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commander-salamander — Ruru

Published: 2012-10-22 18:17:22 +0000 UTC; Views: 608; Favourites: 17; Downloads: 0
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Description Because owls.

The Ruru or Morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae is native to New Zealand and can be found across Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, Timor and other islands. The names echo the calls this bird makes. According to Maori tradition the ruru is a guardian and is connected to the spirit world, its different calls herald good or bad news.
The ruru appears on the coat-of-arms of Ankh-Morpork.

Acrylic and metal leaf.
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Comments: 20

kodama [2013-02-02 18:40:03 +0000 UTC]

The texture on this is phenomenal. It looks stylistically flat, but the texture and I suppose the general shininess make it pop out. I'm loving the illuminated manuscript vibe. I don't think the old monks spent much time drawing owls, but clearly they should have. Well, back to browsing more dinosaurs!

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commander-salamander In reply to kodama [2013-02-02 21:10:40 +0000 UTC]

You got it!
I'm having trouble with the leaf at the moment, trying to find a suitable varnish, the wrong one ruins the leaf, either it's shininess or begins to corrode it (fake gold is copper based) which is annoying when you have finished a painting.

Browse away. I do that too sometimes

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furbearingbrick [2013-02-01 16:40:53 +0000 UTC]

This has an awesome "old world" feel to it.

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commander-salamander In reply to furbearingbrick [2013-02-02 02:40:49 +0000 UTC]

Thank you. Perhaps it is the gold that does that?

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thomastapir [2012-10-24 04:33:53 +0000 UTC]

Aw, so cute...This guy definitely looks like he knows how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop! The breast feathers are a veritable abstract geometric landscape, recalling a scanning electron micrograph of, um....something that looks smooth but isn't at high resolution. Digging the Starry Night backdrop as well, it just fits somehow!

Man, how do you produce these so prolifically, and make them look so damn good?

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commander-salamander In reply to thomastapir [2012-10-25 00:07:40 +0000 UTC]

Aha! You picked up on the Starry Night! You get a biscuit and a thank you

Prolificacy occurs when you don't have much else to do :/ although I wish I was more organised and regular.

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thomastapir In reply to commander-salamander [2012-10-29 04:43:08 +0000 UTC]

OM NOM NOM nourishing digital biscuits!!

Hey, your output seems pretty regular to me, though obviously I'm not a doctor...For me it's one of those paradoxical things where I become less and less productive when I DON'T have anything else going on. Lack of healthy creeative pressure, I guess. : /

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commander-salamander In reply to thomastapir [2012-10-31 23:31:19 +0000 UTC]

Creative pressure. I think I know what that is. Whether it's healthy is another thing!

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R9A [2012-10-23 09:26:53 +0000 UTC]

WOW... I feel like a mouse!!!
I like your choice of colors here. The feathering seems to glow.

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commander-salamander In reply to R9A [2012-10-24 23:59:01 +0000 UTC]

It was down to the washes of yellow I did in the under-painting that did that. I had to start again a couple of times to get it right.

Mouse heh!

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R9A In reply to commander-salamander [2012-10-25 08:51:53 +0000 UTC]

It was definitively worth the effort!

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commander-salamander In reply to R9A [2012-10-26 22:44:33 +0000 UTC]

Definitely!

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Allison-beriyani [2012-10-23 03:21:38 +0000 UTC]

Was it the Ruru specifically, or an owl in general on the coat of arms?

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commander-salamander In reply to Allison-beriyani [2012-10-23 07:36:29 +0000 UTC]

It was included after Pratchett was made aware of a bird called a morepork.

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Allison-beriyani In reply to commander-salamander [2012-10-23 09:08:14 +0000 UTC]

Aha!
Dyslexic moment, read "morepork" "Mo-Ray-Pork".

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commander-salamander In reply to Allison-beriyani [2012-10-24 23:51:30 +0000 UTC]

Lol!

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Andrew-Graphics [2012-10-23 01:46:40 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful work as always!

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commander-salamander In reply to Andrew-Graphics [2012-10-24 23:57:20 +0000 UTC]

Aww thanks

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HeffyDoodle [2012-10-22 19:26:19 +0000 UTC]

Hehehe. More pork.

Beautifully done. This is hypnotizing to look at, in a good way

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commander-salamander In reply to HeffyDoodle [2012-10-24 23:57:09 +0000 UTC]

That is the sound they make if you whistle "more pork" or "boo book".

Thank you! I wanted it to be arresting in some way.

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