Summer Gathering: Foxshadow’s BlogClan Booth!

Welcome to the fifth BlogClan Booth of the Summer Gathering! Thank you for stopping by, as Foxshadow displays some of their magnificent art…

Hello​ ​all!​ ​I’m​ ​sure​ ​some​ ​of​ ​you​ ​on​ ​the​ ​blog​ ​know​ ​me​ ​as​ ​Foxi,​ ​i​ ​would​ ​just​ ​like​ ​to​ ​how​ ​some​ ​of my​ ​art​ ​pieces​ ​because​ ​i​ ​am​ ​a​ ​literal​ ​bloodthirsty​ ​vampire​ ​for​ ​feedback.​ ​:P

1)​ ​Okay​ ​so​ ​first​ ​off​ ​i​ ​would​ ​like​ ​to​ ​start​ ​with​ ​my​ ​entry​ ​for​ ​Icy’s​ ​art​ ​competition​ ​on​ ​the​ ​blog because​ ​i​ ​have​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​explaining​ ​about​ ​this​ ​piece​ ​i​ ​would​ ​like​ ​to​ ​do!​ ​:P

So​ ​when​ ​i​ ​first​ ​looked​ ​at​ ​the​ ​selected​ ​palettes​ ​i​ ​had​ ​to​ ​choose​ ​from​ ​i​ ​really​ ​i​ ​couldn’t​ ​decide,​ ​i ended​ ​up​ ​​ ​testing​ ​out​ ​a​ ​few​ ​of​ ​them,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​one​ ​that​ ​really​ ​stuck​ ​out​ ​to​ ​me​ ​was​ ​’Shades​ ​of Sunshine’.​ ​An​ ​idea​ ​instantly​ ​popped​ ​into​ ​my​ ​head​ ​of​ ​the​ ​scene​ ​in​ ​Sunrise​ ​(the​ ​final​ ​book​ ​of the​ ​Power​ ​of​ ​Three​ ​series)​ ​in​ ​which​ ​Hollyleaf​ ​is​ ​standing​ ​outside​ ​the​ ​tunnels​ ​and​ ​confessing to​ ​her​ ​brothers.​ ​Now,​ ​thies​ ​may​ ​just​ ​be​ ​my​ ​absolute​ ​adoration​ ​for​ ​Hollyleaf,​ ​but​ ​i​ ​really couldn’t​ ​let​ ​this​ ​idea​ ​go,​ ​the​ ​drawing​ ​really​ ​just​ ​branched​ ​from​ ​there.

Now​ ​that​ ​we​ ​have​ ​the​ ​concept​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​way,​ ​here’s​ ​my​ ​process!​ ​:D

I​ ​did​ ​struggle​ ​with​ ​the​ ​original​ ​sketches​ ​of​ ​it,​ ​but​ ​with​ ​a​ ​nice​ ​long​ ​chat​ ​about​ ​art​ ​with​ ​some fellow​ ​blogclanners​ ​and​ ​Shiv’s​ ​wisdom,​ ​i​ ​finally​ ​got​ ​the​ ​right​ ​focus​ ​point​ ​and​ ​got​ ​started​ ​on the​ ​actual​ ​drawing!​ ​I​ ​knew​ ​right​ ​away​ ​that​ ​i​ ​wanted​ ​a​ ​lineless​ ​drawing​ ​-​ ​whilst​ ​more​ ​difficult, they​ ​can​ ​have​ ​a​ ​better​ ​effect,​ ​especially​ ​with​ ​more​ ​detailed​ ​backgrounds.​ ​I​ ​always​ ​start​ ​with the​ ​background​ ​as​ ​it​ ​is​ ​much​ ​easier​ ​to​ ​build​ ​up​ ​from​ ​there​ ​so​ ​when​ ​drawing​ ​the​ ​main​ ​focus point​ ​(in​ ​this​ ​case​ ​hollyleaf)​ ​i​ ​know​ ​where​ ​to​ ​put​ ​all​ ​the​ ​lighting​ ​and​ ​shading​ ​on​ ​her​ ​fur.

All​ ​in​ ​all​ ​-​ ​i​ ​had​ ​split​ ​this​ ​work​ ​over​ ​a​ ​few​ ​days​ ​so​ ​this​ ​is​ ​only​ ​an​ ​estimate​ ​-​ ​is​ ​spent​ ​about​ ​3-4 hours​ ​on​ ​it​ ​and​ ​i​ ​am​ ​fairly​ ​pleased​ ​on​ ​how​ ​it​ ​turned​ ​out!​ ​:D

2)​ ​So​ ​here​ ​is​ ​my​ ​second​ ​drawing​ ​which​ ​i​ ​named​ ​‘Gazing’​ ​which​ ​is​ ​a​ ​drawing​ ​of​ ​my​ ​warrior cat​ ​OC,​ ​Foxshadow.

