I started playing, off and on again, Magic The Gathering at our local game store, Secret Lair at Chelan. I still find it a bit surreal that our little hamlet has its own gaming store, but here we are and here we are happy.

I love trying to give myself projects, and so I thought it would be cool to create a background for a MTG card mat. And so “Battle at the Cliff” was born, or more specifically reborn from a previous piece, Plains Walker, Wind Rider.

While I was happy with the previous piece as it was one of the first “complete pieces” I produced since jumping back into art some 10 years ago, it has not aged well in my mind. To wit, the perennial curse of an artist is the love-hate relationship we have with our art. I really wanted a second chance at the image as I felt like my first attempt was a bit flat. And given the aspect ratio of a MTG is 2:1, it was the perfect excuse to try to climb the proverbial cliff, as it were.

I spent a lot of time trying to get the composition correct. And one of the benefits of our local store is our online chat group that includes an Artist Alley where I can post progress and get feedback.

One of the things I wanted to accomplish with this piece was a sense of movement and depth, especially with the Wind Rider. I thought the original piece was too static, and some amount of dynamics would help keep the viewer more engaged and better fit the narrative of tension.

While it was quite challenging to figure out how to have the viewer right outside the frame of the shot, with the dragon’s tail whizzing past, I do sense this gives more depth and movement than its sibling piece.

Overall, I’m pretty happy with the composition and values, but I’m not entirely stoked about the color gamut. I tried to knock down the saturation in the dark value areas which I think helps, but I’m still not entirely happy with the current version of it. I need to reflect a bit more before I can say I am entirely pleased with it.

If you watch the video of the progression, you will notice that the color versions start really slow down on dramatic changes, and I’m really just trying to dial it in. I’m still not entirely happy but tis the life. You gotta just move on at some point.

I hope you enjoy, and I’ll see you at the next piece.

I recently did my first art commission for a near and dear friend who wanted a portrait done for a character they are role-playing. Aren’t RPGs awesome?!

Here is what the client gave me to help cement who their character is.

My character is His Most Noble Highness Prince Meriendor Fardove, Prodigal Lord of the Night Sky, but his friends call him Meri! He’s an astral elf and he is literally the prince of the moon, so he has a pink/blue galaxy theme going. He’s a fairly feminine pretty boy, high on the androgyny, and he’s an Abberant Mind sorcerer, so a little on the weird side. When he was a child, he was sent to the mortal world to learn from one of the high elf families down there, but when he lost his sense of humor at the Witchlight, his family deemed him too weird to come home and rule. He’s on a quest to prove his worth and be allowed to go home to the moon. He has a deep belief in manners, morals, and always doing the right thing.

I absolutely love the detail in this. There is so much to work from, and it really gives you a sense of who Meriendor is. And yes, we are on a first name basis but you may call his Your Host Noble Highness. This is the kinda stuff I love as an artist. Gives me a lot of ideas for imagery to pull from, which still giving me freedom to bring my own interpretation to the character.

Reflecting on my first art commission

To be perfectly frank, I’ve been anxious of do an art commissions in so much as I am an artist who does this for the joy of it. And while I hope to eventually get to a place where I can pursue my art full-time, I know second-hand from very established artist friends that once you start doing art for pay, your relationship with your art can change. More directly, there is both a tension and a balance of doing the piece I want to do versus meeting the needs and wants of the client, who is after all paying you for your time and energy. So much of where you end on that scale is dependent on the client — choose your clients wisely!

To the astute reader of this site, I’ve certainly done work in the past such as with a local winery, a local pizza/catering , and even a filmmaker friend; however, this is the first art-art commission that is not commercial in nature.

A great client makes happy artist. Thankfully this person is quite familiar with my style. Aside, do I even have an established style yet? I’m flattered that they think so! And as such, they were very comfortable giving me the freedom to create something we both love. Which is always the gift that keeps on giving.

