Yesterday, when I came back from the country side (where I was picking strawberries all day long with my <3) and after I did the 'Fryderyk' pixel art I had no energy to do anything else except laying flat on my belly and reading about gods and goddesses from Celtic times. I have a book about Celtic and Nordic beliefs and it always inspires me so much. Even now I have at least 3 ideas of pictures with the heroes, gods or myths presented in it. Coming back to the main story - I was reading the book and I found a description and stories about Morrigan, a goddess which took part in wars and helped her allies with magic and after a battle she collected heads of dead warriors, what she called her 'acorns' (freely translated from the book). She was symbolized by crows and ravens which could be seen above a battlefield. I was too tired to, at least, sketch my idea so today I had those problems ;]
All these mythologies and legends are inspiring... I should buy more books about them *nods*
I was reading this book to get ideas for the 'Scottish Myths and Legends' contest held by AddictiveHobby.com. I already had one idea and I've even made a design sheet of the characters (haven't shown it anywhere) and sketches of the composition but I know that I won't be able to do it at one sitting so it takes more time for me to sit dawn to it at all ;P On the other hand, I was too inspired by the character of Morrigan to not create this picture. And, although I also thought it would take more than a day, I wanted to start it and, what a surprise, I finished! :3
I've said I'll show a more complex step by step so here we go! Let's start from the very beginning:
1. My first idea: Morrigan going away from a battlefield with heads in her hand. There is a burning city in the background and some dead bodies and pieces of armour.
2. I've started blocking colours and I've found out that I am unable to do a background like that without outlines and I'm too lazy to make them. So I've decided to change my idea (it was a 2nd change, I have not saved previous version).
3. Another sketch. It looks quite the same but there is no specific background, only red ribbons from her dress and her big hair here and there.
4. Background's beginning. I wanted it to be a bit grey with the mood of a finished battle and nowhere else to go, nothing else to do. Some kind of emptiness.
5. Made the background a bit more warm (only in colours, not in mood). I've started her dress and made her face. I could not make her in the way I usually create - from the whole to the detail. Don't know why, I just had to make details as soon as I've started a certain part.
6. I've decided that her dress will be drenched in blood. It's a bit gruesome but looks nice :D
7. Worked on the heads she's holding and made the ribbons. I like how the disappear in the background. Also I've made her feet dirty with blood she was walking through on the battlefield.
8. Hair! They are very important since they help to create the mood. Firstly, I had bigger hair on mind but after making these I've understood that more hair would make only more mess, not a more pretty picture ;)
9. Ravens and crows in the air. I've used photos <3 found for me through google but I did not copy and paste them - I wanted to be sure that those birds look as they should, not like hens or flying cats (and you must know that without checking them before creating, they would look really really bad ;P).
10. Here's a finished image :) I've adjusted the colours a bit (again, I was creating on laptop not Calliope - my sisters are playing The Sims 3 all the time on her) and, as for me, they look more creepy now :3When I looked at her, Morrigan, now I found her similar to a girl from my class at university. She has almost as big hair as Morrigan :D
A.
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