HOME | DD
akitku β A practical application...
#oc #arcane #byzantine #magic #medievalfantasy
Published: 2015-02-19 14:36:49 +0000 UTC; Views: 2619; Favourites: 132; Downloads: 0
Redirect to original
Description
Being in the writing-up stages of my thesis, I don't really have time to draw anymore. I decided to upload some of the more sketchy pictures that I have been posting on tumblr for the last couple of months...there aren't many of them and they are quite sketchy (and digital) which is the reason I didn't upload them here before. Hopefully within the next couple of months I will be able to go back to doing full pictures with my watercolours!
So here is Rhode in an a rather rare situation, namely actually applying all that theory she's been working on. She finds out not only that such applications can actually be quite exciting, but also that with the right motivation she can be quite effective at rescuing...
I had a lot of fun with this one as the lighting was quite interesting and I doubt I would have achieved a similar effect with watercolours. I tried to make her dress have that Byzantine flair yet also seem comfortable/wearable, not sure how well that worked...
By the way, you can see a much nicer, historically appropriate Rhode by here:
______________
painted inΒ SAI
Related content
Comments: 48
I'm so glad you like it!
π: 0 β©: 0
This is so damn awesome!!! I love the way you've done the spells and the clothes - everything is fantastic :3 You're really improving in digital art!!!!
π: 0 β©: 1
Gosh, thank you so much! I'm so glad to hear that! 
π: 0 β©: 1
You are so welcome!!!!!! 
π: 0 β©: 0
I like the action pose!
π: 0 β©: 1
I'm so glad you like it! Yeah, it was quite a bit different from what I usually draw...
π: 0 β©: 0
Whoa, your digital colouring has improved a lot! I love the colour scheme and the composition, but what I find the most Β wonderful thing about this piece is your visualization of magic. These exotic patterns look truly misterious! By the way, I'd like to know more about the system of magic that she is using!Β
π: 0 β©: 1
I'm so glad you can see some improvement in the digital colouring. I don't really have time to draw much recently so I'm afraid I'm getting really rusty...ah well...The magic was supposed to be very visual/symbolic for the sake of the drawing. As to the system I haven't really given it that much thought but I guess it's probably something involving logical modalities and domains...
π: 0 β©: 0
It is wonderful! Different platforms but same and recognizable style and I love it!
You have tumblr? *_*
Me too! Can I add you?
By the way, how are you? ^^
π: 0 β©: 1
Thank you! I'm happy you think so!
My tumblr is: akitk-u.tumblr.com/ though currently I'm not going to be on much...Still I'll be really happy if you follow me!
I'm quite ok...I've had some health issues,but I'm getting better now which is good because I really need to work more on my thesis. How are you doing?
π: 0 β©: 1
alessiahv.tumblr.com/ here it is!
I followed you ^_^
Which kind of thesis are you going to do?
I'm happy you feel better, this winter is soooo strange here and I got some problem too! :Β°D
So I know the feeling and hope it was nothing serious! ^_^
Is Thessa doing well?
π: 0 β©: 1
Well, I am a PhD candidate and my thesis concerns normative judgement and motivation.
Yeah, this winter was very strange, I agree! This is the first year when I am really looking forward to spring actually!
Thessa is doing quite well, still not a full recovery but she is getting better slowly!
π: 0 β©: 1
Aww! So good news! *_*
I'm happy for you and that beautiful creature!
And I'm waiting spring too, stop rain, clouds and rain again and clouds too! Γ§_Γ§
π: 0 β©: 0
i hope your work with the thesis is going well 
this is beautiful, she seems so concentrated and full of intent,Β i adore the attention of the details in the clothes and the way you drew the light that surround her hands transferring the power, you are becoming more and more good also with digital coloring by the way! Β
π: 0 β©: 1
Well, I've had to take a break for the last few days because I haven't been feeling very well...But generally it is progressing, though not as fast as I would like. I'm studying philosophy. I have been drawing all the time when I was doing my BA and MA, and the beginning of my PhD was also a good time for me creatively, but now that I am finishing up and it's really urgent I can hardly focus on anything else any more...so this last half year is the first moment when I really cannot draw anything but quick character sketches etc.
