Y!Gallery Mascot Contest: Yuuniko
So y!Gallery is holding a mascot contest, and I decided to submit an entry. I was having a bit of trouble deciding what kind of design I was supposed to do, since a mascot must represent the ideology and content of the website. I present to you, Yuuniko the Kirin.
White top version.
A kirin is like a Japanese Unicorn. The name of the character itself is the Japanese romanization of unicorn as “yuu-ni-ko-n”. The decision to make this character not human, but a kemonomimi, was taken because this website has a lot of different art that include human, fantasy and anthro characters of all kinds. Also, I love to draw kemonomimi, so yeah. As a tribute to yaoi itself, this character has the obvious feminine facial features, long aesthetic body and purty hair. Also, fantasy-like clothing and bondage gear are mixed in the costume design.
Yuuniko has two “personalities” or sides: the normal one, where he has a very elegant, yet kinky costume, and eye glasses to help him read (his favorite genres are fantasy, drama and of course, yaoi ;) ). He appears to be very shy, and he’s very sweet most of the time.
Then comes the raunchier side, where the elegant top garment is removed, the eye glasses are gone and a curved horn grows on his forehead. This horn represents in a way the “y” of y!gallery, and Yuuniko becomes wilder and well… horn-y. OMG bad pun.
The boots are a special design. Since most cuadrupeds stand on their toes, I thought Yuuniko wouldn’t have any trouble doing it either. That’s why his boots may look like stilettos, sans the stilettos. The boot sole reminds us of a horse-shoe.
As for the design and color scheme, I tried hard to keep this design simple. My muse yet again betrays me, for I added a lot of detail… still, the main colors remain simple: black, purple and gold.
ZOMG, is that chibi?? YES. I had to draw chibi versions of the character as well. I almost never, and I mean NEVER, try to draw chibi characters. I think I am terrible at it. But I think Yuuniko looks okay…. 
maybe.
The chibi version is meant to look simpler, and more adaptable to other kinds of merchandise, like keychains or something else that needs a smaller, simpler depiction of the character.
Hope you like this design 
