Schlagwort: Mermay2023

May the June be with You

The Owl House Fanart:
Amity Strikes

ZodiOCs:
Taurus

Mermay 2023
Gemini and more

Arcryla City:
Arrested

As early the last PaintLog came, as late is this one. I hope you all had a great May.

However, now it’s June, Pride month!

So, first of all: Happy Pride month to you all!

I didn’t do any special Pride piece (yet), but as you perhaps know, proud characters are a recurring topic in my art work, may it be fanrt, may it be OCS. So it was in May too (see below).

May was, of course, Mermay month.

May was, of course, Mermay month. As I did in the past five years, I again participated and provided a mermaid art piece for every day of the month. But let me start with the correct order:

The final episode of The Owl House dropped on Easter Monday and after watching it, I couldn’t help doing some more fanart about future Amity’s design. ZodiOC season also went forward and not only provided us with Taurus but also with Gemini. Last but not least I participated in a current Instagram trend with my Arcryla City OCs Crissy and Paula.

Amity Strikes

The show that I loved for so long and that I will keep loving even longer is over. The final episode of the final season aired on Easter Monday. I’m still holding a grudge that Disney shortened season 3 to three extended episodes of ca. 45 minutes each. I loved season 3 too, but I feel robbed of what could have been. Plus, unluckily, the shortening shows in the episodes at some point or the other. However, this won’t lessen my admiration for the season, for the show, for Dana and Co and everything they had achieved.

And especially the ending sequence of the final episode is everything we fans could’ve wished for. In particular I love Amity’s design in the end of the episode (I don’t consider it a spoiler anymore). The hairstyle, the clothes, everything is amazing. Therefore, I had to draw her doing what she does best: Hovering around abomination goo.

First, I drew an overall painting of her, the goo in full size. Then, I realized, it put away the focus from Amity, it weakened the impression I’d liked to create with this painting. So, I cropped the painting, zoomed in, if you like, focussing on Amity, only parts of the goo in the frame of the picture and made it the main version (you will find the other version in the second slide).

Taurus
aka Luca facing the Demise of a Kingdom

Before Mermay started, Taurus season begun. Perhaps, I should start with telling the fact that I planned most ZodiOC pieces’s protagonists right at the beginning when I started this series (only a few ideas showed up quite late to the party or I am not that sure about yet).

So, it was clear that the protagonists of the Cedrakon Tale would be part of the series. Cedrakon is the illustrated Tale that I initially started this website for. I abandoned it a little bit since June 2021, but I still keep the protagonists deep in my heart.

Luca the Princess Guard’s woman initially was thought to represent Cancer, but some months ago another candidate turned up for that one and I shifted her to my second idea, towards Taurus. However, it was quite a challenge to figure out how exactly to do this.

In the end it turned out to become kind of redraw of a scene in the very start of the tale.

  • Digital Painting, comic style, washy grey background on light paper: "Luca", a young woman with short black hair, holding a white spear with the left hand, wearing a white uniform, on the chest a red dragonlike figure, on the belt at her left side a saber, on her right side a pouche, she also is wearing big ornamented knee boots; on the left side of the painting an empty white helmet with dragon wings as ears and a white cloak, all the clothings are ornamented with gold; descriptive textes (right side) Guardian's Spear (Weapon of Service); Insignia of Rank (Three stripes = Princess' Guardswoman); Jacket, solid fabric (Leather reinforcement at chest level); Royal Heraldic Beast, The Cedrakon; Buckle with engraving and The Cedrakon; Ceremonial Saber (Secondary weapon / short range weapon); Dagger on the back side (Sidearm weapon, more tool than weapon); Pouch (unofficial but very handy); Trousers, solid fabric; Knee boots with ornamentation; (left side) Helmet (for ceremonial purpose); Cloak (for ceremonial purpose)
  • Bilder 2 und 3 der Cedrakon-Geschichte als englischsprachiger Comic zusammengestellt

It doesn’t depict the exact scene but its quintessence and also gives a tiny foreshadowing – or rather backshadowing – to what exactly happened to the kingdom Luca and The Princess had to flee from when the castle has been attacked.

