Happy Yuletart, chen_san!

[yuletart-mods.livejournal.com]

Title: Fealty
Gift for: chen_san
Artist: ratcreature
Rating: G
Fandom: Merlin
Warnings: none
Artist's Notes: Done with acrylic paint on paper; original size is roughly 34 x 32cm; scanned in parts and assembled digitally with some minor corrections (hopefully not too noticeable). I can provide my recipient with a high resolution file after the reveal, if they wish.
Summary: Set in the future. After Arthur becomes king Merlin swears an oath of fealty in a commendation ceremony to him. Shown characters: Arthur, Merlin, Gwen, Gaius, Elyan, Geoffrey of Monmouth, Sir Leon, guards.

Comments

[chen-san.livejournal.com]

OMG!!! I had to look twice if this was really my username and this gorgeous piece of art really for me ♥♥♥
I LOVE IT! It's so gorgeous and all the details are admirable! I love Gwen on the throne ♥ And Gaius is there, too *squee* XD
This is awesome and I'd love a high-res scan once the reveals are up so that I can print it and put it up on my wall :D

Thank you! Thank you! You made my day!!

[ratcreature]

I'm glad you like it. I have uploaded a hi-resolution version to my LJ Scrapbook for you (it's about 3MB):
http://pics.livejournal.com/ratcreature/pic/000q61q1
I also made a post about the process of how I made this painting, with scans of many of the preliminary pencil stages as well as photos I took during the painting, in case you are interested in this kind of thing:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401628.html

[chen-san.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I snagged the high resolution and I hope I can print it soon once I bought a new ink cartridge :3
Thank you again for the wonderful picture!

[ratcreature]

You're very welcome.

[ileliberte.livejournal.com]

I love the coloring and lighting you have in this piece, looks really pretty.

[ratcreature]

Thank you!

[wellington.livejournal.com]

This is so detailed. Gorgeous! I especially like the itty bitty textures on the armor, it honestly looks like it would take forever to do and makes it look so authentic. And I like how you have the staff lying there on the ground. I always have trouble with scenes like these because there's so much gray and brown and I'm afraid it will look too neutral or boring, but all the colors you've used look just right together and very natural. It's really beautiful, great job!

[ratcreature]

Thank you. I'm happy to hear that the detail paid off, because it really took a very long time to paint, and you don't even see it all that well in the tiny screen size, when it was already hard on my eyes and done with a 0-size brush in the A3 format. I have reposted this to my journal with some hi-res detail here:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401285.html
and also a post about the process of how I made this painting, with scans of many of the preliminary pencil stages as well as photos I took during the painting, in case you are interested:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401628.html

[red-eft.livejournal.com]

Awesome! Nice perspective on the steps and thrones. I really like the detail put into the chain mail, too.

[ratcreature]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked the detail, even though at this small size it's barely visible. I have reposted this to my journal with some hi-res detail where you can see some of the chain mail properly:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401285.html

[ariadneelda.livejournal.com]

Wow! Fantastic. So much wonderful detail and such vivid colours. I love all the characters and those thrones look awesome. :)

[ratcreature]

Thank you! If you liked the detail and might want to see some of it larger, I have reposted this to my journal with some hi-res detail:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401285.html

[cabayuki.livejournal.com]

WOW *__________* that's gorgeous. It's so difficult to make acrylic look good.

[ratcreature]

Thank you! I like acrylics, and find them easier than watercolors (you can paint them over, and need to plan less with the highlights than with watercolors). I have reposted this to my journal with some hi-res detail here:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401285.html
and also a post about the process of how I made this painting, with scans of many of the preliminary pencil stages as well as photos I took during the painting, in case you are interested:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401628.html

[yue_ix]

This is fantastic. The sheer amount of details is captivating. I could pass hours making out everyone's expressions, body language and clothes to guess their stories. For clothes, I particularly love that Arthur is wearing Uther's present outfit, that Merlin is in a servant's garb but kept the staff and the intricate lace on Gwen's collar. The mix of colours work very well together too; it's all well-balanced.

[ratcreature]

Thank you! I'm happy to hear the detail paid off, even though you can barely see it at this small screen size, when it was already hard on my eyes and done with a 0-size brush in the large size. I have reposted this to my journal with some hi-res detail here, including a closeup of Gwen's head and shoulders with the lace:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401285.html
and I also made a post about the process of how I made this painting, with scans of many of the preliminary pencil stages as well as photos I took during the painting, in case you are interested:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401628.html

[ocicatsy.livejournal.com]

What a lovely scene! And I really like how Gaius came out.

