foxstory on DeviantArthttps://www.deviantart.com/foxstory/art/The-Reader-582189895foxstory

Deviation Actions

foxstory's avatar

The Reader

By
Published:
697 Views

Description

This artwork is a surprise gift for whitepup, whose coyote fursona is depicted above.  Emma is shown reading a life science textbook opened to a page about DNA.  Her collar features a Fullmetal Alchemist red and black cross charm.  Bookcases in the room are well stocked with colorful books as well as a globe, stacks of sketchbooks, writing/art supplies, and miscellaneous trinkets.  A Gurren Lagann drill bit, a Fullmetal Alchemist watch, and a stapler sit on a low shelf to the right.  A sunflower in a glass vase rests on a side table below a window revealing a blue sky day. 

This artwork features a carpet texture from textures.com as well as several textures built into Photoshop CS4.  Soft shading using the multiply setting and some highlights using the screen setting add a bit of depth to the otherwise flat colors.  In this picture, I started out creating the bookshelves with an infographic / iconic style of large blocks of solid color in repeating patterns.  I added a bit of variation into the picture with faint overlay textures when it seemed that Emma's fur markings clashed too much with the regularity of the color blocks in the background.  I often selected regions and filled them with solid colors rather than directly painting as I have in the past.  I'm still experimenting with my digital art style.  This picture took slightly more than 7 hours to produce. 

I happen to have great gratitude for Emma on account of her reading and responding to the latest version of the first act of the novel I'm writing.  Emma, it means so much to me that you've taken an interest in my work.  Thanks to you, I can move forward with my work knowing that there's someone waiting to learn what happens next for the characters.  I'm hoping to find more readers along the way as I prepare to further develop this project.  At any rate, I felt that I ought to make something for you to commemorate and celebrate your being the first to fully read and react to the latest version of the story.

For those who aren't familiar with my novel-to-be Transpecies, my brief pitch for the story is: What if an adolescent girl gains her secret wish to become a wolf but then has to survive the consequences in a dangerous future world as an unregistered genetic creation, alongside others from her time facing the same perils? In this daring adventure, cognitively enhanced animals seek sanctuary in a dangerous and uncertain future America.  I have art and writing relating to the story organized in a folder in my DA gallery here foxstory.deviantart.com/galler… .  This journal foxstory.deviantart.com/journa… has  more information about my open call for critique readers.

Comments and critique on this picture are greatly appreciated.
Image size
1600x1600px 2.55 MB
© 2016 - 2024 foxstory
Comments3
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
magicmudcat's avatar
AHHH THIS IS GORGEOUS! I'm so sorry it took me a few days to reply to this! I'm awful at checking my messages XD

BUt woah this is so amazing ;3; I love all the detail you put into the background. That must have taken forever! AHH
I just love how you added tidbits of things I like to the background; it definitely adds to the piece! Emma looks super cute; I love your shading! The lineless style looks super nice!! 

Thanks so much for this! It was such a nice surprise!! <3 <3