The struggle is real

I will admit I struggled with this piece toward the end, in part as I’ve never quite been satisfied with the image when viewed small-scale. There is something about the mouth – I think it’s the values – that does not quite sit with me. I may finally figure it out and send the client a revised final. But as with any artwork, at some point, you have to let the process come to a conclusion. And more so trust, based on feedback from the client, that they are satisfied with the piece.

Which is to not say I’m not proud of the piece; I am. But as a person is trying to grow my craft, I think it’s important to remain objective about your artwork in order for you to reflect and grow.

Aside from some issues with values, I really do like the more cropped version where you can really see a subtle, dare I say, sublime look to Meriendor. I fully admit I’m enamored with the canvas texture I added to the image even if it’s fully digital picture; sadly, it does not render well when zoomed out due to the moiré effect, but nevertheless I think it looks amazing close-up.

Client reference pieces

The client provided some initial inspiration for their character with some images. It’s startlingly how good AI-generated image (bottom image) are, and while I was tempted to use more of it as a template for my version, I opted to not go to strongly in that direction lest I fall to creating a derivative work.

And then there are my own references

With both textual and visual references in the proverbial hand, I then went on an internet safari hunt for my own reference photos. A lot of times in personal pieces I use myself as the reference, but in this case I thought it was important to look elsewhere to ensure this was not just another vanity piece.

We both really liked the bottom photo, especially as I could see the character’s hand up cupping a ball of magic to help tell the story of who they are. He is, after all, an aberrant mind sorcerer. Additionally the lighting and colors were already close to what I was thinking for this piece, which always makes adapting a reference easier. I really wanted some depth so I added a moon … whether it’s Earth’s Moon or not is open to interpretation.

Process

Of the pieces I’ve done recently, I think this captures some of the process that a piece goes through from concept to final rendering. You really get the sense I did not have a good handle on the face in the first half during composition and value study. I had to go back and repaint the entirety of the face toward the end. And as noted above, I might still make revisions.

Originally I wanted to have a more bare-chested version, but the client felt it did not fit with the reserved, proper nature so we added a sheer shirt and ensured that arm was mostly covered. I added a lot of finer details included the small unicorn horn pendant, and other embellishments that would convey a person of high pedigree.

Not matter what quibbles I might have as an artist with my own work; it comes with the job description, I think; at the end of the day, it’s ultimately the client who has the final word on an artist’s output.

I love it SO MUCH!!! Thank you so much for this – it’s absolutely stunning!!

The Client

How can I possibly disagree with that?

I recently started an IRL game with folks local to me at a newly opened gaming shop, Secret Lair at Lake Chelan, in our hometown of Manson, Washington.

For the past many years we’ve played entirely virtual table-top (aka VTT), and so actually getting together around a physical table to sit down is quite a treat. There are real dice to roll! And real figurines to move around a map! And there are real people to talk to, oh my! Okay, 2 out of 3 ain’t too bad. Joking aside, to put in context, it’s been more than 10 years since I spent more than a few minutes in-person with folks outside of my immediate family; the joys and tribulations as both a fully-remote technologist and being autistic – so there is some real anxiety being around other folks, even if we are each other’s peeps. So a part of getting out is just re-normalize myself to being around people, and try to continue to make inroads in our community which I adore so much.

I’m pretty familiar with D&D 5e, and while I did play a bit of 3.5e when that was all the rage, I’ve never played Pathfinder 1e which is based on 3.5e. Our DM is bringing us through an urban fantasy to boot, which is also new to me. As a bit of self-indulgence, I opted to roll with Kensei Magus, or in layman terms, a sword-wielding master who can add magic to their attacks. Think a Japanese swordsman of yore with a bit of Gandalf thrown in for good measure.

And before folks try to correct me, the correct pronunciation is KENsei (剣聖／けん・せい／), not KENsai, regardless of what Paizo Publishing might put in print. Just saying.