[ratcreature]

Thank you! I enjoyed painting Gaius. If you'd like to see him in detail, I have reposted this to my journal with some hi-res detail, including a closeup of the area with his and Arthur's head:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401285.html

[sophinisba]

Ooh, this is really cool! I like how it's all laid out with the bright colors and with all the other characters looking on.

[ratcreature]

Thank you! My inner-sloth often recoils at scenes with many people, but when I persevere I usually like the result. I have reposted this to my journal with some hi-res detail if you'd like to take a closer look: http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401285.html

[leyna55.livejournal.com]

Aww, Arthur and Merlin, and swearing fealty!

Great perspective and shadows, and awesome thrones. The various characters are brilliant. My favourites are Gaius and Gwen (love her pose and the folds of her gown), and the white bearded guy behind the throne, who has such a great expression on his face( sorry - I've only seen half a season of the show).

[ratcreature]

Thank you! It's great to hear it was enjoyable for you to look at even without being into the show. I have reposted this to my journal with some hi-res detail here:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401285.html
and I also made a post about the process of how I made this painting, with scans of many of the preliminary pencil stages as well as photos I took during the painting, in case you are interested:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401628.html

[roga.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, so beautiful! I hope we get to see a more detailed version after the reveal; the details here are stunning.

[ratcreature]

Thank you! The details took a long time (painting chain mail: aaaahh!), so I'm happy to hear it paid off. I have reposted this to my journal with some hi-res detail here:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401285.html
and I also made a post about the process of how I made this painting, with scans of many of the preliminary pencil stages as well as photos I took during the painting, in case you are interested:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401628.html

(also I uploaded a huge version to my scrapbook for the recipient to download for printing, so if you want you can look at a 3mb image file)

[scribbleomania.livejournal.com]

What a sweet moment! The amount of delicate detail in this is really fantastic, and I love the shadows of Merlin and Arthur.

[ratcreature]

Thank you! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the detail. I have reposted this to my journal with some hi-res closeups to see the painting better here:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401285.html
and I also made a post about the process of how I made this painting, with scans of many of the preliminary pencil stages as well as photos I took during the painting, in case you are interested:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401628.html

[glockgal.livejournal.com]

Yeeeeee love how this painting seems to blend the feel and themes of the old Athurian myths with the hilarious crack that is Merlin BBC. They all look so epic and noble, which - eeeeeeeeee! Gwen looks so pleased! And I love Arthur looking almost surprised as if he can't quite believe Merlin is so formally swearing fealty to him. <3333

Love the shading and textures of the castle!

[ratcreature]

Thank you! And yeah, Arthur probably shouldn't count on this level of respectfulness to become a permanent state of affairs...

The castle was rather painless compared to painting all those tiny chain mail rings. And I already followed the "lazy way to do paint chain mail" tutorials, rather than trying for accurate. (I made a post about the process with scans of many of the preliminary pencils as well as photos I took during the painting, in case you are interested: http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401628.html)

[ieke85.livejournal.com]

Oh wow! The detail in this is astounding. The lighting is my favorite. I keep staring at the empty throne and all the shadows and shading. The velvet even looks plush. Well done you!

[ratcreature]

Thank you! I find lighting really hard, so it's great to hear you like it. If you enjoy the detail, I have reposted this to my journal with some hi-res closeups to see the painting better here: http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401285.html
and I also made a post about the process, with scans of many of the preliminary pencil stages as well as photos I took during the painting, in case you are interested:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401628.html

[ieke85.livejournal.com]

That's awesome! I love behind-the-scenes series! Thanks for sharing.

[ani-bester.livejournal.com]

DEAR GOD! You blew this one out of the water! the details are magnificent and the compositions and the characters and the whole look is just WOW
What a fantastic job! You are amazing with paint!

[ratcreature]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I still feel like such a novice with acrylics because I don't paint a lot (even though I've been using them since 2008), that positive feedback is very reassuring. If you are interested in painting details, after the reveal I posted about the process with scans of many of the preliminary pencil stages as well as photos I took during the painting, and some closeup detail:
http://ratcreature.dreamwidth.org/401628.html