Mermay 2023

Mermay is one of my favorite challenges. This year it happened that I participated for the fifht time in a row. Therefore, I not only shared the day by day entries but also created collages of the same day’s past year’s entries.

This year I went with the official Mermay prompt list. You also will find the single entries on the this year’s Mermay page.

By coincidence, I noticed that one of the prompts was the prompt „Zodiac“. It was an even bigger coincidence that I actually planned a mermaid OC for my ZodiOC piece „Gemini“ (as mentioned before, most OCs are already set).

And this again was a redraw of an earlier painting, a Mermay entry from 2019. Engineeriel (but the robot too) underwent a slight design change in the meantime, though:

As usual, there were several stories and traditions which I continued during this year’s Mermay. There was the mandatory Spongebob reference:

  • Digitalzeichnung, Comicstil: "Merindiana Jane", eine Meerjungfrau, die an Indiana Jones erinnert, von hinten betrachtet eine Karte lesend, vor ihr eine wüstenartige Gegend (unter Wasser) mit einem großen, aber zerfallenenen Ananashaus, einer kaum noch erkennbaren Osterinselfigur und einem Felsen, stilisierte Korallen am "Himmel", Titel auf englisch: "Raiders of the Lost Pineapple"
  • Digitalzeichnung, Comicstil: "Merindiana Jane", eine Meerjungfrau, die an Indiana Jones erinnert, flieht vor zwei riesigen Unterwasser-Hundertfüßern, mit der linken Hand greift sie den Rochen, der ihren Hut darstellt, in der linken hält sie einen goldenen Pfannenwender, Titel auf englisch: "Why Seantipedes??!"
  • Mermay 17, "Starfish", digital painting, comic style: A mermaid seen from behind, she has purple-black neck long hair and is wearing a squid as hat, her back resembles a manta ray, covering her body like a coat, in the left hand she is holding a staff in the form of a belemnite holding a white pearl. On the sea floor there is a pentagram built from stones and pebbles, above it is floating a ghostly appearance of "Patrick Star" (Spongebob Squarepants). The mermaid is looking into a book with instructions (chapter "Cønjuring") which she is holding in her right hand. In the background some dark rock formations, title: "The Little Sea Witch and the Failed Conjuring"
  • Digital painting, comic style: A swamp and trees; a mermaid based on a manta ray in a deckchair made of plants; violet eyes, chin long straight violet hair; the ray's fins are buidling a cape; a black starfish as pendant on her chest; mud in her face, left eye covered with a cucumber disc, she's lifting another one from her right eye, looking tired to a plant's stalk carrying half of a coconut with a drinking straw in it, magical light floating from her finger tip to it and encompassing it; to her left a staff built from a long belemnite, a hat-like squid holding a sign "Wytch on Vakatin", an "o" added subsequentl, is thrown over its top; left to the sign floating in the air a pink ghostly starfish (Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants), wearing green trunks and red water wings; on her left on some lily pads a small pink frog and a salamander, watching sceptically her doings; in the background behind the trees you can see two giant undead snakes, creeping out of the shadows, rays from the magical light leading to the first one, forming its tongue, eyes and nostrils; text "Wytch on Vacation".

