scalycat

[scalycat]

Ayo you do comms?

Hello! No, unfortunately I don't at the moment, sorry. I'm thinking about it though but I'm not decided yet 😬

[scalycat]

Hearing voices again, Rook?

[scalycat]

The Rook & the Talon

Chapter 7 : An Old Friend is now available !

This chapter introduces a new character. A big "Thank you!" to @scalycat who gracefully allowed me to incorporate their Abel de Riva into my fic (the art above is from their blog, feel free to check it out).

[scalycat]

Giving this one its own post🙂‍↕️🫴

[scalycat]

Any tips on how to draw Lucanis? Like your thought process? Yours is the most accurate I’ve seen and I’m in awe 🙇🏽‍♀️

Hello Anon!

I’m incredibly honoured that you like the way I draw Lucanis. I always try my best to get him right, and it can certainly be challenging sometimes.. Faces are one of the hardest things for me to draw. I often redo them again and again until I’m more or less satisfied, so I don’t know if I can really provide a method, but i can definitely share how I approach it if you're interested!

First I gather references. If the ref has the same angle as the face i’m trying to draw, it’s easier, but my process is the same either way: I start by drawing the basic structure of a face (1), and then I add what I think are Lucanis’ most « iconic » features. In my opinion, I think his hairline, nose (if side profile), and the shape of his beard are what make him very identifiable. (2)

I try not to be too attached to his in-game model, focusing only on certain aspects because If I try and stick too closely to my reference to get everything right, it often ends up looking very stiff and I lose the expression of the face. So I pick my battles...

Once I’m done with this, i refine the line a bit more (3) and that’s when I start changing the facial structure to match his. (I add more eyebrow muscle to get his frown right, I adjust the bump of his nose, the angle of his chin and forehead if I need to, I adjust the hair..) I do this step only now because if I try to get the proportions of a character right from the start, I find it a bit more challenging. I have to go through the process of creating a « regular » face first, and then I pimp it, haha.

For the parts of his face that I want to focus on, I try to find reference points on where and how they sit on the face :

Widow’s peak hairline on top, which sits very tightly on the temples. Little bump at the root of the nose, which goes down very straight. Beard has a little « wave » shape after the smile line zone. Etc..

I keep in mind his almond-shaped eyes as well but I don’t really give it a special focus.. (Sometimes the eyes are hard enough as they are, I just draw them randomly, slap some lashes and call it a day..) If i get to the coloring part, I like to add his bottom eyelashes and his signature dark cirlces, and that’s about it.

Here I only tried to get his beard and hair right, the rest was not my focus (for accuracy I mean). I don't know if this will be of any help to you anon, but in any case, good luck with your own art! And thank you again because you gave me a great excuse to draw a portrait of him haha!

[scalycat]

Dad Abel? Dad Abel. He would be a good father :)

[scalycat]

Mapping of Abel's face scars!

[scalycat]

Feeling a bit giddy this morning... sooo I need to know-- will there be another Crow! training session in which Lucanis (tops) wins? Mayhaps? 😏

Maaaaaybe...

A brat, and a brat tamer 🫡 ( Prev > here! )

[scalycat]

I felt like talking about Rookanis sleep routine a bit so… Scraps of headcanons below!

After Endgame, Abel is prone to frequent nightmares. Most of the time, he relives a memory of the fade prison, or a variation. Other times, it’s just bad memories that come back over and over again. He doesn’t wake up with a jolt or anything, but he will mumble, wince and sweat a lot. Lucanis is a light sleeper and usually wakes up at the slightest sound to hold Rook a little tighter. Gently stroking his cheek to ground him out of the nightmare.

If Spite is here, he’ll stay nearby and observe in silence, or leave it to Lucanis if it gets too intense.

But as for their sleeping habits, there’s no assigned big spoon/little spoon. They switch all the time :)

Abel is a walking heater, and he clings a lot in his sleep. It does not bother Lucanis at all :)

Bonus close-ups 😊

[scalycat]

Can I give your Rook a pat on the head?

I don't know about a pat on the head, but he's quite tactile and enjoys affection through physical touch so he will appreciate a gentle back rub if you will :) 🫶

[scalycat]

need abel bad like im salivating

handing you this, then

[scalycat]

Rogue with a big heart :)

[scalycat]

A compilation of Crow Rook brooding 🗡️

[scalycat]

Crows sparring :)

(Rook finally won this round, much to Lucanis' surprise)

(Other part > here! )

[scalycat]

Hearing voices again, Rook?

[scalycat]

Hi, I absolutley love your artstyle!! The way you capture the characters and the dynamics are just - mmmmmm <3

(And the fact that your OC Abel reminds me of my own Antivian Crow makes it even better, hehe.)

Thank you so much!! I appreciate it :)

[scalycat]

The first "kiss" VS the last one 🐦‍⬛