Author: Angela S.

Comic + WIPs – Carbon 2185: Parablepsia – “Unintentional Ninja”

I teased that I’d be cooling down after the big project milestone with fun exploratory art and part of that carefree fun art has been brushing up on my sequential art (comics) skillset.  I enjoy taking little scenes from our tabletop campaigns and turning them into one-shots like this for a lark.

Comics also make excellent drawing practice for anatomy, perspective, storytelling, the works!  So I thought you all might enjoy a peek at this one-page comic plus some WIPs I didn’t share on social media.

Programs Used – Procreate for the lines and colors, Clip Studio Paint EX for the Word Balloons, FX, and Text.

The Premise:  Welcome to the Cyberpunk setting of Carbon 2185!  Parablepsia is the name of our campaign featuring a disparate band of street runners who wake up in a morgue to find themselves embroiled in a corporate war for power and technology.

Then there’s Nightingale (Gale for short), the character I play who is a synthetic humanoid singer who believes she has no business being caught up in this mess.  Little does she know that she’s been programmed with ninja skills without her knowledge!

Making of the Comic

It all starts with the rough sketch and scribbling in the dialogue so I know that the dialogue will fit in the panel.  The expressions are also pretty abstract since I don’t want to spend a lot of time on this while I figure out the positioning of all the various elements.

I also didn’t know how Gale looks since I hadn’t drawn her before this comic, so I ended up going through a few variations trying to nail down her look.  Which one’s your favorite?  I tried to channel feather shapes like her songbird theme.

I had a good laugh making expressions into my camera trying to nail down Gale’s various shocked expressions in this comic and how silly, yet accurate the rough drawings of her face were to the emotions she was expressing.

The final comic:

  • Watch a timelapse here.  My process is absolute chaos, but it’s kinda fun to watch a story emerge from the scribbles!

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Will I share more comics here?  We’ll see!  It’s something I haven’t done with consistency because it’s difficult and time-consuming, but it’s also a lot of fun.  It’s very satisfying when those expressions work and the comedy lands!

I’m still learning how to use software, brush up the written script on longer stories, etc. which has been my hobby time fun lately.  I’ve been sharing more of this exploration over in my Discord server, which is open to both my Patrons and the public. Patrons can connect their accounts for access to my Secret Sketchbook there, while free fans can join the public areas here.

For now, I hope you all enjoyed this errant one shot!  Stay tuned for more character portraits and a painting over the next few posts.  Meanwhile, I hope you all enjoy the end of the year.  Stay toasty and warm!

– Ang

Health Update + Year End Wrap-Up

Hello, it’s my face!  I just wanted to give you all a sign of life after my last posts.  I am alive and well!  For those who didn’t catch the great news on social media, my latest scans say that my kidney lump is STABLE!  This is such a huge relief.  I was very much preparing for life to go a different way this year, considering my family’s history with this malady.  We’ll have to keep an eye on things for the future, but for now, what I have is slow-growing and generally benign. It’s really the best news in my case!

This year has been a challenging and introspective one. I had to simplify my life knowing that treatments might be a possibility, which meant I had to abandon my Kickstarter ambitions this year.   Never-the-less, your support here has helped me accomplish quite a lot!

With your support from Patreon this year, we’ve:

  • Kept my Etsy ads going through a year with failing social media reach

  • Helped me invest in a Canvas lamp for better lighting and for recording video

  • Upgrade my copy of Clip Studio Paint from the basic to the EX version for more helpful features

  • Launched my exclusive Patreon Merch as a special reward

  • Allowed me to purchase a few storage racks to help organize the new studio space

  • Helped cover part of my usual expenses, like my website, shop bills, etc.

  • Helped me survive a nearly year-long semi-hiatus due to shoulder surgery and rehab AND further medical challenges this year

  • Allowed me to go on a REAL vacation outside of the house for the first time in years

(The beginnings of the great studio re-organization!)

