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“She shone like the sun, that woman, who still bore the colors of mourning. Despite everything, hope still blazed in her eyes. And for a moment, Luriana felt the flames begin to catch in her soul.

If Elizabeth could withstand such loss and stand firm on the other side, what storms could she brave in turn?”

Elizabeth is the brain-child of the lovely @translucent-ego and you should go give her some love! This piece is inspired by an AU we created a few months ago. I’m experimenting with a more ‘painterly’ style for this piece so let me know what you think!

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Capping off our main cast is the Society’s director himself, Mr. Quincy Harker!

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Design Notes for Quincy:

- Credit to Harker’s final design goes to the lovely @translucent_ego

- Harker is rather tall for his time, standing at 5’11” (180cm). He is quite strong and has a large, looming presence when he enters a room.

- True to his namesake, Quincy has an admiration for American Cowboys that is reflected in his design. Being raised on the stories of his parents and their misadventures left him with an enormous respect for both them and their work.

- Quincy is a member of the Catholic Church. His belt features the Omega symbol (‘the end of things’) and he can also be seen wearing his rosary.

- Quincy’s promotion to director marked the beginning of a new generation of monster hunters following the retirement of his parents and the other founding members. Quincy does not take this task lightly and can often be seen toiling at his desk late into the night.

- Harker’s gorget (neck armor) is specially designed to cover his entire neck and jugular area. (The engraved crosses are also designed to resemble fangs). This is a special piece of armor that is worn by all of the leading figures of the Society.

- While he may not be on the field as often as he would like after his promotion to director, Harker’s armor is a special form of brigandine (metal plating covered in leather/fabric) that is designed for close, melee-style combat with SNs.

- Harker’s primary weapons are his kukri and Bowie knife (the same weapons used to slay Dracula), followed by his revolver for long-distance attacks.

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Introducing the Jekyll Estate staff

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- Mrs. Jessica ‘Harpy’ Harpshire is Jekyll’s tightly wound and stiff-lipped housekeeper. Hired shortly after Poole, Mrs. Harpshire has been well acquainted with the Jekyll family since Henry’s boyhood. She has seen it all, and subsequently knows how to keep things in order… even without the presence of her beloved husband John. Deemed ‘the Harpy’ by Bradshaw, she is respected and feared by nearly all of the staff (Poole being the only exception).

- Mr. Steven Poole is the eldest and most tenured member of the staff. Poole has performed many roles within the house over his twenty years of service as head butler and valet to Dr. Jekyll and his father. Loyal to a fault, Poole will see to it that his master’s house and reputation is kept in perfect condition, come any trial that may arise.

- Mrs. Lillian Davies is Jekyll’s cook and head laundress. After severely injuring her leg in an east end wash house, Mrs. Davies found herself and her three children in desperate need for work and shelter. Enter Dr. Jekyll. When she is not in the kitchen preparing for lavish dinner parties or ensuring the master does not starve himself to death, Mrs. Davies spends her time instilling her values of hard work and integrity to her children.

- Mr. Niles Bradshaw serves as Jekyll’s footman and unofficial jester (much to everyone’s dismay). Jovial and charismatic, Bradshaw ensures that the house is never entirely quiet. His good looks are readily used to incite the attention of any woman he encounters, but unfortunately for him, never quite seem to catch the eye of the one person he actually wants to notice him…

- Ms. Valentine Davies is the youngest member of the staff at 15 years old, but her age is hardly noticed in the wake of her shining character and determination. After working several years under her mother’s tutorage as a scullery maid, Valentine worked herself through the ranks to become one of Jekyll’s housemaids. Kindhearted and empathic, Valentine is quick to endear herself to nearly everyone she encounters.

- Ms. Emily Waller is Jekyll’s infamously levelheaded chambermaid. Having come from several houses prior to working at No. 28 Leicester Sq, Emily has learned how to thrive in the cutthroat world of service, even if it is to her detriment. She is quiet, wise beyond her years, and knows far more than she would ever dare to say aloud, even to her friend and coworker Valentine.

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Entertain Me

(I may be a bit ahead of myself introducing her but I cannot wait for season 2!)

Introducing Mrs. Ann Craven Jekyll, Henry’s mother and eternal thorn in his side. Languishing in her “moderate” abode in the heart of Paris with her retired husband, Ann spends her days keeping up with the times and making calls with her peers. When she is not preoccupied with social life or planning parties, Ann will spend her time doting on her husband and catching him up on the week’s events.

Artist Notes:

> Both the title of this piece and a part of Ann’s character/story was inspired by the Barlow & Bear song “Entertain Me”

> Ann’s dress is based on a dinner dress made by House of Pingat that would have been considered the cutting edge of fashion at the time (Mid to late 1870s). The dress is currently held at the Chicago Historical Museum.

> Ann and Robert live in a “modest” apartment in Paris, an arrangement made by Henry upon his father’s retirement. Ann has painstakingly adapted the flat to suit her needs as a socialite in the very heart of the fashion forward world.

> Hailing from an old money, aristocratic family with ties to France, Ann is the youngest (and arguably the least successful) of her six sisters. While her ancestral fortune had dissipated by the time of her marriage, Ann was raised with all the social graces of a lady in the early Victorian era. Ann still carries herself with the same elegance (and price tag) of those bygone days.

