riddleofstars - Tumblr blog

[riddleofstars]

I haven’t been very active on this account because like usual, I’ve been drawing frantically, but unlike usual, I’m so absorbed that I don’t feel like taking the time to critique stuff online. I also unfortunately am not getting much done on my webcomic. I’m obsessed with the goal of getting hired as an animation storyboard artist, and I concluded I need more than my own original scripts to get there. So I assigned myself two fan storyboard projects to force me to work in new styles. This is the first set of character designs for the bigger project based on the Riddle of Stars trilogy by Patricia McKillip. I’ve tried to draw these two, Morgon and Deth before, and never had it turn out, so this is exciting. The focus here is to work out a style language. I ran as many lines together as I could, going for a Legend of the Seven Seas aesthetic, and I drew very detailed hair and eyes, pulling inspiration from anime. There’s one more thing I want to try - taking out some of the lines and making the rest not black (Klaus-style) - but these drawings are a good start. Now I get to decide on a scene to storyboard and I might go all out - for the climatic ending of the second book. That will give me a good idea if Deth’s design holds up ;) Incidentally, there is a character in this series named Lyraluthuin, which is my screen name for most of my social media accounts. Not a coincidence.

[riddleofstars]

Hi!!! So I want to read The riddlemaster triology because I absolutely love Mckillip’s work! Ombria in Shadow is my favourite!! You should really read it if you haven’t yet! But it seems like the triology is for young adults? And being in early 20s I was wondering if it’s anything like a normal cliche young adult fantasy?

Hello, fellow McKillip fan! I have indeed read and enjoyed Ombria in Shadow, though I think my favourite of her standalone novels is probably Alphabet of Thorn.

If you love McKillip’s work, definitely give Riddle Master a go. In terms of genre I would definitely not classify it as ‘YA Fantasy’, especially as the genre is currently defined and characterised. There are young protagonists (the main character is in his twenties) as well as plenty of characters who are...very much not young. And the series itself, in terms of style and themes and characterisation is far more epic fantasy (despite being shorter than even a single volume of many modern epic fantasy series) than anything else, really. 

Are there specific cliches you’re worried about? I can probably confirm/deny without too much risk of spoilers, but overall most of the things I’d think of as cliche in current YA fantasy are not things I think of when I think of RM.

Also, if you love McKillip’s prose and style in general, RM is more of that beauty and worth it for that alone. But the story is also excellent, and the characters, and all in all I’d definitely recommend giving it a try.

[riddleofstars]

Deth ~ the High One’s harpist

Alone in the backlands under a sky as black as the pit of a dead king’s eye, we have nothing left but our honesty. And our names. There is great richness in yours, but not even hope in mine.

(for @neuxue)

[riddleofstars]

How about Maglor suddenly losing all of his creative superpowers

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Come join! Tagging @loquaciousquark from the original post’s notes - anyone else, if you know someone who should be on this, please tag them!

hello, Riddle-Master trilogy fandom, such as you are, it’s one star calling you out of silence

would there be any interest in having a Discord server on which to chat about the books/motivate one another to write fic or draw art/answer riddles/unlock ancient spellbooks/bind the unruly ghosts of the Three Portions?

[riddleofstars]

hello, Riddle-Master trilogy fandom, such as you are, it’s one star calling you out of silence

would there be any interest in having a Discord server on which to chat about the books/motivate one another to write fic or draw art/answer riddles/unlock ancient spellbooks/bind the unruly ghosts of the Three Portions?

[riddleofstars]

Storybook Landscape Photos Celebrate the Enchanting Beauty of Iceland

[riddleofstars]

Prince Morgon of Hed, The Star-bearer

an updated version that i started working on last year but have yet to finish because i’m lazy. anyway, this is morgon from patricia a. mckillip’s riddlemaster trilogy, an A+ series of books that everybody should read imo.

[riddleofstars]

Washed ashore with @hannah_gabrielle_ (at Point Dume)

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Quick little homework assignment for drawing class, I love Riddle-Master and also this quote

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Today’s digital practice.

First one is composition practice; I have to do more of those as I tend to end up tightening up digital doodles that are not worth the time I spend on them because composition sucks. So I need to do more composition sketch practice.

Second - I finished rereading Riddlemaster Trilogy and I love those books <3 Anybody wanting to read them should prepare for lots of suffering, also emotional :3 And I love many characters in this book but I think Astrin would win first place if I had to decide. He’s intelligent (this is a vice shared by many characters in this book, male and female alike), loyal but also extremely proud and slightly eccentric. Anything more would be spoilers. I am glad to say, though, that rereading I realized/remembered my white-hair fetish stems from him as a character rather than being random visual quirk from manga.