Honestly, this Patreon has been such a consistent source of succor for my husband and myself, so thank you once again from the bottom of our hearts!

Featured Posts from This Year

Here were some of my posts moments that I got to share with you all this year:

What’s next?

For now, I’m queuing up the traditional Year in Art Summary for a look back on what I’ve created this year, my favorites and lessons, etc.  I also have a few pieces in the pipeline I plan to share in a few errant art posts by the end of the year.  Mostly, I’ve been focusing on some frivilous fun pieces to wind down the end of the year with and enjoy this slow project time before I dive into the next big ambitious thing.

Till then, I hope you all enjoy the holidays and the end of the year!

– Ang

¡La baraja de Tarot El Camino Tejido + ¡20% de descuento en la Venta Navideña!

¡Ha llegado el momento, queridos!  Hoy estoy llena de buenas noticias para anunciar que la hermosa baraja dorada en la que trabajé junto a mis talentosos colegas del Changeling Artist Collective ha llegado a mi tienda justo a tiempo para mi venta navideña anual.  

¡Es tan hermosa!  Las cartas son pesadas y preciosas con 2 colores de foil.

Puedes ver un flipthru de la baraja de tarot aquí.

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Fui responsable de la carta de Templanza de los Arcanos Mayores (sobre cuya creación compartí más detrás de escena aquí).  Los temas de esta carta de equilibrar y templar las fortalezas y debilidades de uno apelan a mi viaje continuo como artista en busca de autodescubrimiento y mejora.

El resto de la baraja también está llena de arte precioso inspirado en tapices medievales, lo que la convierte en una baraja colaborativa única.

¡Estos mazos se imprimieron de forma independiente, por lo que son extremadamente limitados!  Solo estarán disponibles a través de los artistas participantes.  ¡Solo me quedan 7 a fecha de hoy!  Consigue un mazo aquí.

Los Espíritus del Invierno Regresan

Para aquellos que aman el brillo y el resplandor de los temas navideños, mi serie de arte Espíritus del Invierno también ha regresado a mi tienda por tiempo limitado (hasta finales de enero).  ¡También me he asegurado de tener tarjetas navideñas y láminas para aquellos que disfrutan difundiendo la alegría navideña!

También me he asegurado de tener algunos originales de bocetos para aquellos que buscan pequeños regalos únicos por menos de 100 dólares que no arruinarán el presupuesto.

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  • Encuentra mi tienda de Bellas Artes aquí

  • Y si te apetece más de mi arte de El Legado de Kushiel y de ttrpg/friki, encuentra mi tienda de Arte de Fantasía aquí.  ¡La venta navideña también se extiende a esta tienda!

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Como siempre, ¡estoy agradecida a cualquiera que compre en pequeñas tiendas este año!  Los tiempos han sido difíciles para los artistas y cada pequeña ayuda contribuye a mi pequeño negocio unipersonal.

Mientras tanto, ¡espero que todos disfruten de un tiempo para relajarse, reflexionar y comer bien!  Voy a hacer mi mejor esfuerzo para no quemar ningún glaseado de ron este año.  ¡Mantente feliz y saludable y pronto volveré con más reflexiones artísticas!

– Ang

Unveiling the Birthstone Goddesses 2024 Calendar!

This collection has been years in the making and after hours of inking, painting, and toil, I have finally completed “The Final Goddess”, the 13th Goddess in the Birthstone Goddesses series!

The turning of the year ends. The cycle begins anew. Her delicate touch brings the frost. Her delicate touch brings the first blooms. Birth, Death, Grief, Healing. Turn, turn, turn.

She is all of these Goddesses and none, the Lady of Eternity, The First and Final Goddess.

I’m so pleased to introduce the calendar!  There were many unforseen challenges along the way, from a pandemic to printing woes, but with the help of new technologies in print on demand, I’m able to bring these calendars directly to you all from a printing partner!

