If I rest my head on your shoulder
I wonder if I can hear your heart tremor
To the beat of my nerves
I wonder if you tread carefully with your words
Pick and choose phrases that will make me listen
Riesling over liquor
I wonder if you have lost thoughts
Tremble at their release and take them elsewhere
Whisper without me
I wonder if you hide your truth
Mask feelings in sweet nothings
Hide dark in the night
This week I didn’t quite do a fable specifically but more of a theme. I wanted to create a modern female character that would transform into a magical Celtic themed sorceress. After some research, I found that the cloak pinned to one shoulder is a significant article of clothing that the Celtic people wore, so I made sure to include it.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have quite enough time to finish the pieces before the post today. I was able to complete the character in her modern-day casual clothing, but I still only have a sketch of her Celtic sorceress outfit. Maybe I’ll be able to post the finished results next week!
This is Helia Kuai, she’s Simon’s cousin. She’s also an assassin, like the rest of the family. I wanted to show her stern and prickly personality, so I made her hair spiky. I like the shape it makes but I’m also considering a ponytail for her because having loose hair isn’t practical for her job. I made her clothes simpler to contrast Simon’s theater kid look. I hope I got her grumpiness across.
My Heart,1
Winter was barely a chill compared to the cold of your absence. The heat of your hands entwined in mine and the warm blush of your cheeks keep me alive in this frosted land. Even so much as an hour away from you is as an eternity in the ice. I do wish we could make our bond known.
I know we cross paths out in the open, but unless we are alone holding hands I see you as a total stranger. I wish I did not feel this way, and I hope you can forgive me for harboring this sentiment. I am glad we are closer together now and that I no longer have to withstand these frigid nights alone.
I dreamed a dream that someday we could be together as we hope to be, but in my mind I know it cannot be. I wish I could deny my love for you, but you have caught me in a deer trap so sure that I know I will never escape it. For now, we must be content with these little moments. I sense a time when we may have to be apart for good. I fear this time, but I try not to dwell on it. I much prefer dwelling on you. My heart,2 be steadfast. We must savor these moments before everything comes to its glorious, frightful end.
I do pray you can forgive me.
Now and forever,
Your soul3
While I’ve been trying to get back into a regular artistic workflow by working on more sprites and illustrations for “Flamechaser”, I also feel like I could benefit from exploring new ideas more. Because of that, I found some time this week to sketch out a character design for an original character I’m going to call Rashida Kuromiya. She’s a cybernetically enhanced freedom fighter who dons a helmet shaped like a canine’s head in battle.
While I haven’t gotten around to fleshing out a full backstory for Rashida, I enjoyed drawing her and I want to draw her more in the future. Eventually I want to implement her into a story idea I’m working on called “Blade of Seafoam” that follows an amnesiac super-soldier who’s traveling across a post-apocalyptic archipelago to find clues about his past. I’m not sure yet whether I want to make this idea into a comic or a visual novel, so I may have to adjust the character designs based on whether I’m drawing them just a few times to make sprites and illustrations, or a hundred times for each panel they appear in. I’m working on character turn-arounds for Blade of Seafoam for my ARTDES 220 iterative projects, so I’m looking forward to being able to share them with everyone once I’m done with them.
In other news, I recently sent applications to several conventions happening this year hoping that I’ll be able to get into at least one or two Artist Alleys. I really enjoyed my experiences at Con Ja Nai, Anime Park, and Youmacon, and I’m hoping to make more good memories and sales at future conventions!
Lyrics from “Abigail” by Frankie Cosmos. I think a lot of people can relate to looking back at their past selves and feeling embarrassment or even aversion. This song follows up that sentiment by stating they should cut their past self some slack, as much as they might dislike them now. Oftentimes we were doing the best that we could given certain circumstances, and didn’t have the knowledge or wisdom we currently have. I wanted to visualize this by showing the past version of oneself tangled up in a metaphorical string, unable to get out or protect themselves from the rain. The present version has the resources to keep themselves dry. Though they can’t help protect their past selves they can give them grace. I think doing our past selves small acts of kindness like this is really important to taking care of ourselves in the present.