There were this couple on their honeymoon:

  • Digitalzeichnung, Comicstil, dunkles Blau auf beigem Grund: Mermay 2020, Tag 17, Encounter + Swamp - Ein Sumpf, links und rechts festerer Grund mit je einem Baum, rechts sitzt eine Meerjungfrau mit nass, wie Wasserpflanzen, herabhängenden Haaren und einem aalähnlichen Fischschwanz, sie hält eine Seerosenblute in der Hand und schaut nach links zu einem weiblichen Wesen, das eine Mischung zwischen Mensch und Fisch ist, Kiemenbögen an Kopf und Hals sowie an den Ellenbogen angedeutete Schwimmflossen und eine Rückflosse besitzt, die Fischfrau hat große, schwarze, ovale Augen und auf ihrer Hand einen weißen Schmetterling, den sie gerade in Richtung der Meerjungfrau losfliegen lässt
  • Mermay1, "Bottle", digital painting, comic style: A mermaid with the tail of an electric eel sitting on a little isle in a swamp, putting a paper slip in a bottle with the left hand, in the right hand she is holding a reed stalk with ink on its tip, ob her tail there is a letter signed with a heart and a tiny blue octopus. Her hair is dark green and she wears water lily's leaves as bikini top, title: "Love Letters"
  • Mermay 16, "Shiny", digital painting, comic style: A green skinned fish or amphibian like woman sitting on a little isle in a swamp, the left knee rised, the other leg bent. On her right knee is a tiny blue octopus, holding an empty bottle. The woman is holding a rolled up letter, hold by a shiny ring, text: "More Tales from the Swamp"

And you were able to see what happened in the sunken shipwreck Engineriel and Founder dived down to (and before they came back to the surface again to work on „A Bridge between Worlds“).

  • Mermay 27, "Nautilus", digital painting, comic style: A wrecked submarine (the Nautilus) seen from far, Engineeriel and Fabricius diving towards it, a dark shadow in the foreground, title: "Engineeriel - Her Greatest Discovery"
  • The whole painting; digital painting, comic style: Merindiana Jane, a mermaid resembling Indiana Jones, dark blue hair, a stingray as hat, looking determined, holding a deactivated Light Sword (Star Wars), swimming towards the right upper corner of the painting, dragging Ceratia with her, a mermaid bases on and anglerfish including a light bulb on a rod originating on her forehead; above both a seal diving into the water; in the background a dark bottom and the wreck of the Nautilus (submarine), two divers apporaching the wrack in front of the shadow of a giant octopus; next to this wrack a giant black dead starfish; in the right corner a submarine hill with corals and sea anemones, two shadows in the most right bottom corner; there are schools of fish in the water; in the right upper corner a yellow part of land with the back legs and the tail of a giant turtle, a red and white striped lighthouse and a palm tree on top of this island with a black flag showing fishbone; text: "The Return of the Merindiana Jane".

Arrested

Recently, a redraw challenge based on the newest Barbie movie trailer was going round on Instagram. I immediately got the idea to participate by drawing my Arcryla City OCs Crissy and Paula.

I don’t know what they were charged with (probably wine theft or overspeeding – probably both), but at least Paula seems to have fun.

When I first shared this painting, there was a mistake that I only noticed afterwards. Having the height scale in the background, I wanted to show their height difference once more. Crissy is taller than Paula although Paula often wears high heels and/or platform boots. Assuming, she was told to take them of for the shot, the scale was supposed to show the correct height difference.

Unluckily, I drew Crissy one inch too small. Therefore I edited it and now it’s really finalized.

Btw, mentioning wine theft or overspeeding wasn’t a joke. There has been several occasions in the past when Paula indeed nicked wine bottles:

