first pass character design for a girl who’s not from around here.
Narrative Image Final: Manticore
I tried using a different coloring method that I’m on the fence about. I like the unity, but it feels cold.
![I made this to accompany a short story I wrote in my narrative image class.
Story under the cut if you’re interested.
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Mouse Magic
The wind was lemony, absent of car exhaust and pavement oil. A snake passed near her foot and she nodded hello to it. After a reference to her compass she turned more to the north west and loaded up her pack again to find the cabin hidden in these misty rolling hills. She’d tracked the kidnappers and her husband to just this area. It’d taken her months to get this far in the search and she huffed in anger every step of the way.
The two of them had just married when he was stolen and held without ransom. The law helped her sleuth out some possible leads, but no results. She set her life aside to go on a hunt for him herself. This time she was sure she’d find her husband, and that hope used her feet faster over the pathless rocks.
She dislodged a pebble with her foot, and when it tumbled over the edge she realized how close to a cliff face she’d ended up. She stopped again and reassessed her trajectory. A excellent view for a moment appeared through the fast flowing clouds as they dragged over the land.
Just in time she dodged a hawk that dived too close to her while hunting mice. The hawk was so close and so stunning she couldn’t look away. Its golden eye connected to her gaze, the leaning drop in her stomach that told her she was falling. And when she looked away she flailed, knocking her pack, compass, and footing completely off and away.
Drop.
Cling.
Her palms all sweat, her knees stiff but braced beneath her, she’d found a handhold before she went completely over.
Breathless, she hugged the steep earth, and when she had her breath she climbed back onto surer footing. A quick inventory confirmed that all she had was her map, a pick, and a little water. Almost dead, she wasn’t going back to the edge just to find more things. She was close anyway.
“You’re no good at mountain climbing are you? Oh but, don’t mind me. I’m very grateful you knocked that hawk away. It almost had me,” said a small voice came up from beside her.
A small mouse scurried up her arm and turned its beady eyes to give her a once over, “You look like you’re ok. What are you doing out here?”
Insulted by it’s initial accusation about her trekking skills, she brushed the mouse off. “I’m looking for a cabin.” She turned to visually pick out her next course of action. The rocks were less settled steeper up but she wanted away from the edge.
“And you’re welcome, but I’m very busy so—”
“I know where that is!”
“Thank you, but—”
“I insist! I’m helping! Now get up and go that way.”
The mouse pointed back the way she’d come from a perch on her shoulder. She picked it up by the tail, highly unamused by this nosy mouse.
“O! O! Please be nice! That hawk is still out huntin’ since it didn’t eat me. You’ve past the cabin already, its over the ridge.”
“Alright, but don’t use your claws so much, you’re tickling me.”
With a solid arrangement in place they headed back a little ways and up and up. From the ridge she saw the cabin. It looked like a splinter of obsidian a giant had carelessly stuck there. Its sharp top edge was unnatural against the short grasses and reddish rocks that made up most of the mountain range.
Under its shadow the wind blew through her coat and made her shiver. The front and back of the cabin were glass-faced and she could clearly see down the long room on the ground floor. No one was inside, and when she tried the door handle, it gently let her in. There was a fire in the far side, and the floor was warm wood. Low seated geometrical furniture opened into a kind of living room, but along the sloped wall to the right was a large kennel. She ran to it quietly.
“Barry? Sweety? Are you in there?” She asked quietly and kept an eye on the door.
“Laura?” shock and disbelief colored his voice and he pressed his hands and face to the thickly gauged wire door. “I can’t… You have to get out of here quickly, he’ll be back any minute. But I’m so happy to see you.” Beside himself with relief and desperation he could hardly talk, and neither could his wife. She ran her fingers around the edge of the door, but didn’t see any hinges or places for keys.
“How am I supposed to get you out of here?” asked Laura.
The little mouse scurried off her shoulder and offered his assistance once again, “I’ll trade places with him, just watch! Easy magic.” Barry urged them to just move on without him, and Laura was going to agree when she noticed that slowly in the strangest way the mouse looked more and more like her husband, and her husband looked more and more like a mouse. His clothes pooled on the ground, and little seams formed on the arms and sides of the mouse. Barry’s ears traveled back and his neck and chin disappeared into the pile, while she had to move aside for the mouse, who was almost bigger than she was and looking dental to Barry now all the sudden. Queasiness overtook her once it was done.
“Sorry I didn’t mean to let it spill over on you like that, I’m still newish to the spell. One doesn’t turn human everyday, you know.” It had the body of her husband, but cute small voice just like mouse.
“I’ll be fine,” she said and peered into the cage, and down at the bundle. A black mouse peeked out. She put her hand out to her husband mouse and he stood on his back legs to hold her hand as best he could as well. It had been over a year, and their first touch was like this.
He ran onto her shoulder and into her hair, and they cuddled in the crook of her neck, where he whispered that he loved her.
The mountain wind flew everywhere and the human mouse jumped to his feet. Laura turned to see a man in feathery robes, confused and charging towards them. “How are you in my house!?” He raised a staff with a claw at one end. “And you out of your cage!”
“The Hawk! You’ve killed one too many of my sisters!” the human mouse cried in anger and rushed at the wizard with a chair. “Get out of here he shouted back, but Laura was already at the back door. She hardly looked back to see what happened to that poor mouse. But she heard a scream as she ran to the rocks and pain filled her. She’d miss that mouse.
Safe and away from the sight of the cabin she sat with her mouse husband, and the puzzled over how to change him back.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3vep7xmNa1qdujs6o1_500.jpg)
I made this to accompany a short story I wrote in my narrative image class.
Story under the cut if you’re interested.
Commission I received last week of this freaking sweet chtulicorn. i was allowed a lot of freedom in the design and execution so I ended up very fond of the project.
I did this on the MAX home the other night. I rarely make accurate-ish self portraits, but i like this one.
Cute Mario Enemies
Created by starbottlebits
DeviantArt || Etsy || Tumblr
Oh cool! Thanks for linking back! * 3* look at all those notes eeee!
I am as excited as everyone else after seeing the first two episodes of this! I’m especially interested in more pro bending.
Just something cute for spring break to let me drown in nostalgia.
If anyone asks, claude made the cutest bugs for his comic Light and Stone. Obviously some are cuter than others, but my stance remains.
6 of 6. Featuring a Lumboar, Cappro, Walking Bug, Fern, and Scurri
Walking Bugs (bottom left) are too small to carry lights, but they can carry messages and only eat a little.
Lumboar (center left) are very sturdy and don’t mind carrying heavy weights.
Scurri (center and right) think quickly to keep things organized. Waste bothers them.
Cappro (center right) can taste orbs growing beneath the plants they eat.
Fern (top) are very tricky so some creatures don’t like them. They don’t mean to hurt anyone though.
5 of 6, Caveive, Oilette, Squam
Cavieve (front) are very friendly and prefer use their free time playing and running.
Oilette (middle) don’t talk often, but are understanding and know good foods.
Squam (back) A calm and gentle giant, they have an organ in their head that senses where to find lights.
