#It isn't super long but its purpose is to flesh out the characters a bit

[hyruviandoctor]

Soft Petals, Chapter II

Here it is! I finally finished the next chapter of Soft Petals, and I hope you enjoy it!

The camp was quiet as Link and Zelda approached it, the last embers of the fire struggling to remain ablaze as the night began to envelop it. Link, having long since lit a torch from his pack, attempted to relight the fire and succeeded in getting a small, warm flame that bathed the surrounding tents in a gentle glow. Taking off her pack, Zelda sat down on a log near the fire and let out an exhausted sigh.

Their trip had taken longer than she had anticipated, and she was glad to be back in the safety of camp. Monsters hadn’t been nearly as much of a problem since the Calamity had been defeated, especially since the disappearance of the Blood Moon meant they no longer reappeared after death, but they still roamed the lands and could be dangerous if ran into while unprepared. Not that Link was ever unprepared, but she still worried. She’d lost too much already, and she wasn’t about to lose Link too. He mattered too much to her.

The princess and the swordsman had become close over the last few months, to the point where things had become romantic between them. They believed they had managed to keep it quiet, but they were much less subtle than they thought. All of their friends could tell plain as day that the two were romantically involved, and they definitely weren’t the quietest when they shared a bedchamber. But out of respect for the heroes, and because it was infinitely funny to watch them try and pretend they weren’t a couple, people like Impa and Bolson kept quiet and chuckled to themselves.

Link sat down next to Zelda and she put her head on his shoulder, prompting him to kiss the top of it as he handed her a plate of food he had prepared from stuff in the meal pack. He watched as her eyes lit up at the sight of the small piece of cake he had packed specifically for her, smiling as she scarfed down the rest of the meal so she could get to it faster. He considered it very lucky that he had managed to find her favorite recipe sitting in a book in the castle’s ruined library. The smile that broke across her face the first time he surprised her with it was a sight burned into his mind forever, a memory he would cherish for the rest of his life.

Link frowned. How often before his hundred years’ sleep had he thought the same thing? How many unforgettable memories had escaped from his consciousness while he slept? They seemed to be slowly returning to him, but he had no way of knowing how many would eventually come back. Even more worrisome, he had no idea how many of his memories were truly memories and how many were simply creations of his own mind, conjured up to fill in the gaps with something – anything – to keep himself sane.

He shook his head fervently, clearing the fog from his mind. No sense in worrying about that. Better to enjoy his life now and make new memories to cherish. He was young still. Not technically, he supposed, as it had been well over 100 years since his birth, but he retained his pre-Calamity 19-year-old body and mind. He had plenty of time to enjoy all that life had to offer, and now that he had Zelda by his side again he felt like not a single second of his life was a waste.

Zelda gave Link a quick peck on his cheek.

“Thank you for making dinner, hero.”

She stood up, taking his empty plate from him and setting the two near the rest that had been discarded by their traveling companions.

“Now what do you say we get to bed, huh?” she asked, reaching her hand out to him with a wink.

Link grinned, taking her hand as she pulled him along towards her tent.

“Tonight,” she whispered, “you can stand watch from inside.”

Paya stood beneath a tree on a hill just outside of camp, her eyes fixed on the couple as they entered Zelda’s tent. She’d been standing watch for the camp for a couple hours now, her Sheikah stealth armor helping to keep her hidden from any monsters or passersby. She had a soft, sad smile on her lips as she watched the princess and her swordsman flirt. She loved Link, that much she knew, and she couldn’t deny that her heart ached to see him with someone else, but she did her best to support the two’s romance. They deserved each other, really. Link and Zelda had been through so much together, had been so irreversibly entwined since long before she was born, and they seemed genuinely happy together. For now she would give them all the support and friendship they would take, as being close to them and being their friend mattered more than anything to her. She cared just as deeply for Zelda as she did for Link, and they had welcomed her into their circle with open arms.

Paya had to admit that it was intimidating being friends with royalty, and that wasn’t limited to just the Hyrulean royals. Since becoming a part of Link and Zelda’s friend circle she had been introduced to the leaders and elders of all the races in Hyrule, and she often found herself blushing with nervousness whenever one addressed her personally. The Gerudo especially turned her beet red with embarrassment, as she wasn’t used to wearing such revealing clothes – especially around Link - and being around so many strong and beautiful women. Prince Sidon, on the other hand, had managed to get her out of her shell after just a few minutes, and in him she found a fast friend. They both cared deeply for Link, albeit in different ways, and Sidon’s enthusiasm for life was contagious to the point where Paya found herself being more social and less jumpy around everyone.

Where Paya thrived, however, was the silence of nature. She enjoyed being alone with her thoughts, and being on watch gave her plenty of time for that. She had volunteered to go along with the princess’ company in order to fulfill what she felt was her duty to serve the crown, just as her grandmother and their ancestors had for generations. She also had wanted a chance to spend more time with Link, but that was neither here nor there.

Paya heard a playful giggle from the direction of Zelda’s tent and shook her head with a smile. She pulled her mask back up over her mouth and turned to resume her patrol, the moon reflecting gently off her silver hair as she walked silently into the night.

[serpentariusart]

Art Fight- Making good references

In my opinion, a solid character reference is one of the best ways to encourage people to draw your character. Seeing a promising design in the thumbnail and clicking to find a reference that is difficult to parse really demotivates you to draw a character. A simple reference in a static/casual pose without shading is a good way to make sure other artists can easily understand your character with a glance. However a good ref does not need to be a detailed ref, which is what I want to touch on a bit in this post.

