovery of what really happened to his father I feel ranks as among the best in the game. His final Limit Break, Cosmo Memory, is arguably the coolest of them all!

Is there something else you want to tell the visitors of the Final Fantasy Art Tribute on GA-HQ?

I hope you enjoy my art and if you would like to share your feedback or suggestions you can reach me at mdvillarreal.deviantart.com or through e-mail at vinsenmdv(at)gmail.com. Thank you!

Artwork and description of it by MDVillarreal

About the Artist:

MDVillarreal is a hobbyist from the USA ad describes himself with the following words:

“I’m a guy who enjoys doing art and expressing my imagination. I’m always trying to learn and improve my skills. In my free time, I enjoy playing my Xbox 360, PS3, or Wii in addition to surfing the internet.”

Beside that, MDV is also an active contributor who draws often game related fan art and participated in our Mortal Kombat Tribute before too.

Why did you choose Red XIII?
His design is awesome, he is a fiery lion dog. How awesome is that?

What do you like about him and about FFVII?
I love that Red XIII is a teenage punk from his tribe, but he still acts more mature than a lot of the other human characters. The entire story they wrap around him is really cool. And I loved the way they introduce him in the lab as a ferocious beast, who turns out to be one of the good guys.

What tools did you use for the artwork?
This one was done digitally, all of the lines and colors were done with a Intous pen tablet, and the moon and some other textures were handpainted watercolor that I scanned in and digitally manipulated.

Please describe your take on him
I will always remember the first time I played through the game and got through the Cosmo Canyon sequence where Nanaki (Red XIII) finds out the truth behind his father, and how it shifts the way he behaves.

So that was what I decided to draw.

Is there something else you want to tell the visitors of the Final Fantasy Art Tribute on GA-HQ?

7, 9 and 10 are the best Final Fantasy games! *runs away*

Tifa Lockhart

Vincent Valentine