#shiftingpath

[artbydungeon]

Praise be to the grill!!!

Happy Calibration @paint-lady! I was very excited by your open brief for the God of the Grill. They sound fantastic and I very much got carried away with creating this. If you’re interested in the process and some WIP images, continue reading below the cut. And as always - thank you @shiftingpath for hosting the Exalted Secret Santa art exchange.

So I actually did quite a lot of research to get here. I started off looking for deities I could draw inspiration from. I had Hestia in my brain, as Goddess of the hearth, but I didn’t really want to go the Greek pantheon way this time. I ended up finding Kojin, a Japanese God of the hearth and deity of the cooking range. The sentiment of taking something dangerous like fire, and using it for the good of humanity, felt like such a strong vibe and I wanted to apply it to the God of the Grill. So Kojin was my starting point.

Kojin has 8 heads and 4-6 arms, which looks awesome, but also was something I didn’t want to just copy without there being any meaning behind it. I figured since the God of the Grill isn’t a powerful God, he could stick with 2 arms. As for the number of heads, I liked the idea of 5 - one for each direction of Creation. I reasoned that 4 of those heads could be a more human-look for the God, each reminiscent of one of the 4 threshold directions (and it also leaves the door open for him to have many other faces!). The 5th look I wanted to be his God form, and I wanted to make sure that it used fire in some way.

I tried a few different things with the heads, but I wasn’t liking anything. I ended up putting the other heads on his body as faces, like little gemstones instead of fancy jewelry. This felt like something which fit my style more and less like an existing deity squeezed into this idea. It was during this time as well I wanted to dress the God of the Grill in a South of Creation style, and I looked into the big glam energies of Bollywood for more style inspiration.

Finally, I wanted to add a few less human-like elements as paint-lady mentioned in the journal post that the God should reflect their charge. So details like the coal on the chest and the hair billowing like smoke came in. Being a foodie, I imagined this God would be on the plus side body wise, so I also took a bit of a swerve back into Japanese references and looked at some sumo wrestlers to try and get the bod type I was searching for in a reference.

Now that I’d actually got the character design down - it was time to actually do the piece! I settled on a simple floating pose because I live for those when it comes to beings with essence, and surrounded the God deliciousness.

Here's the WIP images of the final piece:

And that's everything! I hope you like what I did with this character!!

[caprichista]

Happy Calibration, @shiftingpath !!

Thanks again for the excuse to draw the Neverborn's favorite deathknight, Flame-Eating Moth, having a peaceful nap.

I had a lot of fun exploring the Labyrinth with them, which I've decided is a place where the colors are made up and the lighting effects don't matter. I was initially looking for a way to hint at their secret back tattoo but by the time I remembered that giant ominous mirrors exist, I'd already committed to the classic 'pyramids of glowing skulls receding into the darkness' background.

[problemsleuth]

(wakes up to see sleuth obliterated) 😦

[full-metal-furies]

me when i bring a moment of joy to the people around me whether they be strangers or lifelong friends:

nothing that takes me so off guard (in a good way) as when im just running my mouth in public and someone nearby bursts out laughing over what i just said

[toxinfox]

THANK YOU SHIFTING PATH!

Happy Calibration/Exalted Secret Santa 2023!

I think I speak for all of us when I say I'm astonished you've been organizing this event (aka herding internet art cats) for so long. I know this nerdy little community looks forward to it every year.

This year, in honor of the milestone, I wanted to acknowledge your efforts in a bigger way, and I got almost all of this year's participants to join in. Thank you to everyone who let me put your artwork in Path's little art gallery there, and thank you extra to the folks who left messages as well!

I hope the new year is treating you all well, but no matter how it's going, at least we've got this little community here, and I think I speak for many of us when I say I value that a great deal. Here's to the next 15 years!

@shiftingpath

@butch-king-frankenstein

@caprichista

@delvesdaily

@eatenbyfaeries

@fiontan

@fourwillows

@frostmantle

@fullmoonspecial

@gforceworks

@grimmjowjaegerjaquez

@hamsandlich

@heedra

@keirangoldenwatch

@kessinder

@maribunart

@mechanicalriddle

@moonstar-mush

@paint-lady

@skarchomp

@sly-works

@sondersonne

@thedashingduke

@theuncrucified

@woolymonster

(Disclaimer: I didn't know until AFTER I drew this that someone else started this and that Path took it over after year one, but I'm still giving Path the credit for *getting* this event to the 15-year mark. That is still one hell of an accomplishment.)

(To fullmoonspecial: I couldn't reach you to get your consent before Path put up the post-event wrap-up, but if you'd like me to add your art to the gallery wall there, I still can.)

[paint-lady]

Happy Calibration @sondersonne-art !!

I had a lot of fun painting Tepet Vimah, the paper like petals that surround her, and the crackle of lighting as she casts spells. And I hope you enjoy her little expression sheet too:

And as always, thank you @shiftingpath for organizing.

[grimmjowjaegerjaquez]

barely made it here but HAPPY CALIBRATION @hamsandlich !!!!

had a lot of fun with this one and would've gotten it done sooner if this past month hadn't gotten the better of me! seraph of promised silence is a cool character, always a fan of someone with wing and eye motifs. i opted to do the pink for her anima instead of the gold because i thought it popped better, hope that's alright!!!

courtesy ping for @shiftingpath !!!!!!!!

[mechanicalriddle]

WHEW, last part of my break & happy to announce my Exalted Secret Santa entry for 2024 is finally complete.

