alding-art

[alding-art]

Here we go with the first picture of 2025! And it's a Star Wars!

A scene with Zadina doing a certain stylish power slide on her speeder during some fighting on Corellia. The sun is setting but the fight is still ongoing. She is my Havoc Squad commander in SWTOR and has lost her helmet yet again it seems.

Note I kind of throw together ideas and elements for these to build up some sort of scenario in my mind. And perspective oh my. I get rather bogged down in it if there is more than 1 thing going on in a picture so it's more a case of 'good enough is the enemy of perfection' here. The speeder bike is referenced from a 3D model, as is the assault shuttle in the background. The APC or IFV vehicle is my own super boxy creation I threw together, which has appeared in one other pic beforehand. If it had a name it would probably be called a Warthog. Or maybe Brick.

[alding-art]

I've been seeing these and wanted to have a go. Keeping things feasible for the most part.

Blank template below:

[alding-art]

I think I may as well post this one as I have enough to fill it out. Another year of art! I'll be honest and say I think I have hit a cap on how far I can progress, but have been trying to offset that by doing more multi-character pieces, landscapes and story pics.

I think I fell off in August and slowed down because I've been distracted a lot by painting Warhammer minis. Overall, I've reduced the amount I spend gaming, so in theory I should have time for painting and drawing but it's still hard to balance. At least once the models once done, they are done for good, but I still have a fair bit to work through.

Other Notes:

-Everyone has an up to date reference sheet now. But as we go along I'm tempted to redesign a handful of outfits for my Star Wars guys.

-I introduced Avrin's older, icy sister, Helanwen. She will probably be only a minor character though and appear mostly in flashbacks.

-I participated in Art Fight for the 4th time but got a bit tired halfway through. Maybe it's losing some appeal. It can be a lot of work. Next year I may re-evaluate my approach to it, like agreeing with folk for trades in advance.

[alding-art]

Keeping on with following Karelle's early days in Skyrim! By this point she has spent a winter over in Falkreath town doing odd jobs and being bored out of her mind. The next spring she started to head back out to hunt and fish but when returning to town she caught sight of two Thalmor agents. Upon eavesdropping, her heart sank to learn that her past was catching up with her.

Originally she fled north at the very end of the Empire-Aldmeri Dominion war. Thalmor troops had waylaid her family and accused her father of being an Empire spy, using his merchant work as a cover. A fight broke out and her father was fatally stabbed and her family detained.

They managed to escape but Karelle burned with vengeance. She managed to track down several Thalmor camps and bagged trains and killed all those she thought responsible or got in her way. It caused quite a stir and soon she had to say goodbye to her family and head north. The war ended shortly after but now the 'neutral' Thalmor agents had plenty of time and a favourable peace treaty in which to pick up all their loose ends, including a certain dunmer who caused a them a lot of trouble.

[alding-art]

Elf ears :3

[alding-art]

When Karelle first crossed the border to Skrim it was during a very pleasant summer. She lived around Falkreath and Lake Ilinalta, camping and doing odd jobs with other hunters and villagers.

But come autumn, the days got shorter and colder, and then came the rain. A lot of it. Very quickly the idyllic image of living in the wild with sparkling lakes, fresh air and fresh fish were replaced by grey skies, wet feet and everything covered in mud.

With only her basic equipment it wasn't possible for her to carry on like this so she would spend the Winter in Falkreath town doing whatever work she could find, bored out of her mind from small town life.

How to draw rain in Clip Studio in 1 minute:

-Create a layer and use an airbrush with speckles to cover the image in random white dots of varying size.

-Go into Filter > Blur > Motion Blur and set a steep angle with a large amount of smudge in an upwards direction.

-Done! If necessary brighten the layer to make it more visible and remove any raindrops that get in the way of details.

[alding-art]

A promotional banner I drew for the Winter 2024 art and literature contest being run on DeviantArt by the A-Galaxy-of-Stars group.

[alding-art]

Hmm what could she be up to?

[alding-art]

Karelle in her early drifter days in Falkreath. With winter on the way she really needs to invest in some better clothes.

[alding-art]

When Zarrik became a Sith warrior, it was not without some coercion and temptation. He always had a dark streak running through him and the path of the Sith promised strength and respect he felt he deserved.

However, despite remaining rather disciplined and stoic, the dark side of the Force will always gnaw away at an individual. Such power always comes with a price.

[alding-art]

"Summon Scamp". How hard can it be?

---

Some more art of Marisa practicing her spells. She's a fairly late bloomer in terms of figuring out her magic potential but living in a small humdrum village meant she hasn't had the opportunities to get the resources or tutoring needed. Fortunately her cousin Karelle turned up one day with a chest full of gold and her mage friend Avrin, which has given Marisa a chance to pursue her potential.

[alding-art]

Karelle meeting her cousin Marisa for the first time.

When Karelle fled to Skyrim, Marisa had yet to be born. Over 2 decades later she returned south to find not only her brother, Draylen, has some young children but she has a new cousin too! Suddenly the Telandas family is bigger than she anticipated. Note that due to elven longevity, the apparent age gap of ~20 years is not really a big deal, and they become more like sisters.

Marisa has been around as a character since 2017 but she has been rather neglected in full art pieces, though I have a lot of sketchy work. Perhaps due to retcons I've never really defined this later part of the timeline as much. To be clear: whenever Marisa is shown with Karelle or Avrin, it is after the latter pair have finished with their lives in Skyrim and have moved back south to Cyrodiil.

This picture is one of those that looks good in a sketch but got locked down too much in lineart. Also, Marisa is not as shy or awkward as this might suggest - just caught off-guard by her cousin's enthusiasm. She is in fact a mixed intro/extrovert and unlike Avrin, will loudly proclaim her opinions, just with more of a filter than Karelle has.

[alding-art]

Commander Zadina Draz of Havoc Squad (SWTOR era) doing what she does best, causing headaches for Sith forces.

[alding-art]

Thank you again for this super piece!

July 6, 2024 - Artfight 2024 Attack 4: "Really? You interrupted my dinner to tell me that?!"

Karelle and Marisa Telandas for @aldings-stash/@alding-art

[alding-art]

Look, Zarrik, if a mysterious blue lady comes to visit I'd at least hear her out...

A test comic I made of Erris and Zarrik's first meeting. Zarrik was taken prisoner after trying to defend his homeworld from the Sith. Though not really in a heroic fashion as his unit was pretty damn brutal by the end. He's Force-sensitive but doesn't know it, however Erris has easily picked up on it while screening prisoners and began to visit him and sow the seeds that would cause him to join the Sith. Sadly I can't commit to a proper comic as I struggle with interior backgrounds that aren't basic and I don't have the time or will. But it was an interesting experiment to see what I could do.

[alding-art]

Serynth taking advantage of Khadri to get a better view of things.

Having a big khajiit around is useful sometimes.😸

[alding-art]

A portrait of Helanwen, Avrin's icy older sister. I've been working up to this after gradually refining her look. Beware her judging gaze >:)