Where to get a Calendar

  • The calendar is available in my Etsy shop here.

  • You can also find a print of the cover here.

Journey of Creation

If you missed the Behind the Scenes look at the calendar’s journey of creation I wrote for Patrons, be sure to catch up here:

“The Final Goddess” Original Painting

Watch a timelapse of this painting’s creation here. That’s 10+ hours of work condensed into 1 minute!  I hope to upload a longer narrated version of this painting and the others in the Birthstone Goddesses slowly, but surely, as they take a lot of time to edit and record.

The cover painting was created with india ink pens and watercolor with accents of white gel pen and measures 8×20 inches.  The original is available for any interested parties!  I’ll be accepting offers from Patrons for a week (till Fri. Nov 10th) before she goes live in my Fine Art shop for the general public.

She can be yours for $2700 unmatted or have me choose a mat, frame, and proper glass for her for $3240, with free shipping within the US and Canada. Patrons will also be eligible to use their 15%-25% discounts on this original as well! The discount is dependent on what tier you’re supporting at.

If interested in adding this painting to your collection, drop me a private message here via Patreon.

Help Support the Calendar!

As this calendar is a homegrown project, your word of mouth really helps me out!  Please feel free to share these social media posts and help spread the word about my calendar.  The biggest time to share is now, since the calendar will be less in-demand once 2024 begins:

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This has been quite the journey and I’m still reeling being at this bittersweet end!  I’ve prepared a retrospective look at all of the work I’ve created for the Birthstone Goddesses over the years for the next post that will go live next week. It’s been a joy to look back at all my favorites, especially as it’s easy to forget everything I’ve made after this long, ha!  It has been a flurry of artistic creation.

Till then, it is time for much-needed rest and celebration!

I hope you all had a lovely Halloween and that this calendar will be a light of beauty and inspiration throughout your 2024.

– Ang

La Colección Diosas de Piedras de Nacimiento, ¿Una Retrospectiva + Futuro del Proyecto?

¡Es el fin de una era para mí con la conclusión de las Diosas de Piedras de Nacimiento! Me pareció apropiado despedir el proyecto con una mirada retrospectiva a cómo evolucionó a lo largo de los años que le dediqué. ¡Este viaje comenzó como un simple conjunto de 12 pinturas para un calendario y terminó siendo mucho más!

Las Diosas de Piedras de Nacimiento

¡Estas pinturas lo empezaron todo! La Dama de Diciembre fue la primera entrada original en la serie en 2014 como un regalo para mi madre, inspirada en la serie *Piedras Preciosas* de Alphonse Mucha. Un par de años después, se me ocurrió la idea de continuar con una serie de pinturas similares.

El Baile de Máscaras de las Diosas de Piedras de Nacimiento

Al principio de la serie, también estaba interesada en la marroquinería como pasatiempo y quería explorar los temas de flores y piedras de nacimiento a través de máscaras también. Cada una de estas es una edición limitada de 10 por máscara, algunas adornadas con cristales y todas hechas a mano y pintadas. Con la forma en que el movimiento Art Nouveau se extiende más allá del arte 2D hacia la joyería, los textiles, etc., encontré que las máscaras eran una adición poética al creciente corpus de las Diosas de Piedras de Nacimiento. (Todavía quedan algunas máscaras en mi tienda de Artisan para cualquiera que busque una pieza única de cosplay o exhibición).

(Las máscaras fueron fotografiadas por el talentoso Winter Wolf Studios).

La Colección Visage

Durante la creación de las pinturas, también comencé a pensar en la posibilidad de crear un libro, lo que pensé que quedaría encantador si comenzara cada sección con un banner temático de cada Diosa. ¡Y así nació la colección Visage! Inspirada en los magníficos espejos de mano y collares de camafeo del movimiento Art Nouveau.