For the purpose of this little guide I'll be using Bryophyta, who's reference I wanted to update anyway. This is her current reference. Despite the pose not being very stationary it's actually pretty decent at showing her anatomy, however her design has changed since and my art has improved, hence my desire to update her reference.

This is a more recent image of her. All too often I see people on AF upload characters who's only image are something like this. This is not a good character reference! The shading means its more difficult to pick her colours, in particular for artists who use the colourpicker tool to get accurate colours. If you do shade a reference (sometimes it can help) it should be kept minimal so colours are still easy to figure out. Her pose obscures a lot of her anatomy such as her feet and makes her wings more difficult to understand. Her sitting pose also makes it hard to figure out how long her legs are.

This is still valuable art to include for your character, but it shouldn't be the sole image you rely on.

A good reference does not have to be detailed or clean! This is a sketch I threw together in about 20 minutes. Even just doing something like this is super valuable for helping other artists understand your character. You may know how they look in your head, but everyone else doesn't. So it's good to make your character as understandable as possible to others.

If you want to take it further there is plenty more you can add if you feel up for it. Cleaning up the art and making it more detailed would be good. Her claws for example aren't coloured in that image, and the way her cheek fins are drawn doesn't show the colour of the spines. A little more of extra effort to those spots can pay off if you're willing (though again, isn't necessary!).

Back front and side views for humanoid/anthro characters can be great, and for characters with wings showing what the dorsal (topside) and ventral (underside) look is very useful as well. Another little detail you could add is a more up close and detailed look at a certain part, such as the eye. It's ultimately up to what makes sense for your character! Here are a few other references of varying complexity to show you what you can do.

More polished, and also shows off her teeth + tongue. Also has little bits of flavour text to help flesh out the character more.

A simple front and side view with a little bit of information. Clean and polished finish.

Front, side and back view, along with flavour text and information.

Front and back view, along with an alternate outfit, detailed views of certain body parts and even more informational text. Note that while this one has shading, it doesn't get in the way of picking out colours.

Ultimately how much effort you put into your references depends on what you're up for, and you shouldn't push yourself too far. A simple sketch like the one of Bryophyta is sometimes all that you need.

[mewrising]

What about Sunder or Briar? I'm fascinated by the Inn!

Ooh, great picks! Thank you so much for the ask :D

Edit: just realized this post is super long so I'm putting it under a readmore!

Sunder is a character I've revised quite a few times, actually! He's been in my lair so long that he's endured quite a few major lore shifts lol

I have decided on a pretty solid idea for him, though!

His parents were very perfectionistic and gave Sunder a very jaded outlook on life. He was raised to inherit his parents' profitable research enterprise and spent most of his young life raking in profits alongside them while the lab's underpaid workers engaged in research and experimental tasks which often placed them in danger. One of the company's biggest projects, which centered on genetic and magical modification of a dragon for the purposes of defeating the Shade, backfired tremendously and resulted in the deaths of several workers and the abandonment of the facility. Sunder, then a cowardly and selfish dragon, fled with as much money as he could get his hands on the moment things began to go south.

Unused to "the real world" and possessing no practical survival skills, Sunder was forced to take refuge in the first clan he stumbled upon: Thunder Hollow. Though the clan was young and far from prosperous at that time, it was very open to outsiders and gladly nursed his travel sores and incorporated him into their number. He was initially very haughty and standoffish, but the clan's close-knit community and tradition of teamwork eventually began to break down his walls and cause him to reevaluate himself and his past. He began to unbury his previous misdeeds, growing more and more horrified over the loss life and equity that had resulted in part from his own actions. Desperate to atone for what he had done in some way, he revealed the money he had run away with to the clan and begged their forgiveness for his actions. Together with the clan leadership, he decided that the money would be best used to found a safe place for visitors to stay and rest. This would become the Inn.

Sunder poured his all into the project, taking lead roles and refusing to just sit by and supervise. Despite lacking physical prowess and architectural know-how, Sunder was ultimately responsible for the majority of the labor that went into the Inn. It was a form of therapy, in a way--he relinquished his past and built up a new future. It took several years to complete the project, but he was very much a changed dragon by the end of it. His efforts (and continued efforts to take on a role of service instead of superiority) earned him a role as Innkeeper and gave the Inn its current name: Sunder's Inn.

Nowadays, Sunder is as caring and empathetic as they come. Though his Inn does charge nightly rates, they are only imposed on those who can afford it. Weakened passerby, refugees from the Emperor's Wake, and clanmates taking shelter from surges of Shade don't pay a coin for their stay--and Sunder couldn't be happier for it. In terms of business, it very much is a "losing venture," but the clan's overall prosperity allows him to keep the Inn in great shape and continue offering every care and kindness to its visitors. Sunder is very active in the maintenance of the Inn, working right alongside other employees to clean rooms, welcome guests, and deliver meals. Though he is technically considered the owner of the Inn, he refuses to take on a superior role and tries to keep the ground between him and the other Inn workers as level as possible.

Within the clan, Sunder is known as a wise source of advice and a kind fatherly figure. He has not forgotten or dismissed his past mistakes but, instead, continues to reflect on them and use them to help others take better paths in life.

Briar isn't quite as fleshed out, but I can certainly share a bit of trivia with you! She is the one responsible for a lot of the "backend" operation of the Inn. She manages the guest registry and handles the majority of the Inn's budget, as Sunder is leery to let himself near the money personally. She is a very quiet and analytical dragon who loves to read, particularly about animal husbandry. In her off hours, she tends a small menagerie of companion animals and volunteers at the local library! She sometimes brings some of her more well-trained animals to work with her, where they are often a hit with the guests.