The self-indulgence? Well, first I have a black belt in Kendo (Japanese sword-fighting). Second, I speak Japanese sorta fluently (fluently enough to have once worked as a Japanese interpreter in aerospace manufacturing). And finally, I named the character after myself. Self-indulgence in three, indeed!

My character’s name is 和道 (KAZUmichi). You can address me, I mean him, as Kazumichi or Kazu, but don’t call him Kaz. He hates that. And for the record, so do I.

A bit of trivia. I choose the name of Kazumichi for myself when I first lived in Japan some 30 years ago as a bit of an homage to 1) Japan, 2) my Kendo training, and 3) a play on words of my English name. On that last part, an alternative pronunciation is WAdou, which is very close to how Japanese might pronounce my English name as WAdo. If I’m being utterly honest, and I am, I really did not like that pronunciation, especially it’s the same pronunciation for Microsoft Word. As for the first part, the first character 和 generally means “harmony” or “peace”, but a more archaic meaning is Japan(ese). So an archaic understanding of the characters might lead one to interpret to “way of Japan”, which is a fitting auto-appellation for a full-of-himself young American kid living in Japan. 🙂

I will admit that my character was (deeply) inspired the recent Netflix series, Blue-eyed Samurai. If you’ve not watched it, stop reading and go and watch. It’s okay, I’ll wait. See what I mean? An amazing TV series. One of the best in the last few years. And, you’re welcome.

Now given the fact that that I named my character after my Japanese name, I thought there was no reason to not use myself as a reference in the portrait. Granted, I did end up creating a character portrait closer to my IRL age of 50 than my character’s age of 27, but a bit of retcon never hurt anyone, right?

I really wanted to role-play with a familiar as I’ve not done in a quite awhile, and thankfully Pathfinder 1e makes that pretty easy. And when I raw across a Dracula parrot (it’s real, google it), I knew exactly what my familiar would look like. And I decided to name them 闇 or YAmi, which is the Chinese character for absence of light, and resonance with both the benign such as twilight or darkness, but also the more sublime such as Japanese mythology where some gods exist.

Since Kensei can’t use armor or a shield, we need a way to survive first contact with hostiles. We opted to make dump both his strength and charisma stats to ensure both his dexterity and intelligence are at 18 or 17, respectively. In gaming parlance, he’s a lanky DEX(terity) monkey. And while folks might assume he’d wield a katana, as a bit of meta-gaming he’s a master of scimitars in order to leverage Dervish Dancer feat to wreck the game’s action economy. We might be leaning toward role-playing, but it’s hard to resist a bit of Min-Max’ing.

As an artist, I love to share my references as I think too many people, especially other self-taught artists think that references are some kind of sign of weakness, when in fact since time immemorial, references are a staple of every accomplished artist’s toolset. I’m not saying I’m accomplished, I’m just saying references are super important. And that fellow has one hell of a head of hair; color me jealous.

Left is the first version I made, but I really did not like a few elements such as the hair, lack of interesting embellishments, and Kazumichi’s clothing. Again, thank you for references to help find elements to help guide the details. I opted to do a bit of a paint-over to change out the hair, add some details like a Chinese dragon tattoo on the head, and a Chrysanthemum tattoo on the forearm. Kazumichi will not welcome at any Japanese onsen (hot baths) anytime soon; sadly. While I still not entirely stoked about the horns, I opted to put the proverbial pen down and call it complete. Who knows, maybe I come back to in a bit, but I’d rather move to another portrait.

Say hello to all the nice folks, Kazu.

和道と申します。どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。

Normally I’d not post the following on this art site; however, given I created some original art assets for my group’s D&D sessions I thought it might be fun to share.

For some quick context, this post outlines the first half of a two-shot submodule I created for our ongoing, weekly D&D group. We are presently about to have opening night of our new inn, The Threshold, in the city of Waterdeep. My character, Erel, has gone out and bought some party favors, as it were, to help with said opening night.