I have been plugging away at this for the past few weeks; decided to focus on some of my weak spots (backdrops & intricate detail) and push myself out of my comfort zone, and I'm really happy with the result! I hadn't gone into it trying to do a woodblock print-themed thing at FIRST but it just kind of. organically turned into that. neat!

Also I decided to include TWO characters because im a colossal sicko for solar/db homo drama (though i suppose this is pre exaltation, haha)

Anyways I really hope you enjoy!~ Let me know if theres any tweaks or anything like that you'd like.

Zhyt'va and Twisted Vines for @leodicapricornn!

(courtesy ping for @shiftingpath as well)

[theuncrucified]

Happy Calibration to @comedygoldatragedy for the Exalted Secret Santa 2024 event! Here's my take on The Boy with the Seven Word Name's royal attire. Looks like there was yet another assassination attempt at court today. Man, what a drag.

I thought a blood-splattered lion theme would fit the adopted son of the First and Forsaken Lion. I hope you don't mind the extensive artistic license I took with this!

Also, enjoy a timelapse and preliminary sketches so you all can appreciate my unwise decision to redraw his crown at a very late stage as well as the poses that could have been. All done in Procreate.

Thanks as ever to @shiftingpath for organizing us again this year! I always look forward to this event every time.

[someguysart]

Happy Calibration @skarchomp! I saw Candor had a lot of art already, but she's just got so many design elements that I jive with (and a boss playlist) that I couldn't help myself. Given what was shared of her story, I wanted to put her in a triumphant pose, while also showing off her artifact originating from her shadow, because that detail is rad as fuck.

A thank you to @shiftingpath for organizing the event!

[sondersonne-art]

Happy Calibration @keirangoldenwatch ^^

I was in a little bit of a creative slump, but playing with this color palette really snapped me out of it. Maybe it's the frigid winter we're having on the East coast right now, but it was so much fun making something kinda snowy with it.

... I know I'm cheating a little bit, drawing her 'outside' and in relatively bright light, but it was impossible not to do the skeleton in the shadow on the skin. Such a cool design detail 😍

And of course, thanks to @shiftingpath for organizing the exchange.

[shiftingpath]

Exalted Secret Santa 2024 Complete!

Thank you once again for participating, friends. This was one of our larger years, and I'd been a little nervous going into it, but it turns out to have gone smoother than any year in recollection on my part, with everything posted before the due date and no need for pinch hitters. I know at least a few of you battled through illness and packed schedules to get your pieces in, and once again I'm grateful you chose to spend your time and energy with us.

We had several newcomers, and the fresh styles and energy are always so welcome. We also had many artists back from previous years; it's a joy to have you.

Whether you were new to the exchange, an old hand, or an observer, I hope you'll take the time to check out all the submissions and enjoy everyone's sick characters and great art.

Thank you all for your efforts and happy Calibration. See you next December?

-Path

to @annacory-blog from @hamsandlich: Swan Feather to @artbydungeon from @nicodwhw: Joy of the Sea to @butch-king-frankenstein from @shiftingpath: Killing-in-Mercy Cantata to @caprichista from @keirangoldenwatch: V'Neef Runai to @comedygoldatragedy from @theuncrucified: The Boy With the Seven Word Name to @fourwillows from @moonstar-mush: Kingfisher to @guybitesatgames from @leodicapricornn: Iselsi Ledaal Toshiaki to @grimmjowjaegerjaquez from @no-one-should-have: Darkness Shrouds Eternal the Sickle Moon to @hamsandlich from @grimmjowjaegerjaquez: The Seraph of Promised Silence to @hornstusksandmagic from @toxinfox: Eurydice and Juniper to @leodicapricornn from @mechanicalriddle: Zhyt'va and Twisted Vines to @keirangoldenwatch from @sondersonne-art: Ushara to @kessinder from @caprichista: Hesper to @mechanicalriddle from @fourwillows: Cynis Niraj to @moonstar-mush from @comedygoldatragedy: Sarita Ghoshal to @nicodwhw from @hornstusksandmagic: Zheka to @no-one-should-have from @sly-works: Mnemon Esma to @paint-lady from @artbydungeon: The God of the Grill to @shiftingpath from @skarchomp: Serpent-Twined Graveflower to @skarchomp from @guybitesatgames: Candor That Draws the Horseman's Blade to @sly-works from @butch-king-frankenstein: Exquisite Toffee Spinifex to @sondersonne-art from @paint-lady: Tepet Vimah to @theuncrucified from @kessinder: Mask of Golden Lies to @toxinfox from @annacory-blog: Takahashi Sayuri

[problemsleuth]

(death gripping your shoulders) path path path you need to walk this horrific road with me youre thenonly one who will understand the absolute nonsense im firing off i need to know your thoughts on my cultsim au

[no-one-should-have]

Leaving it until the last minute? Couldn't be me. Regardless! I have completed the exalted secret santa for @grimmjowjaegerjaquez so without further ado I present Darkness Shrouds Eternal The Sickle Moon (which is an intensely cool banger of an underworld title)

It's actually been a hot second since I've brought myself to complete a drawing (mostly just from being super busy) but yeah, I hope you like it!

(pinging @shiftingpath too!)

[fourwillows]

Here's a Niraj for @mechanicalriddle for Exalted Secret Santa hosted by @shiftingpath <3

[moonstar-mush]

Happy Calibration @fourwillows !!! Kingfisher here has such a neat design, and I love the color scheme I got to work with.

I too have a Secrets-caste sidereal character, so it’s fun to see such a different style for that exalt archetype.

Thanks for hosting, @shiftingpath !