> Beyond her tastes in fashion, gossip, and society Ann is a rather romantic soul with a flair for the dramatic. She has a guilty pleasure in reading flighty romance novels.

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Yay more 3am wips! This time featuring Luriana’s flat

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Hey there! As I’m preparing for the next few months of work in addition to selecting a few side projects for this page, I would love to get your feedback to see what you would be interested in seeing from this page!

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Bonus Panel

The 3am thoughts overtook me soooo… Mini-backstory on Hyde’s harness!

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The 3am thoughts overtook me soooo… Mini-backstory on Hyde’s harness!

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Evolution of Hyde’s design over the years.

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Miscellaneous doodles from a very fun AU / One off crossover a friend and I wrote a little while back…

Luriana finds herself in a world suspiciously like her own, only to discover that the infamous Victor Frankenstein is alive and well! Not only that, but his famed Creation is no where to be found. Elizabeth Lavenza, notable socialite and political Salon hostess, teams up with Luriana to track down her absent fiancé before this story becomes the familiar tale she had thought was set in stone.

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I am pleased to introduce our latest addition to the Hiding in Plain Sight crew, Ms. Susan Oltzman!

Design Notes for Susan:

Susan is fairly tall compared to other women in her time, standing at 5’5 (~165cm) in a time where the average lady was about 5’2

Susan is well versed in London polite society—being raised in the home of her wealthy father, she is no stranger to the rules, customs, and traditions of the English upper middle classes.

Her day dress is a unique blend of current and past trends from the early 1870s, emphasizing simple geometric designs while still following the fuller, crinoline shape of the 60s. Susan’s design emphasizes her stoic, no-nonsense personality.

She is very well groomed. Her naturally unruly curls (a feature inherited from her Greek mother) have been tamed back into a tight bun that she wears on most occasions, despite it often giving her headaches.

Susan’s society uniform is heavily armored in order to protect against werewolf and shapeshifter bites / scratches. Her belt and gorget are made of silver, while her bracers and greaves are made of plated iron.

The emblem shown on her belt is the Greek Orthodox cross ☦️

Her weapon of choice (not shown) is a sawn-off shotgun she named ‘Mercy’ alongside several hidden blades, most of which are dipped in silver. However, Susan is proficient in most weapons used in the Society.

Susan’s design sheet has been one of my longest projects in recent times, racking up over 30 hours of work over a YEAR of on and off drawing. 🫣 Needless to say, thank you all for your patience. I believe this time has paid off, and I am looking forward to sharing more of the HiPS world with you in the future

#art #digitalart #referencesheet #susanoltzman #hidinginplainsight #hipsofficial #gothicliterature #gaslampfantasy #characterdesign #oc #victorian #girlboss #monsterhunter #christianartist #procreate

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Welcome to the Edinburgh Room

That man, he seemed familiar. Luriana tried to recall where she had seen him, but the pounding in her head quickly silenced the hazy thought. She began to sit up when a piercing pain shot down her spine.

“Where am I?” She asked through clenched teeth.

“My guest room.” He said, turning away from her as he grabbed a damp cloth from the bedside. “I must apologize for the lack of introduction. Unfortunately, it was rather late when my assistant brought you in.” He paused, contemplating his words, “He claims you fell from rather high up, which would explain the concussion-”

“Fall? When did I?” The numerous events from the night prior suddenly come roaring back to her all at once. Harker. The storm. And...

“I have to go.”

Artist Notes:

> Jekyll holds a soft spot in his heart for his Scottish heritage and styled this room specifically to appeal to his father’s taste while he was visiting London

> The portrait in the background is of Dr. Robert Jekyll, particularly during the height of his career as a surgeon notorious for his efficiency and care when treating patients

> In addition to being a staunch advocate for medicated surgery, Jekyll Sr. was also admired for his immense strength (and secret prowess at boxing)

> This room finds its real counterpart at The Fife Arms Inn (located in Braemar, Scotland)

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He bloosh. At what, is he blooshing? The world may never know....

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Do you know about the salt and light tag? 👀 lots of Christians artists over there! Check it out <3 not a Christian but thought you would want to know babes.

Oooh!! I do not! But it looks fascinating, thank you for the recommendation Anon!

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Sooo… I just realized I sent the reference sheets out of order, oops! Back by popular demand, Luriana now has an official reference sheet!

Some fun notes about Luriana’s designs.

Her Society uniform is heavily inspired by both steampunk monster hunters and Victorian riding habits, as well as some western gunslinger flicks just for good measure. Her riding habit is specially tailored to give easy access to her gun holsters and can be quickly removed to make getaways easier. (Luri also uses it as a distraction when fighting, kinda like throwing a handkerchief when using Bartitsu 😉)

Another fun piece I would like to highlight is her formal gown. Some of my historically savvy followers may have spotted something a bit out of the ordinary with it.... that’s right! It’s actually from a decade earlier than the story takes place (1860s). This is an intentional move. The story behind this dress is that it used to be her mother’s before it was passed down to Luri, with the intention of (hopefully) wearing it to the many parties in town in search of a husband. Luriana had different aspirations, so it’s stayed locked up tight for a special occasion. (Hmm... wonder when that would be...)

I had a ton of fun drawing her in all her Victorian monster hunting/sass master glory. When researching for her designs I got a lot of inspiration from @priorattire’s lovely reconstruction pieces. If you haven’t already checked her out, what are you waiting for?! She’s a historical fashion icon for sure.