Cast of Characters

Erel (me) – Aasimar paladin who was raised as First Fist of the Temple at Earsa. Suffice it to say, Erel is not city-slicker, and is often not entirely in sync with everything a large city has to offer. As explained in more detail below, Erel is a devote advocate for a martial art he calls shadow poetry, which establishes his motivations to create the most epic opening night for their new inn.

Oscar – Feywild ranger with a randy side to him. If it has a heartbeat and is attractive then expect Oscar to saddle up to become buddies with them. In two words, Oscar is a concupiscent trickster.

Sylvia – Goblin mage with a ferret, Thalum, as familiar. While a one-shot wonder of fire and ice, she is not amused by her natural feats in the magical arts. She appears to have an unhealthy relationship with Death.

Lucius “Leo” – human seafaring druid with a passion for ensuring all doors are closed. He also appears to be cursed. He is a granite anchor of the team.

Taryel – Triton fighter who loves shiny things and casually making friends with underwater dragons. She’s also good in fight, although we all know Erel is better at the long-game.

Background

The new owners of The Threshold are just a few days away from a grand opening of their new eating experience establishment.  They’ve hired some eclectic chefs and bartenders to concote food and libation wonderments for anyone bold and adventurous enough to walk through the door.

Erel, erstwhile First Fist of the Temple at Earsa and now fallen Aasimar paladin is a founding member of The Threshold.  He is most excited by an opportunity to introduce shadow poetry to the denizens of Waterdeep, where he knows there is more than ample fertile ground for his martial and literary arts, especially from those who enjoy the operas of Waterdeep that Erel finds enjoyable in the way an adult might enjoy children’s theater.

Erel, in his infinite wisdom, has decided to surprise his fellow adventurers with a grand, elaborate opening debut of both their inn and shadow poetry.  It’s both a ceremony and celebration, an opportunity for each member of the party to be more formally initiated into Erel’s arts and learn more deeply about themselves. For this is the truest expression and intent of his moving poetry: find the truths hidden behind the facades (masks) we all wear in daily life.

Day of Shopping

Notes to DM

This section is meant to be interspersed with other party activities.  These are light vignettes that are largely setup for Opening Night (not included for now due to spoilers).

First Thing in Morning

Erel wakes before everyone else to gather supplies for the celebration.  

For any member of the party, they easily spot a mug with a note underneath it.  It reads:

“hey all! 

I’m off to get opening night materials for The Threshold.  

It’s going to be epic!  

I’ll be back later tonight.  Don’t wait up for me.

yo, erel”

Erel, note to group

If they investigate (5 or better) they flip over the card and discover the poster-invitation on the other side.  Regardless of this discovery or note, members will find larger versions of this side plastered throughout Waterdeep on poles and in the front of shops, et cetera.  Erel has been busy.

Later That Same Day

Notes to DM

The party will not be able to find Erel, but throughout the day deliveries and packages start to arrive at The Threshold.

Feel free to embellish and create your own characters for the merchants, depending on party interaction.

Deliveries

The following items will be individually delivered by different merchants. 

Water Fountain

This will be a large, stone basin that can fit in the courtyard.  There is a pedestal in the middle of it, large enough to hold a large humanoid.

Investigations

• 5 or better: They will also see The Threshold carved in script on one side. 
• 10 or better: anyone looking at it will ascertain that it could hold a reasonably sized statue.  
• 15 or better: they will notice small doors carved all around the fountain near the base. Each door or gateway is different.  Some are proper doors.  Others are archways. You get the distinct impression a lot of thought has gone into each one.  Each doorway can be connected back to a party member.  Each doorway activates a glamor when examined closely by the person it’s related to, whereupon it comes alive and seems like reality in miniature.

