Tag: dark fantasy

[Art] Commission Gallery – Vamps & Vigilantes

I’ve been a little quiet around here while I’ve had my head to the desk working through a few private commissions to help catch up with all our medical bills from our tumultuous 2025. I thought you guys might enjoy seeing a couple I’m allowed to share!

Echo for Aquatica1000

You may have spotted this tragically handsome vamp in my Year in Art post. I’m always giddy to get more Exalted TTRPG characters into the queue. This was a small headshot, but even with these smaller pieces meant to be in a simple flat style, I always try to work in the DRAMA, which I achieved with subtle gradients and dramatic desaturated color choices that pushed the saturated elements, like Echo’s soulsteel eyes and branded caste mark.

Enjoy a quick 1 min timelapse with my text narration of the process and decision-making:

Even for these small pieces, I like to workup a few thumbnails! We had a lot of fun variations for Echo. I really liked 4 to show off the dimensionality of the mask, but we ended up choosing 6 as both the client and I felt it showed Echo’s reluctant nature. He’s technically working for a big bad evil, but he’s not morally on board with his boss’ evil tactics and will one day rebel to follow his own better nature. (But 4 really would have looked cool, too!)

Splintered Fate April & Casey

A commission for a good friend inspired by their favorite characters from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! In which I studied many trash cans and enjoyed the many varying character designs of April O’Neil throughout time during my reference research.

This is quite the departure from my usual Fantasy fair, but it felt good to get back to my own artistic roots in 90s comics and my own nostalgic love for the world of TMNT. The graffiti turtles on the right are a nod to how I used to draw the turtles as a kid, as they were some of the first subjects of my early budding art skills!

A timelapse to appreciate how much I fiddled with the graffiti:

And now the thumbnails! There were no bad options here, as each one showed a different facet of these two characters. We had some cool ‘super model’ poses for an aesthetic approach, some more action-oriented comic posing, and finally the thumbnail I went with, which was actually the first one I drew.

The client and I agreed that the casual glance between the two just before they hop into a fray with The Foot was the fun vibe to shoot for!

Side Adventure: During research into graffiti art for this image, I stumbled upon a news story about a mysterious Pizza Graffiti Bandit who has been tagging pizzerias in New York with their unique pizza tag.

In my mind, of course this had to be Mikey on his own vigilante crusade to mark the pizzerias under his protection! I HAD to include an homage to that in the image somehow.

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If you have characters you’d love to see me draw (be they yours or fan art you want to see in the world), definitely check out my private commission info and commission FAQ. I have limited slots for private comms you can view here,

Onwards to the next images in my queue!

<3 Ang

New Art! The Crucified Dreamer

I’ve been enjoying my hiatus so far by catching up on studies and allowing the muse to wander where she may.  This has resulted in some interesting art that doesn’t quite fit in with my Goddess gals, but that’s ok!  I thought you all might enjoy it, regardless.

Vicky Pandora hosted an online masquerade ball called the OC Gala, inspired by the over the top fashions of the Met Gala.  All original characters were invited to attend with the theme “Vampire Masquerade”!  This was the perfect excuse for me to indulge in more fan art of an alternate universe version of my Exalted character, Kalara, who lost herself to the dark side of being a Solar.

The Crucified Dreamer’s Story

Her delighted laughter rings in the ears of those she has marked for death. Many revolutionaries have fallen to her seductions, The Dreamer delighting in watching their ‘beautiful deaths’. All in service of her Deathlord, the Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears.

For she was once a revolutionary herself, one who dreamed of reform until The Guild crucified her for a murder she did not commit. Between life and death, The Lover saved her, gifting her the power of an Abyssal Deathknight. The Dreamer wears tears in devotion to her Deathlord, her skin the blue of a corpse. Her crucifixion wounds adorned by henna and chain will never heal.

The first painting of The Dreamer for the Gala.  After as cool as this came out, I couldn’t resist doing a second image with her full outfit:

And a close-up of The Dreamer’s face because I think this is one of the best faces I’ve drawn in awhile.  It seems I have finally mastered the nebulous mystery that is the nose at a 3/4ths angle!

I’ve also released a treat for my Patrons!  If you’re pledging at any level, you can see the narrated video timelapse of the creation of this piece in Procreate.  This video will become public next month (March 11th), but everyone pledging at any amount here will get to watch it early here!

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I hope you enjoy this foray into different territory!  I have another painting I hope to feature next month that’s another divergence from the norm here, though March pledges will still be paused now that I remembered to do so.

Then it’s T-minus one month to my shoulder surgery.  Eep!  I’m not sure what I’ll share here at that point, but perhaps a bit of the writing I plan to do and my progress with my marketing and art classes in the meantime, should I be able enough to write!

Till then, enjoy the Dreamer!  And if you’re so inclined, feel free to share with me in the comments what YOUR OC might wear to the Vampire Masquerade!

♥ Ang