[riddleofstars]

The great treasure of the Three Portions of An

Riddle-Master secret santa gift for @ailavyn-siniyash

One part of what was supposed to be a pair – unfortunately, I got sick and was unable to finish it! Once I get through some of my backlog, I intend to put the other half together. In the meantime, I hope you like it!

[riddleofstars]

Riddle Master Secret Santa: Posting gifts

It’s time to post the gifts you made! You can either submit them to this blog or post them to your own with the tag ‘riddle master secret santa’ and I’ll reblog them here. 

[riddleofstars]

Riddle Master Secret Santa: Posting gifts

It’s time to post the gifts you made! You can either submit them to this blog or post them to your own with the tag ‘riddle master secret santa’ and I’ll reblog them here. 

[riddleofstars]

title: only your love makes house a home [AO3] rating: somewhere between G and T; I went with T on AO3 to be safe pairing: Elieu of Hel/Duac of An words: 573 description: Elieu and Duac reunite after Elieu’s return from Isig.

this is my Riddle-Master trilogy secret Santa fic for @bedwyrssong, who it won’t let me tag (also if you have an AO3 username lmk and I’ll mark the AO3 posting as a gift). the prompt was “I’d be interested in anything involving Elieu, anything that’s M/M, or anything that expands the worldbuilding of the shape-changers”; I hit the first two, at least. title and epigraph from Patrick Wolf’s song “House”.

oh, I love that here you live with me

“I could have used your help this last while,” Duac said, later, when they were safe — or, at least, as safe as anyone could be in the face of so much uncertainty — behind the closed door of his room. “my father has been even more insufferable than usual, which means, of course, that when the Lords of the Three Portions want anything done they come to me instead, and then I’m left to try to get him to do something about, well, anything. you’ve always been so sensible. An could have used that.”

Elieu smiled slightly. “it’s nice to know you missed me while I was away.”

“every day,” Duac said; then, ruefully, “and every night.”

“I missed you, too, my friend,” Elieu said, and Duac took a step closer and kissed him, deep and lingering, wrapping his arms around Elieu and pulling him into a tight hug. when the kiss finally ended, Duac rested his head on Elieu’s shoulder and they stood in silence for a while.

“it’s different, kissing you with this beard,” Duac said finally.

“in a good way or a bad way?” Elieu asked. “it can be gone by morning if you don’t like it.”

“no,” Duac said, “in a good way, I think.” he stepped back a bit to give the beard a long, considering look, though he kept his right hand on Elieu’s arm; now that he was back, Duac never wanted to let him go again. “it suits you.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Elieu said. “I would have gotten rid of it, truly, if you’d wanted, but I’ve gotten used to having it around.”

Duac smiled at that.

“I made you something,” Elieu said, “in Isig.” he reached into a pocket and pulled out a small wooden talisman, inlaid with a simple pattern in gold. he held it out to Duac. “it was the first inlay I did entirely by myself. it’s not much, but…”

“it’s beautiful,” Duac said.

“I meant to put it on a chain, but with one thing and another I never got around to it,” Elieu said apologetically. “and then I was making preparations to come home, and, well. there wasn’t time. but now that I’m here maybe I can put something together.”

“thank you, Elieu,” Duac said. “I’ll look forward to being able to wear it.” Elieu looked down and scuffed his foot; Duac could see the blush he was trying to hide. “I missed you. Oen’s right hand, I missed you. I know going to Isig was what you wanted; I just wish…I wish I could have gone with you, I think. which is impossible: I have too many responsibilities here. but…I missed you.”

“well,” Elieu said, “I’m here now.”

“yes,” Duac agreed. “you are.” they lapsed into silence again for a moment, then Duac said, “I wonder what else feels different with the beard.”

“why don’t we find out?” Elieu winked. Duac laughed.

“come on, then, Elieu of Hel,” he said. “I think you’ll agree you’re wearing far too many clothes at the moment.”

“I’m not the only one,” Elieu said, and they both laughed this time. Elieu sobered briefly, then, and added, “it’s good to be home in An. back in Anuin. back with you.”

“it’s nice to know you missed me while you were away,” Duac said, and Elieu smiled again. “home wasn’t the same without you. now, come on — let’s get to bed.”

[riddleofstars]

Reblogging because timezones. (’Today’ is also on the flexible side, because timezones etc)

Riddle Master Secret Santa: Posting gifts

It’s time to post the gifts you made! You can either submit them to this blog or post them to your own with the tag ‘riddle master secret santa’ and I’ll reblog them here. 

[riddleofstars]

Riddle Master Secret Santa: Posting gifts

It’s time to post the gifts you made! You can either submit them to this blog or post them to your own with the tag ‘riddle master secret santa’ and I’ll reblog them here.