thebridgebeyond

[thebridgebeyond]

Horse-y looks? Check.

A bit of an illusion maker? Check.

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(Meme template isn't mine, but the zhu is, of course. My excuse for scribbling some art - doing two memes in one).

[thebridgebeyond]

{many of the updates are from 6.11.2025} Did some anatomy touch ups [read: damn near overhauls] on the current zhuard overview reference!

The overview maintains its design as intended, (which most likely will not be the case for the other refs..). In any event, keeping up with my own changes, I’ve started putting the date near the signature (which for art versus references, that ‘watermark’ will also be changing, but will stay the standard paw for refs)! Truth be told I should be putting the date on my art anyway. Added a much needed gradient of some sort (a custom brush). This will more or less be a thing going forward. It's actually very similar to what I do with my traditional art backgrounds!

The ref is large and text heavy, as it always was. The text is not going to show up the best here, so I will provide the DA link as well (whenever the website-or my internet- feels like complying!). There's a full edit list there of everything that has been done since this was first posted.

[thebridgebeyond]

A snow laden field in an area of the dimension, Issuhiro--it can only mean one thing: the main bend (above) has begun absorbing ambient energy back into itself for this season. In some areas, the domruku is leeched back more than expected, the normally stabilized temperature sinks and on rare occasions *if* rain moves in the area, it'll turn into snow. Both are fairly rare during the low energy season as any weather/'atmospheric' events at all ceases. Getting anything at all is extremely localized. .

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Art(c)SNW/Thebridgebeyond

[thebridgebeyond]

I have not done the typical New Year art write up and I am most likely phasing that out for some reflective art musings. They're essentially one in the same, and I don't feel too horrid for quieter years. I actually feel a bit more optimistic concerning art this year! I just updated much of my custom brushes too, with a better eye for what I think I'd like.

....

Time to knock on wood.

[thebridgebeyond]

A bit of a detailed sketch done last week as I figured 'gee, haven't drawn any young zhus in a very long time!' As it turns out, they are not as cute as I would have originally imagined from years ago. In fact, Allen here looks to be past the adorable 'out the womb' phase and more in the terrible gremlin child phase. She's also probably the size of a two year old Percheron, which isn't saying much considering how large zhuards get, but it's an amusing image. At this stage, she most likely is not versed at all with any 'form changing' abilities. A greater affinity for that comes a little later.

[thebridgebeyond]

A sketchbook doodle while waiting for laundry.

Alternative title: Between stores and tv commercials, I think I've heard the entire Mariah Carey Christmas album today, and I just can't anymore.

Is there no one else?

[thebridgebeyond]

First off, Happy Halloween/Happy Samhain!

Dark [Black] Familiar Feathers

Smeal- Allendria's familiar - overseeing her past, present and future- and a loyal companion.

I have not drawn Smeal up close in a while, and here, he is in an Earthy corvid-esque form. His corvid portrait was a spur of the moment art one night, yet the background came much later, on the heels of a very difficult week. One night, a 'junk' dream was leading me down a dark city, following a lifeless road with a few cars parked on either side. It was extremely dark outside, with the only source of illumination being an antique street lamp that cast a muted grey-ish light. I looked up as I heard some shuffling and squabbles from above. There were two crows surveying the area, then glancing at me with a cautious curiosity. I wasn't sure if they were darker than the lightless sky or not, but I saw them anyway. I gazed out in front and was met with a fog that touched the ground and almost melded into the lower level of buildings that surrounded me.

I stopped walking at this moment. Given the events in my waking life, this dream did have a somber meaning after all. The fog had nothing for me…but I did have something for the birds behind me. They were still there. Watching. Knowing. Their eyes burned a pure white glow, but I could not read their gaze.

Perhaps they just really knew I had treats in my pockets! I sat down on the curb, which was as black as the sky, and tossed some treats to them. They promptly and happily flew down to catch those treats and I felt jovial. I laughed, and felt so much joy! That was when I woke up, early morning dark blue showing through the window shades. It was still so dark out, that I knew no birds were up…but I swear I heard a few crows..

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Art(c)TheBridgeBeyond/SNW

[thebridgebeyond]

Reblog from the 'birb' focused account of mine-

I stopped procrastinating on the wreath - it took me a few hours to weave together this morning. I'm glad I went with the grapevine couronne- it makes things easier, and I like the more 'scraggly' look. I'm obsessed with dyed eucalyptus and will definitely be using it for a *possible* winter wreath. All these were natural plants,dried and preserved. I'll have to be extra careful with it, though, and hopefully, it'll last for a while.

Finally finished my fall wreath after probably a month of well..not starting it (oops), and somewhere in there is some familiarity from a loud-beaked crow I used to know~

Happy Halloween!