I'm really glad you like the picture! The way you describe her expression is precisely what I was going for! And She is exactly supposed to be transferring the energy rather than generating it herself so I'm very happy you say this! Thank you!
π: 0 β©: 1
i am sorry, i hope you are feeling better now 
aww, well you did a great job here, i just noticed the detail, but is there!
π: 0 β©: 0
Wow, wow!Β Not only can you paint beautiful watercolours, but are a wonder with digital work too, I love how the magic has an almost...art deco feel with the sharp lightening and the angular light beams, this is really beautiful, I also love how her outfit is practical and the colours realistic, but complimentary with the patterns - oh gaaahhh but that magic...I can't say anything else about it other than making a random gurgling noise!
π: 0 β©: 1
Thank you so much for the kind words dear!
π: 0 β©: 1
You're welcome!Β Digital art is one big experiment
The magic is fantastic, I love it, and you know, it also suits the overall picture, I think if you made it too "3D" it would look out of place.
Folds are difficult to do, but i mean at least you tried to add patterns, and they work too!
π: 0 β©: 0
This is astonishing! Your digital art is so good! I love the way the light and the runes pours out from her hands, it's so precise and yet artistic at the same time- it is a truly remarkable piece and I think you should be very proud of it!
π: 0 β©: 1
I'm so glad you like it dear!
π: 0 β©: 0
Oh this is gorgeous! I love how stylized the magic effect is. Also, color me impressed for making Byzantine-esque fashion look anywhere close to practical. I don't know how they did much more than stand around and pose for all those mosaics. 
π: 0 β©: 1
Yeah, exactly, the clothing depicted on mosaics usually looks so uncomfortable. I always assumed that it was more wearable than it looks, Β but the artistic depictions were just stylised that way...,but what do I know? I'm really happy you like the way it looks here! Thank you!
π: 0 β©: 1
You're welcome!
π: 0 β©: 0
I know how you feel about the convenience- my poor studio finally ran out of room for any more paintings, and now since I'm writing more I work in the house in the spare bedroom. It's a good place to work digitally.
This piece is great, it has a very intense emotional content, and I agree with everyone, your digital style is improving. There is a sort of iconic feel - actually I was reminded of Amerind Spirit paintings, or perhaps Innuit. (Inuit Shaman ) because of the fluid nature of the forces involved. I think it is best if you let it happen anyway it wants to, working to a stock outcome is one of the things that all to often vitiates digital art.
π: 0 β©: 1
Thank you! I'm so glad you can see some improvement! Indon't like the effects of digital ss much as traditional, but I think it is an interesting tool to learn...plus i like how i can come back to a drawing over many days...and save many different versions so that I can compare changes.Β
You know i wanted the magic to look so clean and precise here because Rhode is deeply i terested in mathematics and logic, hence her magic i think would be very precise and rule-based. Sort of pythagorean if that makes sense...
π: 0 β©: 1
What I know of Pythagoras (which is probably less than is actually known , ie, very little) indicates that he was fascinated by the principles underlyingΒ everything, including what we call magic- there is a belief that he was initiated into the Hermetic Mysteries, among others, and that his followers explored the effects of certain harmonic vibrations upon the health of the body and, one supposes, the soul...So Rhode and her mathematical and logic based approach would have felt quite at home.
π: 0 β©: 0
I agree withΒ charcoalfeather , your skill with digital art is getting better and better! I love the effect of luminosity you achieved with the strings of energy here. Did you use any light effect or is it just colour contrast? And the composition is superb, with all those vertical horizontal and diagonal axes. From the technical point of view, i think it's your best digital work to date.
On an unrelated note, I love Rhode's outfit. It's a nice compromise between the fanciful dresses one can see on mosaics and the more practical garb you usually draw her in. And is it just my impression, or has Rhode been crying?Β
π: 0 β©: 1
Thank you! I'm so happy to hear there is some improvement. I prefer watercolours, but this is just much more convenient for now...
The light was done through contrast and choice of colours. I'm so glad to hear you like the composition...it was completely unplanned to be honest...it just kind of worked itself out if you know what I mean.