Los Diseños de Pines Esmaltados

Una vez más, me vi tentada a explorar más formas de arte vestible a través de pines esmaltados, que también pensé que serían un hermoso objeto coleccionable que funcionaría con conjuntos de regalo temáticos de Diosas. La forma de estos pines se inspiró en la joyería de camafeo del Art Nouveau. Estos diseños también se utilizaron para pegatinas.

Dibujos de Tinta y Oro

Estos dibujos se crearon para promocionar los diseños de pines esmaltados como niveles de lujo para los Kickstarters de los pines, despojando los diseños de los pines en elegante tinta y oro.

Tapetes Embellecidos

Creé estos tapetes dibujados a mano acentuados con pan de oro especialmente para exhibir en convenciones. Varios de ellos se vendieron antes de que tuviera la oportunidad de fotografiarlos, ya que creé el conjunto completo de 12, uno para cada Dama.

Las Pequeñas Diosas de Gemas

Durante el Kickstarter del libro para colorear, uno de los objetivos de financiación ampliada fue la divertida idea de hacer versiones chibi de las Diosas de Piedras de Nacimiento. ¡Por suerte se desbloquearon y así nacieron las Pequeñas Gemas! Son una adición divertida a esta serie, por lo demás muy seria.

Las Ilustraciones de Moda

Cada pintura de Diosa fue investigada, planificada y ejecutada meticulosamente, incluyendo un boceto de moda sobre una forma de croquis para organizar los temas visuales y el vestido de la Diosa.  Todas estas originales todavía están disponibles en mi tienda con la excepción del boceto de la Dama de Enero.

Las Ventanas de las Diosas

Cada pintura de la serie también requería diseños temáticos de mandalas para sus 'ventanas' que aparecen detrás de sus cabezas en las pinturas de la serie principal.  En algún momento, me gustaría hacer más con estos diseños para dejar que los diseños no figurativos brillen en toda su intrincada elegancia.

Amuletos de Diosas de Piedras de Nacimiento

Estos diseños se hicieron como pegatinas para mis Patrocinadores de Patreon, así como para lo que espero que sean collares de amuletos de esmalte que financiaré en el futuro.

Libros y Varios

Al principio de este viaje, siempre fue mi intención crear un calendario de pared.  Un libro para colorear y productos con temática de la Dama de la Eternidad llegaron más tarde como exclusivos de Patreon.  El pin de esmalte de la Dama de la Eternidad basado en el dibujo de la impresión de edición limitada sigue siendo una insignia de honor exclusiva para aquellos Patrocinadores que apoyaron esta serie desde el principio.

El Recuento Final

125 creaciones, sin incluir diseños únicos reorganizados para diseños de productos como totes, neceseres, etc.

  • 14 Pinturas

  • 72 Dibujos

  • 25 Diseños de Pines y Amuletos

  • 12 Diseños de Máscaras

  • 6 proyectos de Kickstarter

  • 1 libro

  • 1 calendario

¿El Futuro de las Diosas?

Aunque estoy terminando la colección de Diosas de Piedras de Nacimiento por ahora, siempre fue mi intención poder regresar al tema más amplio de Diosas de Gemas y explorar otras Diosas relacionadas con las gemas.  Sería una oportunidad para mí de alejarme del estilo de Mucha y probar otros enfoques visuales.  También siento que tengo algunas ideas más para pinturas adicionales que involucran a algunos de los personajes de las Diosas de Piedras de Nacimiento que me encantaría incluir en un libro de arte prospectivo de Diosas de Piedras de Nacimiento que recopile todas las imágenes que ves aquí.

Sin embargo, después de 6 años, necesito desesperadamente algo de espacio antes de emprender la creación de una colección de libros para ellas.  Quiero darme libertad creativa y una oportunidad para descansar a fondo antes de intentar cualquier otra cosa.

