ashleyutopia

I finally finished most of the background for my new artwork. Since the main subject I'll be drawing later will cover part of the fireplace, I thought I might as well share the background first.( ˘ ³˘)

This is a painting I created for me and my friend. He is from Southeast Asia and has never seen snow before. We’ve only had snowball fights in games, so I thought it would be fun to paint a picture of us in the snow. Before starting the painting, I told him I wanted to create a dark yet warm atmosphere. I chose black outfits, while he chose white, because I thought the contrast would be interesting. I am quite satisfied with this piece, which took me 26 hours to complete, although I still feel there are many areas I could improve. Here are some of my thoughts:
1. About the snow: I wanted to create a fluffy, soft yet trampled-looking snowscape, but I still feel my snow appears somewhat stiff. I’m not sure if I overworked or underworked the texture. I used a splatter brush to mimic the sparkling effect of snow under light. I’m also unsure about the snow on the trees. I actually wanted the trees to look more natural, as my initial trees looked too straight and stiffly planted in the ground. I think if the wind were strong enough, it could press snow against the tree trunks.
2,About the outfits: I improvised and made many changes during the creative process instead of strictly following the game’s designs. One reason is that I really liked the body shapes of the two characters I painted and didn’t want capes covering their figures, especially my cat character. I think it stands very upright. For my friend’s skykid, I kept the collar of the cape because I felt the feather texture was delicate and gentle. I deliberately emphasized the fluffy texture of the snowman pants and placed the krill’s tail in front for contrast. Later, I felt my cat’s outfit looked a bit plain, so I added the fluffy collar of the Halloween black cat cape. I think their clothing reflects their respective personalities. Thankfully, skykids don’t feel cold in the snow (and I say they don’t, so they don’t).
3. About the hair: I’m relatively satisfied with how the hair turned out, especially the cat character’s hair. At first, I had no idea how to paint hair, so I was happy to manage the cat’s curly locks, even though the layers might not be distinct enough and it looks a bit messy. For my friend’s skykid, I feel the hair isn’t as well-executed—it lacks strength. But I do like the braid in the front.

Tonight I met her on the prairie. Clad in a crimson robe worn for divine rituals, she held a lamb in her arms and asked me to photograph her with the flock. The hazy golden glow of the night rose behind her, while the sheep stood quietly like a bed forged from flames, their glimmering eyes enveloping me like a rising tide. Kneeling on the grass to set up my camera, the moment I peered through the viewfinder, it suddenly dawned on me—she was the sun on the grassland in the darkness of night.