Ah, I'm so glad you noticed the tears. Yes, her eyes had been watering because of all the dust, smoke and so on...Rhode is supposed to be a character who uses quite a bit of makeup on her eyes and I imagine most of it would start running in a situation like this! I also tried to make her hair look messy but I don't think it worked out too well...
π: 0 β©: 1
Haha, the best drawings are usually unplanned. And as fond as i am of your watercolours, i must admit that the deep colours you use in your digital works suits your characters very well (especially given their nocturnal lifestyle *wink, wink*). You definitely should do more digital drawings Β - not only for the sake of convenience.
Yes, dust in the air and physical exertion seem like the perfect cue for kohl to run
π: 0 β©: 0
I believe already commented on it on tumblr, but I'd just like to say again that I think it's beautiful. Your digital drawings feel quite different from the traditional ones but it's still very much you!
π: 0 β©: 1
Gosh, thank you!
π: 0 β©: 1
It's probably hard to see for yourself all the "you" you put into a drawing, but I can recognize your style from a thumbnail even before I see your username or icon. ^^
But yeah I know the feeling all too well. That is, I don't mind so much if my style changes, as I like to try out as many styles as possible, but I've felt so frustrated drawing characters.. Only now am I starting to feel like I draw certain characters the same way, but before they were always different, always influenced by the way other people drew them.
π: 0 β©: 1
Well I always loved the way you shade and colour digitally and I think there is a consistency in your style even if each picture is a little bit different. But yeah, I can imagine that it's annoying when you get your own way of drawing a character and then look at other work drawing them otherwise. Though again I think there is a lot of consistency in which you draw characters. Actually what I find really amazing about the way you draw characters is that you make them really resemble the way the original artist drew them, but they are also very much in your own style...like you blend your own style with the original style and thus you preserve a lot of the character. Somehow your fanarts feel very...authentic, if that's the right word. Plus sometimes (like in the case of Sakura, or Gai, I think you draw the characters so well that you bring out "them" out...like their personality is so evident in your art...Hmm...now I'm rambling...sorry!
π: 0 β©: 1
Oh wow, my goodness.. Wah, thank you so much *_*
π: 0 β©: 0
I saw this on tumblr! I love it so much. I think your digital art has been improving so much and I love how you did the magic here! The light sources look really convincing and I'm just amazed at the patterns of the "magic beams" coming from her hands. Rhode's clothes look so nice too. Great work with the patterns, as usual!
π: 0 β©: 1
I'm so happy to hear that! Thank you! Honestly I'm so unsure about drawing digitally, but it takes me less time. Or I can just switch of the picture and come back to it when I have a moment. So it's just more convenient for now. So it's wonderful to hear that there might be some improvement. What really annoys me for now is that every time my digital pictures seem to come out in a different style...
π: 0 β©: 1
No problem! I see what you mean--I think it's the colouring that makes the style look a bit different. Maybe you can use textures to make the colouring more traditional-like? I always use two textures (below) that make my digital works more traditional looking.
Β Β
π: 0 β©: 1
Yeah, maybe that would be a good idea to go! Sometimes I do use textures...but again it's kind of erratic when I do and when I don't. 
π: 0 β©: 1
Yeah, I do always use those two textures in the same way. Both of them are pretty flexible though. If I want to make something smoother but something else not as smooth in the same picture, I just erase the texture where I don't need it as much (or just use more blur).
π: 0 β©: 0
Wow ! It's exactly the type of Art I love ! I will see more !
π: 0 β©: 1
π: 0 β©: 0
Ah, digital art and a bit of fantasy! This is awesome 
π: 0 β©: 1
Thank you so much!
Actually making the magic look like these clean light beams was inspired by Byzantine mosaics which show the creation of the universe...I kind of liked that stylistic idea for my own purposes...
π: 0 β©: 1
Hahaha, I totally know that feel. It also depends on how much effort you can be bothered putting in! Sometimes one might spend ages on all the detail, other times, nahhh.
Actually those mosaics where what I thought of, too!
π: 0 β©: 0