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AkuRoku - Our Usual Spot

Published: Feb 27, 2012

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Description

Happy birthday Jen! I know it's winter now, and you are hoping to be accepted into that program where you will be sent back over to your beloved Japan to teach English to lucky Japanese students, who I am sure I am sure will love you. I can only hope while you spend time over there, half a globe away from all of us here, that you don't forget about lovely Ohio, from Headlands Beach here where we swam and laughed pretending it was our own destiny islands, to the park near my house where we laughed with Eliza and found our very own paopu tree. I hope you think of the beach, frozen as it is around this time of year, the waves solid as if moment frozen in time to remain still till spring when they thaw. i could not think of a better gift for my best friend than a drawing of her favorite couple, to which the sheer mention will bring a squeal of delight from. I hope this gift will fill you with delight for the year to come, as I think I'll only be able to give a gift this big once. I hope that you'll keep all of us in your heart as you go off into the big world, so until I become old enough to go to Japan myself don't forget your friends and your roots.

Sincerely, your geeky friend~

Madeline

(P.S, don't bother sending me a thank you note, as I will probably hear your screams of joy from three hundred miles away if you like it)
(P.S.S., will send Advil and earplugs for those around you)

~~~~~

Commission for the sweet

This is a gift for her friend Jen, and wanted to have Axel and Roxas near Headlands Beach State Park (Ohio) in the winter, featuring a frozen lake Erie.

References used: [link] and googling up "frozen lake erie"

Hope you two like it as much as I loved drawing this *3* <33! Good luck on your teaching adventures in Japan, Jen \o/!

PSCS5

Image size

1500x947px 878.11 KB

Comments210

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DragonLover2000

Mar 2, 2012

Overall

Vision

Originality

Technique

Impact

This is a very beautifully done piece. I remember watching you work on the basic sketch during one of your livestream sessions, but I never got to see anything past the basic coloring. I really have to say that, considering the difficulty of drawing and painting the textures of the ground, the ice, and the wood, you did an amazing job. I love how you kept the integrity of the wood even when "carving" those words into the log; you followed the "grain" of the wood very well and even managed to make it look like someone really had stuck a knife into it, and even added a few extra carvings hidden in the painting. That was very clever and unique. You also kept the shading constant and placed shadows where most people would either ignore or forget about completely, such as the second shadow underneath Axel's hand and Roxas's arm.

Another thing I enjoy about this is the color. Most people (including myself) when doing a winter scene will add flecks of white for snow and cover the sky with grey clouds, but instead you dulled your colors slightly, kept the highlights and shadows subtle, and added light touches of frost and snow to complete the look. It's very easy to overdo highlights and shadows, or to go overboard with neutral colors. You worked out a balance for yourself and kept it aesthetically pleasing at the same time, which isn't as easy as it sounds.

The only suggestion I have to make for this particular piece would be to add a little extra texture to the back of Roxas's head. I know how hard Roxas's head is to draw (believe me, I've tried far too many times) but it seems a little too smooth for me. I'd also suggest a light texture on Roxas's pants, if you feel like messing with the fabric. However, small details like that are unlikely to be noticed at all, so I wouldn't worry about them. I'd also suggest adding little puffs of breath around their faces, because if the temperature out there is cold enough to freeze a lake, you should be able to see their breath. But again, that's just a minor detail and is easily overlooked.

Overall you did an incredible job, and I'm very much looking forward to your next big work. Thank you for sharing!