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But hey, in what seems to be a theme, I used the next now-useless maternity leave to learn another medium.
I had really enjoyed the opaque qualities of gouache, and started to dabble in acrylic painting during my recovery.
I used them like watercolors at first 😅
Me, doing digital color studies? It happens!
Here are some Dragon Age environments from that winter.
The occasional watercolor studies to get me through the cold months...
(References by Grafit Studio)
And some more Lord of the Rings color studies, now featuring more than just one shade of green 😅
Admittedly, winter 2020/2021 was when I got very busy with other work, and studies fell a little to the wayside.
(This model from one reference pack can be spotted here and there in my current work - for example in this acrylic painting I finished just a couple months ago!)
I must have imprinted on that lighting like a little duckling... 🦆😆
This black and white gouache study felt like a breakthrough for me, personally. It was about softening edges, blurring vs detailing... and it was the first time I got a realistic face "right".
"Dragon Summoning"
This party of adventurers stages elaborate sacrifice ceremonies to attract dragons... then jump their unsuspecting prey.
Acrylics on panel 🖌️
All the tree roots and branches in my Nissa fanart here are based on pictures from the "Ruins of Ayutthaya" collection. They've come in handy in a lot of different illustrations!