  • Digital painting, comic style: A photograph in sepia colours slightly askrew showing a ballroom inside of a Zeppelin with Paula and Crissy in it; Crissy: young woman, short purple hair, big round glasses, skirt, bellyfree top, toefree kneeboots; Paula: young woman, light green hair, a big bang combed to the left side, knee long dress, parted at the front, many frills, bellyfree shirt, plateau kneeboots, holding a bottle of wine to hide it behind her back; they are standing close together, Crissy looking blushing to Paula, Paula looking to the wine bottle out of the corners of her eyes; chairs, a table and a window showing a star filled night sky in the background; the photo is laid centrally over the (coloured) version of the Zeppelin's ballroom.
  • Digital painting, comic style: Crissy in her fantasy design in the foreground (young woman, short purple hair, big round glasses, bellyfree leather top, blue cape, braces, fingerfree gloves, girdle, bags, knife and pocket watch attached to it), holding a pastry in the right hand and some kind of mango in the left hand, long, thin natural grown sticks attached to it, one resembling a nose, dark spots giving the impression of two eyes, the tip of the "nose" is cut, a drop of yellow juice dropping from it, Crissy is looking at this "mangogo" with disbelief; two more of them in different shapes (some kind of devil and some kind of water brear) standing in front of her on a customer's board of a stall, to her left a whole basket with them, to her right one labelled "TomaToes", containing big tomatoes with tiny red toes; in the background several stalls (1. bakery, 2. "Joe's Wineyard", 3. pottery, 4. "Catch the Frog" game stall, 5. "Hex'R'us") with 1. cake, bread, 2. wine barrels, bottles 3. pottery ware 4. prices 5. magical items; Paula and Sparrow sitting in front ofr "Joe's Wineyard", Paula pointing to the salesman, hiding to bottles behind her back; in front of the game stall two young woman, one brown-red hair, one white hair, the brown haired one catching a wooden frog with a fishing-rod, splashing water; several girlands and pennants on poles and lines above the stalls.
  • Digital painting, comic style: A tavern scene, a bar counter and a blurry, dimly lit background; the people only depicted to belly level; to the right side Crissy (young woman, big round glasses, short purple har, brown breast armor and brown braces) and Paula (young woman, short turqoise hair in sidecut, green neckholder bellyfree loin dress, green braces), to the left side Archie (huge man, moustache, black hair, pony tail, goggles on his head, brown leather armor, a turquoise shirt with the emblem of the Wyvern Riders Guild, light blue scarf around the neck); Crissy is leaning at Paula's shoulder, eyes closed, dozing off, Paulas' left hand holding her; Archie is drinking from a cup, laughing and is doing finger guns with the free hand, Paula is returning this gesture and has nicked one of the wine bottles that are standing around on the counter; there are more cups too, one is tilted and had spilled wine over the counter, a water bear shaped mangogo (mangoes with leg, nose and ears like sticks) is lying with its nose in the puddle.

And perhaps you remember this painting from 2021 Summer Festival?

Digital Painting, comic style: My OC Crissy Faith (young woman, short, purpley hair, big round glasses, blue overall, green and yellow striped leggings, a pocket watch dangling from one pocket, toe-free boots) sitting on a flying steam and jet propulsed bike behind a young woman (short, light green hair, safety glasses, black neckband, black wristbands, brown belly free leather top, brown tigh leather trousers, brown toe free laced boots) who is laughing and stretching the arms to the sides. In the left bottom corner is a gloved hand which tries to grab a tophat, in the foreground petals which are blown up by the slipstream, a sheet of paper likewise flying in the wind, text: "Arcryla City Summer Festival"

They indeed got caught. It showed up again as framed police photograph in Paula’s appartment in the background (although not that easily recognizable):

Digital paintin, comic style: The setting is a warm and bright morning, Paula (young woman, short turqoise hair in sidecut, toe polish in rainbow colors, nail polish in Lesbian Pride colors), standing on her balcony, stretching, one eye closed, the other one opening, the hair messy, she doesn't wear any visible clothes, hips and pelvis are covered by the railing and the pots and plants attached to it, her breast by a big leave of one of the several carnivorous plants of different types around, their twines winding the railing; at the right edge of the painting a big secretary bird is landing, looking towards Paula; in the background an open balcony door with windows, curtains flapping outwards, behind the door a room with a canopy bed, someone with purple hair lying in it, one leg peeking out from under the blanket, pictures on the wall; in the foreground tow blurred birds and flying blossoms; the look is a little bit washy, blurred at the edges.

Oh … alright, lack of decency could’ve been one of the charges, too …