Es extraño pensar en lo que ha sucedido en mi vida durante este lapso de 6 años también. Me he casado, me he mudado 4 veces, he ayudado a mi esposo en su lucha contra el linfoma, la insuficiencia cardíaca y la pérdida de empleo, he tenido varias cirugías y mucho más.  La vida nos ha golpeado de costado durante tanto tiempo, ¡estoy feliz de estar en un final que pueda saborear y apreciar!

¡Ha sido todo un viaje y estoy muy agradecida por aquellos que brindaron aliento y apoyo en el camino!  Gracias a todos los que contribuyeron a mi Patreon, apoyaron mis Kickstarters para este proyecto y dejaron una amable palabra de aliento en los años que he estado haciendo esto.  Ayudó a mi esposo y a mí a sobrevivir durante tiempos difíciles, además de permitirme concentrarme más en el arte que ayudó a que las Diosas de Piedras de Nacimiento sucedieran.

¡Esta entrada ya es lo suficientemente larga, así que voy a dejarla aquí!  Tengo algunas ideas y sentimientos sobre el futuro de este Patreon y qué arte compartiré aquí que discutiré en una entrada posterior.  ¡Por ahora, deleitémonos y disfrutemos de este momento de logro!

– Ang

New Art! Cult of the Lamb

The Tiefling known now only as “The Lamb” rose from her would-be death as a sacrifice to become a Warlock of an Ancient One set on a quest for revenge for her slaying!

Or she would if I took the story of the adorably evil video game, Cult of the Lamb, and combined it with Dungeons & Dragons, which was the first thing my geek brain did when I played the game.  I enjoyed the straightforward story for the game’s premise so much, alongside all of the mechanics.  I had never played anything quite like it before!

According to my husband, I made quite a terrifying Lamb. Mua ha ha ha!

This was just a fun, silly mashup idea that came to me when I first played this game that made for excellent art practice.  Also a hint of the kind of art I’m moving towards, as it was also an experiment in nurturing a more painterly dark style inspired by Tarot (specifically the Klimt-esque aesthetic brought to the Dragon Age Tarot cards).

Hope you all enjoy my quirky little style experiment!  Painted in Procreate.

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  • Watch a 1 min timelapse for this piece here.

If y’all feel like supporting this art on social media, you can find this piece at the links.  Every share gives an artist wings!

A Big Career Shakeup + Where to Find Me Online

I haven’t been as active online as I used to be and I wanted to discuss that with you all here.  This year started with medical challenges and a house move which set me back a good deal.  Alongside all of that life chaos came a lot of external change in the world at the same time.  Generative AI arrived en masse and it’s given artists like myself a lot to contend with.

In a short span, I’ve found the entirety of my art from DeviantART and ArtStation fed into generative AI databases without my consent.  I’ve seen cover art, card deck illustrations, and TTRPG resources created by AI instead of hiring artists.  It all adds up to my conclusion that even if generative AI becomes ethically sourced, my prospects as an artist have (and will) drastically shrink as time goes on.

I haven’t been as active because I have been reconsidering everything about my career and whether being an illustrator was viable anymore.  It’s been a time of mourning and, frankly, paralyzing depression, as social media platforms fall apart around me at the same time, the reach and communities I lovingly built for years crumble due to ownership changes and the embracing of unregulated tech.

Thankfully, it’s not all doom and gloom.  My husband and I have been blessed with the help of Patreon and my husband’s work that now allows me to be choosier about my jobs and that has led me to my current decision to pursue projects that only align with my personal tastes and to focus mainly on my own personal projects from here on out.  It’s taken years to gain this freedom and honestly that’s been overwhelming as well!

I’ve wanted to be a lot of things in my time. Illustrator, comic artist, concept artist, etc.  There have always been a million tempting paths.  With my own mortality hovering so much over my head lately, I want to dedicate the rest of my life to telling those stories that live inside me that only I can tell while I still have time to do so.  Now, it’s a matter of wrapping up old projects and forging ahead with the new!  I’m currently preparing for all that positive change, which I’ll talk more about later.