[thebridgebeyond]

September is Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month. I wanted to draw for the cause- one that has affected not only me, but countless of other people. There are a few subtle nods in the art itself about resilience and healing-- things that take a long while to do for those who have been affected.

The art may be a bit late in the month, but the message is always right on time.

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The Issuhiro deer seems to be a longstanding symbol for many things in Issuhiro. I know for me, I drift towards the animal in more symbolic artworks.

This is slightly more stylized than how I regularly would finish up a drawing, but seemed perfect for Sketchtember. It also reminds me of how I used to 'set'/stage are several years ago too. I used HB, 2B and 4B graphite pencil (mix of my fairly old proArts and more recent Faber-Castell), along with watercolor pencils. Some mixed media applications were used as well.

Art(c)Thebridgebeyond/SNW

[thebridgebeyond]

Farah monitoring the incoming fog across her matriarch's territory.

Observing the motions of weather related patterns was normally a job reserved for a different individual in the clan (Rascal). Atmospheric changes in Issuhiro relates directly to the ebb and flow and changing of the energy bands across its skies. Such a thing often affects zhuards more than other species.

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This landscape art was started initially as a speedpaint, but that was quite a while ago. I decided to work on it more and implement somewhat of a few new techniques (or perhaps not new but revisited). I also found my art a bit 'soft' at times in the past, but I've found ways to resolve that.

Farah is detailed just enough for an in depth color test- a way for me to more accurately discern her fur color, patterns and markings (step up from a flat unshaded color test, but also without going over into 'ref detail' territory as it wasn't necessary). She looks brown, but true brown fur does not exist for zhus with their genetics for one reason or another. What is expressed are golds, orange rust colors and black banding/agouti-like pattern that do exist, and Farah has a combination of that (also note markings and patterns may just show up at any point in an individuals life. Base color stays the same from birth). The best I can do is make comparisons to furred mammals here on earth by appearance and not genetics as there's clearly a few 'wild card'/inclusionary/exclusionary factors concerning zhuard genetics not present in animals, obviously. As much as I love these types of things and learning more about it, I can't make 1:1 connections entirely. But I am okay with that as I have found many ways to get points across with such comparisons.

Speaking of Farah's coloring- and to ramble a little more on that, the black pattern that is making her seem darker (as she actually is a gold zhuard in reality) is called 'elder marks' which is ironic as they are not white hairs, but always black ticking marks or a black agouti-like banding. The name may have been a 'tongue in cheek' given that zhuards live very long lives. In contrast, Asjha (sketch-ref): https://www.deviantart.com/thebridgebeyond/art/Asjha-sketch-ref-883529511

and here: https://www.deviantart.com/thebridgebeyond/art/874722092

-for example also has the elder pattern on his base fur (which is gold, like Farah), but the pattern is so heavily concentrated over his entire body that he looks nearly black in most areas. If you were to brush his short fur with your hand in the opposite direction of its growth pattern, you would leave a 'trail of gold'. Kind of like suede furniture handprints--the core of many childhood memories haha

As it stands, the entire color/patterns/markings ref needs an overhaul, and that's a bit of an undertaking.

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Art(c)TheBridgeBeyond/SNW

[thebridgebeyond]

A sunshower passing over the yard

[thebridgebeyond]

Creative Musings 8/2024

Creative Musings 8/2024

Moved a lot of stuff either to scraps or out of the gallery in DA, and will be doing the same for Tumblr. Kept quite a bit as well. Long overdue. I know a lot of the posts here are linked via one of those, and when the file from the source is moved, poof. So to be expected in the thread- a lot of dead links.

I'm currently in an interesting block. I'm totally fine working on things in WIP mode, been poking around with the 3D model, very off and on type of activity with that, especially as it's still a learning process in many aspects, and because I'm being a bit of a projectionist with the base model for many reasons. I can guestimate total hours, but it's truly a guestimate: I have huge gaps of space. Started the model in 2021, worked on it for maybe a few hours during 2022, 2023 a little bit less even, and I think so far the most attention and revamp it received was this year. Regardless, all of that talk and deep-dive analysis will be for when I can finally say "It's ready to print!" I truly cannot wait for that particular moment.

On the other claw, I'm on a 'no rush' schedule with certain other projects (no one is waiting on me, I don't have an audience to please- reason #'x' why being a fairly obscure hobby artist is pretty nice). There's some fully 2D things I'd like to take into the waking world in a few different ways in the future. All a bit 'over the top' creative, but just another thing to add to the list. Then there are very long term projects (and yes indeed, refs/sketch refs fall into this process heavily). I've made the mental note that long term= a project that will take long stretch of time, or something of a continuous nature. Having a block now doesn't particularly help, but it's not hurting much either at this point. It's giving me time to assess WIPs and paths to take. I still do get the urge to create from new.

