ZD Gallery: Unsung Heroes

Hello Zelda fans, and welcome to the newest installment of ZD Gallery, where every other Sunday we showcase an artist and the work they’ve created in tribute to the Zelda franchise. For today, allow us to introduce Ronan Lynam, a freelance illustrator and designer who’s passion is creating promotional and retail pieces of art for several different franchises. Naturally, since this is Zelda Dungeon, we zeroed in on his Zelda inspired creations and fell in love with his unique style.

Make the jump to see our interview with Lynam and to check out several of his creations based on some of the more unconventional characters of the Zelda series!

ZD: How did you become a fan of the Zelda series?

Lynam: Like many fans, I came into the series sometime in the 90’s when I was a kid. I think Link’s Awakening was the first one I played, but I remember I could never get past the 7th level (which I still have trouble with to this day!). I became a full-fledged fan when Ocarina of Time came out, and thus the series became a defining cultural influence on my youth!

ZD: Do you have a favorite game?

Lynam: This is a hard question for a lot of people- at least I know it is for me. I’ve gotten into plenty of stupid debates over which is better than which, but I feel like there are just some things that draw people closer to certain games. For me, it is the setting and the world. I really enjoyed all of the Gameboy games because the places they took place in were all so weird, and I really liked playing through worlds that were so incredibly funky. With that being said, I think Majora’s Mask comes out on top because its world left one of the biggest impressions on me.

ZD: What inspired you to create your art based off the franchise?

Lynam: For people that enjoy making fan art, it’s almost like a right-of-passage to at least create a few Zelda inspired drawings. I’m no different, and I’ve spent time creating some of my own. I was inspired to make some drawings of characters that don’t really get a whole lot of love, but are just as memorable as the rest of the cast. Like the magic beans guy- I wanna see more of him!

ZD: What mediums do you use for your creations, and what style might you dub your work?

Lynam: I would dub it as digital illustration, simply because it’s all done on a computer (Photoshop CC, Wacom Intuos 4 Tablet). When I share my illustrations online though, I like to make sure to make nice prints and take a picture of those instead. I feel like there’s something more special about sharing a physical thing than just an image from my hard drive! Adding a slight looping animations helps give them a little extra ‘zing’.

ZD: Of all the illustrations you’ve done, which is your favorite?

Lynam: I really like King Zora sitting on his butt saying “M’Weep”. I think he may be my favorite!

ZD: And finally, do you have any ideas or plans for future Zelda pieces?

Lynam: I hope to think of more characters to redraw, especially in the style of the Song of Storms guy, or King Zora. I really enjoy making those quicker & simpler styled illustrations!

If you’d like to see more of Lynam’s work, you can view an album of his collection here or even check out his entire portfolio here. And if you’re interested in following Lynam to see what he comes up with next, you can find him here on Instagram!

What do you guys think of Lynam’s work? The ZD staff always enjoy finding fan creations that are a little different from the norm, what about you? Do you have any ideas or underrated characters in mind that Lynam should work on next? Or perhaps a different happy mask you’d like to see in his art style? As always, feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments below! Until next time!

Source: Imgur.