Where to Find Me on Social Media

With all the aforementioned chaos, I’ve left many social media platforms and art communities that plan to use my art for AI training without my consent or that have changed for the worse and I wanted to keep you all up to date about where to find me.

Find me now on:

  • BlueSky instead of Twitter/X – If you need an invite, let me know and I can most likely pass you a code when I get new ones each week!  You can still find all of my art brand accounts on Twitter for now, but as soon as BlueSky comes out of beta, I’ll be leaving Twitter permanently.

  • Instagram / Facebook – I’m still on Meta platforms for now, as it is one of my oldest communities, but their plan to train their own AI on user posts worries me. Currently, I’m hoping they will clarify their uses of my art more adequately or I may be looking for an alternative for these platforms as well or leaving them entirely for Discord, but that big decision’s a ways off yet since FB is still very core to my art biz.

  • Discord – This has become where I spend the most time lately!  I frequently hangout on my personal art server, which is open to all of my fans, with a special private section for Patreon Patrons.  If you aren’t already connected through Patreon where you can claim your Patreon server role, you can join as a regular member with this invite.

    I also curate a Video Game server and an Exalted RPG Artists server, so feel free to join up and hang out there as well!

Where to Find Me on Art Communities

I’ve also had to leave places like ArtStation and DeviantART, my main haunts for going on 20 years now, for other sites that are more staunchly against unethical AI.  This has been another blow losing the communities I felt a part of for years, but I’m hopeful we can all make new connections and rebuild in these new, more supportive spaces!

Cara.app – A replacement for ArtStation with a lot of amazing artists from the game and TTRPG industry there.

Inkblot – A replacement for DeviantART showcasing lots of different media, from art to comics and more.

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Have any of you found new interesting places to be online?  Tell me about it!  I’m currently looking for new places to be that are more supportive of artists with strong anti-AI stances.

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That was a LOT, but it feels good to all these thoughts out somewhere.  Thanks for sticking with me through all of my chaos lately.  The advantage of having to start over in new places is that I can celebrate my new work and rebuild myself more efficiently, which is proving to be exciting!  With my long-term projects wrapping up after the Goddess calendar, I am very keen to show you all what I’ve been plotting in the meanwhile.

Stay strong, arty friends!  See you folks around the interwebs.

♥ Ang

Inspiration Trip: Japanese Armor Exhibit

My husband and I have been quite the hermits since COVID, so it was a big deal for us to actually leave the house this past Friday and venture forth into downtown Atlanta to the High Museum of Art, my old stomping ground where I attended SCAD-Atlanta for grad school!  The area has changed a lot, including the addition of the amazing SCAD Fashion museum and an expanded campus.

Our goal this trip was to visit the Samurai: Armor from the Collection of Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller being hosted by the High.  When you first enter the exhibition space, you’re enveloped by the sound of a heartbeat as you survey a wall collaged with famous movie posters and screenshots inspired by samurai epics, including everything from Kill Bill to Kurosawa’s best.  

Past this point, many armor sets are displayed in cases that allow you to fully circumvent them, a fact I appreciated as an artist who considers drawing armor a weak point.  I especially wanted to study how armor works during this trip, but I left the exhibit with so much more inspiration than that!

My Favorite Pieces

Beyond the more traditional armor, the collection housed many impressive pieces with unique imagery, specifically Buddhist dieties and symbols, seashells, and even ‘human head’ caps.  Here are a few of my favorite pieces from the collection:

This helm sports the wheel representing the Eightfold Path of Buddhism.

A most impressive display of fully armored group of horses and riders takes up a large stage in the exhibit.  I can only imagine how horrifying and awe-inspiring they would be riding atop small ‘dragons’!

This piece caught my eye because of its striking color and unique shape.  It’s described as being a cape made for a woman, as well as a fire fighter, the long treated cloth providing protection against flames.  Fire was a major danger in Japanese fuedal cities due to the fact a large part of their construction was made of wood.  I want to know more about these female fire fighters who protected the city from threats!