One last thing to close out the musing: I am busy and preoccupied with a move that will happen in just under two weeks, so that has taken up a lot of my time and mental energy. The creative part of my brain has also gone to home decor, so perhaps that's also why I need to be in 'autopilot' mode. That said, perhaps a new outlet is slightly in order: blank wreath couronnes, nice pieces of basswood and birch wood that certainly would make lovely blank canvases for Sketchtember and Inktober..Inkvember- yes I made that one up (just throwing ideas out into the wild I'd like to do, but life sometimes has other plans)!

For everything created new, that also means something not quite crossed off the long to do list of projects…but to-do lists were never fun, were they? I welcome some chaotic spontaneity from time to time!

[thebridgebeyond]

Two nights ago I had a good amount of hours to mess around and sculpt paws from scratch. It's been a while since I touched 3D and just as long since I made any substantial progress with the overall basic model (exactly two years; July 2022)! Certainly one of my more long term projects, the model has seen some minor updating since then. I believe I did one about five months ago.. I was really stuck on how to do the paws properly back then too, so I guess the breaks paid off well!

So far I've decided to change a few things and am still working other things out. I've run into small issues that I have been solving and therefore learning a lot more. I'm finding 3D modeling, even just for a basic model kind I want (not even something rendered) is still very finicky.. but I have found solutions in different ways, so I appreciate learning from it all too. I tried my claws at it many years ago, but this would technically be the second iteration of a zhuard model. The first might have been back in 2014, but my files got corrupted (of everything unfortunately..writings too and all). I've been backing up this new model like a madperson.

[thebridgebeyond]

"Change just enough to give them a little scare."

Illantha being cheeky, showing a partial abstraction of her human guise to a glimpse of her true zhuard self.

Was feeling motivated to make something last night and finished this euphoric animation fairly quick. I love when zhuards 'move around' domruku like this (some have more pizazz about it)! May save and add a little more detail to the last frame in a sketchpile somewhere..

[thebridgebeyond]

This mini ref was sitting for a little bit, but done now. Wanted to focus a zhuard's chonky neck because I swear wrote something to the effect of 'I want to do a ref to demonstrate 'x'... not here but scrawled out in a journal somewhere recently.

The A/J hinge is what makes shiro able able to look in such a direction. The muscles flex to accommodate.. the only example of this flexion I can think of on earth is an owl. Obviously owls are much more proficient and less hindered than a zhuard concerning a head swivel. The coronet band would allow it, but the other muscles would not. Also, we don't need any zhuards doing exorcist head spins, do we?

I have to say, mane-less zhus are Interesting to look at, but still recognizable. In any case, this info sheet is more for my knowledge than anything., but I had gotten some questions on a zhuard's neck mobility in the past since it is set up quite differently than what we know in mammals, particularly that bottom convex part which can boggle some minds. Not surprisingly, the downwards motion of the neck is limited!

I suppose it helps to have hand-like paws to bring food and drink to your face when you can't bend your neck down without stretching it out first (that would get old, wouldn't it). Their creators created shortcuts which is why zhus look the way they look (fortunately or unfortunately depending who you ask)!

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Info sheet and species (c)SNW/TheBridgeBeyond

[thebridgebeyond]

*The essence of what the eye could see dwindled, and disorienting rays of light spiraled towards an orb of parasitic energy that absorbed it all. Behind the orb and the last flicker stood a gruesome sharp nosed creature with an amused gaping grin...*

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After being fairly finicky with the simple background, I got a certain look and decided to run with it- which turned out nicely imo. I really did enjoy putting in the details of this pharaoh form, and it let me sharpen up a few skills. Not too many experimental things, and definitely not a very colorful art piece, but it did end up fitting the theme. I originally wanted differently for the composition, yet the art idea had a mind of its own! I've been too busy to really think of art much, but I did want to see this one through- past the initial sketch.

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Art(c)SNW/TheBridgeBeyond

[thebridgebeyond]

I was up a bit late for my standards (past 12am..), but I was wrapped up in some light and enjoyable sketch work. I don't remember the last time I hand-transferred a sketch like this before by simply reiterating the gesture. It's a good hand-eye coordination exercise.

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Kolrosan- the ever philosophical automaton- one of a few, built by Vezmt...who's rolling in his grave due to this guy. On occasion the 'story' behind the two comes to my mind.. but for now, that is all the lore I'll write for this particular sketch. It's about time Kol got a few proper sketches in almost a decade...(and the rest of that bizarre household, but I'd like to focus on him for now).