chimaera #6
restorative silk
MANDRAKE | VERA VERTO | PAGE 394



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This one...was a tough one and creative despair did take over for a bit. I cycled through several characters and no concept immediately came to mind. So I let it all sit for a day or so (and the weekends for me are always good bye to personal productivity, especially this past one with a huge festival in the city) and I still was not coming up with anything until I picked up the book I have been trying to read (and failing spectacularly for a year now) and turned to its page 394. Then everything clicked pretty instantly

The book in question is The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad and considering I am perpetually stuck on page 9 I was a little nervous about skipping ahead THAT far ... until I did and saw that I was in the glossary Page 394 had several references to specific garments and a certain fashionista/fashion designer/personal stylist by the name of Candela [redacted] immediately popped up and began raving about Middle Eastern textiles. The wand movement for Vera Verto (according to HP wiki) looks a lot like a flowing piece of fabric and became the base of this little doodle as seen in the fabric draping over her arms. The light for the spell is 'crystal clear', so that gave the inspiration for the sheer fabric (yay colorless blender!) and then the green is a nod to the colors of the leaves of a mandrake. The mandrake reference probably seemed vague and a bit of a stretch, but for Candela...fashion and design have been like a haven to her. A means to express herself and reclaim agency with her own existence much like the powerful restorative properties of a mandrake. Learning about and using new textiles, traveling around the world to find them, is one of the most freeing experiences and a guarantee to bring a smile to her face.

I felt incredibly fulfilled after completing this piece and really really REALLY enjoyed working on her hair (which I based off her FC's instagram photos). I thought about giving her her signature "dandelion fluff" hair and use that for more practice in drawing and texturing curls...but I wanted to try something different. Candela changes her hair style and color often enough anyway The pastel Ohuhu I used for the sheer green worked SO well with the colorless blender as well. This one has taken me the longest to complete, both in conceptualization, sketch, and coloring

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelliephone

Ugh, Kath, these are all amazing! I LOVE the colors you've used for your creations! And the expressions you're able to capture on their adorable little faces never cease to bring me joy! The color blending in the chips on Kurumi's cookie too *chefs kiss*

thank you I feel like...I've discovered a whole other style for drawing eyes this year. Before I tended to mimic the style of CLAMP (one of my favorite mangaka groups) but...I don't know what pulled me more towards this eye style this year but it is fun to explore!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

shhh no it's fine I think chimera/chimaera is a dual-spelling thing depending on where u are

okay first off you need to know I recognised that as atlas INSTANTLY. it's the jigglypuff face for me. the association of the prompts to the piece is we love a hero's journey. I love the blending on his hair, so subtle but so effective, and also in the pot of the bubotuber. AND in the pus. ugh. witchcraft.

i looooove all the little details you managed to get into your zinnia piece - how big are these pieces roughly? are you diving up pages of your ohuhu sketchbook again? anywaY, the texture in the broom bristles and allll the blending and shading here has such a good effect, and I think you did great on the hairline too, I wouldn't have thought it was something you usually struggle with. anyway x2. yes. love a smiling zinnia. team blue-and-silver-is-valid

it's kurumiiiiii. what a journey for this prompt, and her eyes are amazing here, and you know i am in love with the richard-of-york-gave-battle-in-vain cookie... things. chips? you know what i'm saying. this one looks so soft to me and yet not soft but yes soft but ??? it's very striking. I love the contrast between the dark of her hair and robes and the bright eyes and cookie Roy G. Bivs

more please

well...you know me and spelling :lol

Each of these is about the size of my palm, give or take. The spread currently looks like this. (I can never look at Jigglypuff the same now and am disappointed Atlas has never had the petty urge to draw on someone's sleeping face. I'm being denied a good time)

I had thought about making a stack of rainbow cookies...but rainbow chips felt more whimsy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19

Okay, so I spent quite some time admiring the Zinnia and Kurumi pieces. For Zinnia, I especially love how you captured her hair and the earmuffs. For Kurumi, I love the colours, especially the rainbow ones. Kurumi's took me allllll the way back in the School RPG's history I think that's when I started talking to you because Jory {who I was RPing at the time} was my first School charrie and he and Kurumo would sometimes interact.

Good times

Seems like FOREVER ago, doesn't it? It kind of was but...you know

The swish of her ponytail is one of my favorites. I find when I am trying too hard with hair or these swishy lines...my wrist tightens up and then there is this rigidness to the lines. That thinking that it must be right on the first try. Learning to just...draw a bunch of light lines and then pick my favorite after was the best thing I picked up from Youtubers

Quote:

Originally Posted by emjay

Oh my word. Kurumi has no right to be this cute. love this drawing so much, but my favorite part is your highlights and shadows in her robes. It really makes it look 3 dimensional and like it's draped on her body. Really nicely done!

I dropped the black Ohuhu and used a dark grey color this time (same with her hair) that I then layered up with either a dark brown (robes) or purple (hair) and that really helped give me the freedom for highlights and shadows. The black is just so...BLACK.

the purple for the hair is also a nod to her FC playing Sailor Mars in the live action Sailor Moon TV show, where Sailor Mars is often depicted with dark purple - black hair in the manga/anime.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

My little Kurumbly. This turned out so cute and I don't mind those little stubby arms or legs at all. <3<3

I feel like it has been AGES since I heard that nickname. Oof, the nostalgia we do love a good stubby hand and leg in this house!