All in the Details

One thing this exhibit stressed was that Samurai armor emphasized not only function, but form and aesthetics.  Even as the construction of later armor was simplified for quick dressing, the craftsmen always made sure it was beautiful and impressive.  I had to feature some of the close-up shots of the details in the metalwork and lacquered leather.

(Notice this armor has butterfly-shaped hinges to match its butterfly mon (sigil), which was the symbol of the clan being represented by this armor.)

(I especially appreciated the naturalistic motifs and stylization here.  I can see how Art Nouveau borrowed from Japanese motifs looking at this!)

Yasuke, the Black Samurai

This exhibit also included a fascinating sub-exhibit dedicated to Yasuke, an African samurai who served Nobunaga, (for those who aren’t already familiar) that’s worth a look.  The museum hired local artist, Brandon Sadler, to tell the story of Yasuke’s life through four Japanese brush style wall scrolls and they are very inspiring!

History, Worldbuilding, & Inspiration

I hope as an artist that I’ll be able to absorb something of how and why this armor operates in our world for my own worldbuilding and storytelling efforts, as many of my own stories take place in a low tech era of warfare.  Some observations I made as I absorbed this exhibit:

  • The artistry of making these armor sets represented vigilance, grace, dedication, and skillfulness on behalf of both artisan and wearer, putting an emphasis on discipline and status.

  • Visual motifs from the observed world include bamboo leaves, religious iconography, local gods and spirits, sea shells, and even smoking pipes popularized by Europeans who brought tobacco into Japan.  I imagine these motifs were chosen based on each warrior’s local symbolism, which usually shows up in the mon (family crest) too.

  • Construction elements include metal (specifically iron), silk (layered into strands and used for ties), and lacquered leather.  Swords had manta-ray skin for the grips, materials all plentiful in Japan’s island climes.  

  • Evolution of construction evolved over time based on what the armor needed to defend against. The layers were silk and layered leather or metal at first to defend against swords and arrows and protect horseback riders (needed to be light to be quick and also longer blades to reach opponents), but as time progressed, larger strips were used in chest armor to defend against matchlock weapons.  Hinges were also added to make the armor easier to get in and out of. However, none of these pieces lost their attention to detail and pageantry during that evolution.

  • The world is interconnected.  Some of the armor was inspired by European soldiers featuring paneled construction like European helmets or big noses that mocked Europeans as “demons”. Other sets were made by Korean artisans who brought their own silhouettes and techniques into Japanese armor-making during political exchanges where the armor was brought as gifts during a time of diplomacy between the two countries who have had rough history (IE. Japanese occupiation of Korea).

Full Reference Album

There are too many beautiful things to include in one blog post, so definitely check out the full album on imgur to see the rest of the pics I took and the High’s page on the exhibition, which includes additional information and history about the exhibit’s signature pieces.  I photographed with texture, construction, etc in mind for my reference as an artist.

All the photos in the world can’t do this exhibit justice, however.  These pieces are a sight to behold with so much detail to take in and I encourage you to go visit them in-person, if you can!  This exhibit will be at the High Museum until September 17th.

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There were also lots of wonderful Japanese reference books, comics, and souvenirs featured in the gift shop.  I left with a couple of small souvenirs for myself, including a magnet, which I always get for any exhibit we attend.  A butterfly-themed pin seemed appropriate after marveling at the buttefly-themed armor set I particularly enjoyed!  We also purchased the #4 print in the Yasuke set for our personal collection, as he is an inspiring figure for my husband, Kevin.

I hope to explore more exhibits like this as long as we’re in the vicinity of so many wonderful museums!  Seeing this beautiful artistry in an amazing collection filled me with such awe I hope to channel into aspects of my own work.  I hope you all are inspired as well!

♥ Ang