• Sylvia: a smaller door with what looks like smoke, fire and lightning coming from it. Icy wind escapes through the door. There are the markings of Death all around the door, and a hooded skull looking down upon any who might enter. The door is only slightly open. 
• Oscar: a woodland scene with a door made of two intertwined.  There is a sense of movement in the bushes, and there are thorns such that it is easy to imagine that getting through the entryway without getting pricked is hard.
• Taryel: This one is only discovered on the inside of the fountain near the bottom of the water.  It’s an underwater cave entrance with gleaming eyes radiating from within.
• Lucius: This one is discovered on the fountain pedestal.  There are stairs coming up out of the water that goes to a closed door.  It appears locked.  There is a small rodent entry to the side of the door.
• Erel: There is a round columned entry-way with carved columns toppled and shattered.  Behind is a temple set up in the distance.  It’s not entirely clear whether the temple is abandoned or not.    The columns block further ingress.  Next to the entrance is a single glaive resting against the remains of a standing column.

Insights

• 20 or better: They know Erel and while they do not entirely understand how Erel’s mind works, he is obviously up to something.  They cannot quite put their finger on what or who, but they suspect it has something to do with a party member

Koi Fish

A merchant will arrive and start to fill the fountain with water and koi fish.  The fish will be of varying sizes and colors.  The merchant will add some lily pads to the fountain for the fish to find some shade and protection from aviary sorts.

Investigations

• none

Insights

• 10 or better: the number of koi fish coincide with the number of party members and employees of The Threshold
• 15 or better: each koi fish actually resembles each party member in some way.  Each member must roll independently to discover their own koi

• Sylvia: There are a pair of koi (one small, one tiny) that always travel together.  The tiny one is constantly swimming around the small one while shuttling to other koi.
• Oscar: Medium-sized that appears to enjoy playing tricks on all the other koi.  If anyone tries to interact with it, it will squirt water into their face.
• Taryel: medium- to large-sized koi with iridescent scales, its colors changing from greens to blues to even purples.  Even for a fish, it seems even more comfortable in its surroundings than all the other koi.  It will explore the entire fountain and interact with air-breathers by coming to the surface.
• Lucius: medium-sized koi that appears to change its color to camouflage itself.  It tends to stay toward the bottom of the fountain wherever there are shadows.
• Erel: large-sized koi with golden scales that remind members of his eyes.  The fins of the koi come off in long, sweeping strokes and seem to more fly than swim through the water. 

Masks

An artisan brings masks, each individually wrapped and a note attached with their names written in eloquent script.

born and bourn
into and by our ignorance

we our masks don and donnée
silent shadows we simper

moved till stumbling
we fall and fallen so arise

Poem on card attached to each member’s mask

• Sylvia: ferret
• Thalum (ferret familiar): goblin with a golden star over one eye
• Oscar: Satyr
• Taryel: Sea Serpent, its color changing in a fashion similar to one of the koi in the pond
• Lucius: Rat with its mouth open
• Lizardfolk chef: lizardfolk (it looks just like them with it on)
• Magic chef: crystal facemask that refracts and reflects light. When you look toward her with it on, you can see your own reflection
• Death chef: skull mask that goes down to top of mouth.  His lips and lower jaw are visible, but his skin takes on a pale luster with it donned
• Robot bartender: human face of nondescript features, it could be male or female, albeit slightly childlike features.  The proverbial blank page for which a persona can emerge.
• Mute bartender: mouth mask of clasped closed hands.  When donned, their eyes glow.

Investigations

• 10 or better: these have no real magical properties other than some fey-like glimmers on them that help enhance some of their aspects

Insights

• None

Crate of Figurines

A large wooden crate is delivered.  Inside the crate are dozens and dozens of hand-sized figurines of a humanoid pirate in a dynamic pose.

Insights

• 10 or Better: They look like Lucius

Investigations

• 10 or Better: On the bottom each figure is inscribed “Lucius, Doorman to Heals”
• 15 or Better: At the bottom of the crate they will discover a set of human-sized clothes that match what the figurines are wearing.  
• 20 or Better: On top of finding the aforementioned wardrobe, they perfectly fit Lucius and Lucius alone.