backyardvampire

[backyardvampire]

happy wolfgang wednesday!! i am lowkey dying of exhaustion so im gonna run off and have a bath and read but i wanted to come back to the character ask game for one milisecond, specifically to:

"What is an aspect of their appearance that you like the most?"

their lips!

specifically the fact that their upper lip is larger than the bottom lip and i personally find it to be very cute, i feel it adds so much charm to their little pout <3 its such a small thing, i dont expect anyone else to really notice but imo when designing and drawing a character, it's these specific and tiny facial features and traits that make any character's face come together and become more realistic, memorable and familiar

and if i can indulge, have you ever noticed a particular detail or a trait about any of my characters you particularly liked? whether visual or in terms of personality or fashion, i would be really curious to know :>

[backyardvampire]

as i often do, i am once again thinkin about clothes and my thought process that goes into picking specific outfits or pieces for any particular art. specifically, drawing Wolf with their plastic coat -- which has been part of their character basically since the beginning and in an odd way has even informed their character's evolution.

i like to use it when its evocative of them wearing their heart on their sleeve, baring it all, asking for you to look at them whole and accept them (whether they might be half dead and crying or covered in blood and flirting). they look like a walking condom for a reason.

but - it is still an extra layer, an illusion of full transparency, they are ultimately in control how much they show and to who. their preference is for clothes that cut a sharp silhoutte, often shiny, light catching materials. somethign that people notice before they even look at their face.

then there's Bastien, ive talked about him developing his own style over the years at length before but i also like cherry picking what he wears to suit the art. extra layers when he's guarded and not (yet) comfortable around someone, and his loose sleeveless tees when,lets say, they don't mind when someone ogles his arms and body a bit. when he feels most comfortable in his skin, which is rare. he doesn't like being nude or putting himself on display any more than that, normally.

Bastien likes simple cuts, neutral colors and no patterns because he thinks of himself in those simple, straight cut, plain ways. despite that he has a bit of "flair" a chain here, a leather band, an earring, a simple choker. something small that's allowed to break out of his self imposed cage.

and imo the start of my last painting, his lil frayed sweater - again only the illusion of him being more covered up, more guarded but those walls are falling apart, the edges of his attempts at distancing himself from their feelings frayed and torn.

[backyardvampire]

i realized i havent actually done one of the art vs artist compilations in the past several years, partly because i grew more uncomfortable with putting my face out there on the socials. but its nice sometimes to shuffle jpegs around in an aesthetically pleasing manner sometimes

[backyardvampire]

i wonder if you look both ways when you cross my mind

[backyardvampire]

you wanna guess the color of my underwear?

[backyardvampire]

🩸Grey Warden Tapestries🪽

[backyardvampire]

Fucked around with the Mirror tool, had an aneurysm, manifested some Jayvik.. Bon appétit

[backyardvampire]

Viktor

[backyardvampire]

Late night conversations

[backyardvampire]

trying to figure out how to draw my Rook so i made the tiniest ref sheet for them !

they're a child of a Mortalitasi and a dwarven noble working at the Nevarran embassy, neighter of whom wanted to endanger their status by keeping a child and so they were left at the Grand Necropolis after birth. later adopted by a pair of castless dwarves that came to the surface from Orzammar, they grew up with remains of Orzammar culture, but the Necropolis always called them back. Mourn Watch gave them a real meaning and purpose - dwarves can't get possessed and for the first time in a kingdom ruled by mages they felt like they could be useful. the rituals and the reverence toward the dead and spirits was instantly familiar and welcoming. they got their Mourn Watch tattoo sleeve after finishing their induction and they got their face tattoo to honor their castless adoptive parents after their mom died. they got into an argument with their father trying to talk about the whole gender thing before getting surgery, though they kept their given name. they never did resolve it before it was.. suggested they leave Nevarra for a while after the War of the Banners, their only keepsake from home being their dwarven steel sword.

they first come off as stoic and harsh but its mostly that they are impatient and sometimes clueless with social niceties, and kinda really miss their home. they feel like Varric hired them for being a blunt instrument and that's the only thing they can offer the team, only eventually letting their walls down around Varric and Harding before the start of the game. of course never expecting they would ever run into another Watcher and fully be themself around someone again ..

[backyardvampire]

never clean

[backyardvampire]

Mary | Maria

[backyardvampire]

What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter.

--Terry Pratchett, Going Postal

[backyardvampire]

Maria 🦋

[backyardvampire]

two years after their violent meeting, Wolfgang decides to seek out the man who saved their life - hopefully to make a better second impression 🚬 (shoutout to mintt and julien for proofreading and feedback!)

[backyardvampire]

meet cute? no, meet violent 🔪🩸 i really wanted to try a different shading style and something more stylized felt appropriate for the night Wolfgang and Bastien first met. it was far from a friendly encounter but it left a lasting impression on both their lives

[they/them and he/they] please consider opening in full for details!

[backyardvampire]

Some Jedi ladies from phase 2 of The High Republic 🥰