Sideways picture is sideways!

Not quite what I had in mind, but you’re much better at the Dres guy than I!

Here’s a different sketch. Longer rending claws, and some other notations. Sorry for the blur, cell phone picture plus my own knuckles smudging things.

 

You do know Windows Paint has an option to flip your drawings, right?

While flying, the legs could dangle downward out of the way, more like a wasp configuration, instead of out to the sides like in the first picture. Like wasps, though, they could spread their legs outward to land, or when they’re skimming over the ground to attack something:

More sketches below, me playing around with angles and movement. I like the idea of a abdomen curved upward, if not quite as pronounced. In most insects the abdomen has some ability to pivot up and down, so we could make use of that to allow more flexibility as well. Also, if it’s not clear, the rending claws are nothing more but blades attached to really long arms. The Skyrenders don’t walk on them; they use them as spears or scimitars, though they may also have a limited ability to manipulate objects with them, like a pair of chopsticks. Their grasping claws would work better for more complicated hand-like tasks, though.

When attacking on the ground, the Skyrender could rear up and walk about somewhat like a humanoid, slashing with its claws, rather than, say, balance on the four feet while it curls its head under and punches out with its rending claws. Or it could do both...two different attack animations, as many of Morrowind’s mobs have. The rearing would be like a power attack.

Dominance I could see, though I’m not sure hive insects do the dominance thing, as they’re made up of sexless castes (or like the males, die shortly after breeding). Perhaps to make themselves look bigger and more threatening, like cats when they arch their back. Or perhaps Skyrenders are less like a traditional hive and more like a wolf pack or lion pride in terms of hierarchy.

I wouldn’t mind something weird being done to the head, because I’m not real creative in that regard. Getting the interlocking mandibles to render right at TES3’s resolution would benefit from whichever is bigger, so there’s room for the detail in the texturing.

Hm. Here’s another thing to keep in mind for their design: the top part of the Dres crest is a Skyrender. So maybe we ought to use that more triangular headshape. I think the abdomen could still be beetle like, if more curved and not as flattened as a beetle. The wing motifs still would fit into a two wings + wing shells look, with the long legs as their rending claws.

But, again to which I ask if this is needed? I’m not sure if Skyrender model has already been completed or has an approved concept for their looks yet?

Did research. I Found a Skyrender in TR’s files. It’s similar to the model shown on the wiki page:
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Tes3Mod:Tamriel_Rebuilt/Beasts#Sky_Renders

Also found someone working on a replacement model here. Year old posts and missing a few bobs and bits, but heck, finishing that one out would be a lot easier than remaking something from my concept art.
http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/old_forum/viewtopic.php?t=24939

My attempts at combining Mournhold, ESO Indoril, and Velothi tilesets into something usable for the poorer Indoril. Variations on combining colors, shapes, Indoril roofs vs. no roofs. In the last picture, the things above the door are supposed to be statuettes or bas relief carvings of Veloth.

<sigh> and sideways. Dumb tablet. :P

Concept art for Dagi (tamarin-headed Khajiit). The key to getting across the monkey shape seems to be the ears set far to the back and down of the head, the large eyes, and the narrow (top to bottom) head. 

Tw new images: a carving of a Skyrender as might be found on Dres buildings. The abdomen and wings have Daedric lettering in them. The second are different takes on a Dagi-Raht (left images), and the right is a Dagi.