Now​ ​here’s​ ​the​ ​thing,​ ​most​ ​of​ ​my​ ​drawings​ ​quite​ ​literally​ ​come​ ​from​ ​nowhere​ ​and​ ​pop​ ​into my​ ​head,​ ​and​ ​this​ ​is​ ​a​ ​prime​ ​example​ ​of​ ​one​ ​of​ ​them.​ ​:P

To​ ​be​ ​honest,​ ​my​ ​initial​ ​thought​ ​was​ ​to​ ​draw​ ​something​ ​with​ ​foxi​ ​that​ ​wasn’t​ ​her​ ​crying, because​ ​at​ ​least​ ​80%​ ​of​ ​them​ ​are​ ​:P​ ​(what​ ​can​ ​i​ ​say,​ ​i​ ​love​ ​drawing​ ​tears).​ ​I​ ​also​ ​really​ ​liked the​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​a​ ​more​ ​gentle​ ​sunset/sunrise​ ​setting​ ​with​ ​some​ ​paler​ ​yellows.

I​ ​did​ ​struggle​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​with​ ​the​ ​second​ ​phase​ ​of​ ​my​ ​drawing​ ​as​ ​i​ ​had​ ​originally​ ​wanted​ ​it​ ​as​ ​a lineless​ ​piece​ ​but​ ​the​ ​sun’s​ ​colours​ ​were​ ​too​ ​close​ ​to​ ​my​ ​characters​ ​fur​ ​colour​ ​and​ ​so​ ​i​ ​went with​ ​a​ ​lined​ ​artwork​ ​instead.​ ​I​ ​actually​ ​am​ ​really​ ​happy​ ​with​ ​how​ ​the​ ​lineart​ ​in​ ​this​ ​piece turned​ ​out​ ​and​ ​the​ ​softer​ ​shading​ ​adds​ ​to​ ​the​ ​more​ ​gentle theme​ ​i​ ​have​ ​in​ ​this​ ​drawing​ ​i think.

I​ ​had​ ​originally​ ​drawn​ ​the​ ​full​ ​background​ ​going​ ​across​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​‘canvas’​ ​but​ ​didn’t​ ​like​ ​how much​ ​it​ ​stretched​ ​out.​ ​I​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​just​ ​keep​ ​a​ ​small​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​background​ ​loosely​ ​outline my​ ​focus​ ​point​ ​(being​ ​Foxshadow).

3)​ ​My​ ​final​ ​drawing​ ​i​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​show​ ​you​ ​guys​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​my​ ​quicker​ ​ones,​ ​only​ ​taking​ ​about an​ ​hour​ ​or​ ​less.​ ​(there​ ​are​ ​some​ ​mild​ ​spoilers​ ​for​ ​tNP,​ ​PoT​ ​and​ ​OotS​ ​here,​ ​just​ ​a​ ​little warning!)

My​ ​main​ ​motivation​ ​was​ ​just​ ​my​ ​random​ ​surge​ ​of​ ​appreciation​ ​for​ ​Nightcloud​ ​after​ ​watching a​ ​MAP​ ​about​ ​her.​ ​I​ ​understand​ ​that​ ​she​ ​may​ ​not​ ​be​ ​everyone’s​ ​favourite​ ​character​ ​with​ ​her mean​ ​appearance,​ ​but​ ​she​ ​has​ ​been​ ​through​ ​an​ ​awful​ ​lot.

My​ ​own​ ​interpretation​ ​of​ ​Nightcloud’s​ ​design​ ​somewhat​ ​reminds​ ​me​ ​of​ ​a​ ​Maine​ ​Coon​ ​with the​ ​tufted​ ​ears​ ​and​ ​fluffy​ ​fur.​ ​I​ ​tried​ ​to​ ​show​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​emotion​ ​we​ ​don’t​ ​see​ ​from​ ​her despite​ ​knowing​ ​her​ ​own​ ​mate​ ​didn’t​ ​love​ ​her​ ​and​ ​her​ ​son​ ​betrayed​ ​their​ ​own​ ​clan.​ ​This​ ​is also​ ​why​ ​she​ ​has​ ​only​ ​one​ ​dear​ ​rolling​ ​down​ ​her​ ​face,​ ​i​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​convey​ ​how​ ​much​ ​she hides​ ​all​ ​her​ ​sorrow​ ​and​ ​makes​ ​it​ ​harder​ ​for​ ​her​ ​to​ ​outright​ ​cry. My​ ​background​ ​choice​ ​was​ ​more​ ​of​ ​a​ ​random​ ​one​ ​i​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​do​ ​with​ ​the​ ​stars​ ​and​ ​more purple​ ​shades​ ​of​ ​the​ ​night​ ​sky.

This​ ​is​ ​all​ ​i​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​show​ ​today,​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​leave​ ​some​ ​feedback​ ​if​ ​you​ ​wish,​ ​like​ ​i​ ​said,​ ​i am​ ​a​ ​vampire​ ​for​ ​it!​ ​;)

Psst!​ ​If​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​check​ ​any​ ​more​ ​of​ ​my​ ​work​ ​i​ ​have​ ​a​ ​deviantart​ ​under​ ​the​ ​name Foxshadow17​ ​(yes,​ ​this​ ​is​ ​a​ ​shameless​ ​plug)