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rachaelm5 — Draconigena Noctiluca

Published: 2011-02-20 20:05:46 +0000 UTC; Views: 6036; Favourites: 377; Downloads: 0
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Description

Once again, because Latin is COOL... Draconigena Noctiluca is "dragon-born stuff-that-glows-like-the-moon."

This is the front cover art for the Lunacon program book. I changed my mind on the cover content almost every week, and finally realized that I did not have enough time left to do the Epic Thingy I had originally planned.

I came up with this instead - it's actually very simple with four elements: Dragon head/wing/hand, dragon tail, moon, and starfield background.

I made each piece separately, scanned each one into Photoshop, then assembled it digitally. Like the rest of my assemblage pieces, there is an analog version that I will mat and frame for the art show.

The analog version looks almost identical to this digital version, so I don't need to upload the analog for comparison this time.

The dragon bits were made with Prismacolor pencils over a watercolor base, with gold paint pen highlights. I cut it out with an X-acto knife when I finished the coloring.

The moon is made of repousse metal (a thin sheet of aluminum) that was originally gold-tinted. I cut out the crescent moon shape, then tooled in the spiral shapes with a dull pencil. I used a thin layer of blue and purple acrylic to enhance the tooled effects.

The background is a whole lot of layers of acrylic paint and gloss medium. What can't really be captured with a scanner or a photograph is the way that it shimmers in the light. There is a subtle layer or two of gold paint, with blues and purples and reds mixed in. I also added little gold, silver, and white acrylic shiny bits.

The original art is about 11x14 inches.


Step-by-step process:



Lineart for coloring:




Original art: Sold.

Prints:
8x10 inches for $15
11x14 inches for $30
16x20 inches for $50
(shipping included)

Related content
Comments: 115

rachaelm5 In reply to ??? [2014-08-15 04:30:10 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!

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crazyruthie [2014-08-15 01:55:45 +0000 UTC]

beautiful!

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rachaelm5 In reply to crazyruthie [2014-08-15 04:29:12 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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triumf500 [2014-01-22 07:17:56 +0000 UTC]

really really great!!

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rachaelm5 In reply to triumf500 [2014-01-23 00:37:26 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! 

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TheKatWhoGotJinxxed [2014-01-12 19:06:20 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful.

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rachaelm5 In reply to TheKatWhoGotJinxxed [2014-01-12 19:10:34 +0000 UTC]

Thank you. 

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Zeimyth [2013-02-18 01:52:58 +0000 UTC]

I love your colored pieces! Your linearts are fantastic, of course, but they're often so busy and detailed that it can be hard to make sense of what is going on. But when you do have the time to color them in, you never fail to impress me with how beautiful your artwork comes out to be.

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rachaelm5 In reply to Zeimyth [2013-02-18 21:46:04 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

Lately, I've been reverse-engineering a lot of my older designs. I'll end up with every design in full color eventually, but I've used the old designs with links to the full-color versions to show what it is possible to do with them. I realize that they're very complicated - these aren't necessarily designs for a kindergartener's coloring book! They take quite a bit of effort to complete, but I hope that those who take up the challenge enjoy themselves as much as I did.

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blanket86 [2013-02-14 16:49:41 +0000 UTC]

This is so amazing! Very nice style! Congratulations!

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rachaelm5 In reply to blanket86 [2013-02-14 23:38:59 +0000 UTC]

Thanks very much.

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Psythiros [2013-02-13 02:20:43 +0000 UTC]

Just stunning!

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rachaelm5 In reply to Psythiros [2013-02-14 01:08:04 +0000 UTC]

Thank you.

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NINJAWERETIGER [2013-02-13 00:22:06 +0000 UTC]

That is so cool!

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rachaelm5 In reply to NINJAWERETIGER [2013-02-13 01:04:20 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!

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NINJAWERETIGER In reply to rachaelm5 [2013-02-13 01:18:36 +0000 UTC]

Your welcome!

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LizanaBee [2012-11-05 03:52:34 +0000 UTC]

Amazing... and thank you for the step-by-step! I'd never considered using watercolor underneath colored pencil before. Do you do that to avoid the irritating white spots that have a tendency to show up no matter how thoroughly one colors with them? That was my best guess, anyways.

Your work is inspiring!

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rachaelm5 In reply to LizanaBee [2012-11-05 20:00:00 +0000 UTC]

Thank you for your kind words!

I do indeed use the watercolor underpainting to eliminate the irritating white spots, though I tend to color so hard that I eliminate them anyway with my layering - Prismacolors are soft enough to do that. I also use the underpainting to keep my color schemes together, or to have something in the background to counterbalance whatever I do to the creature in the foreground.

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LizanaBee In reply to rachaelm5 [2012-11-05 23:34:19 +0000 UTC]

Ohhh... that DOES make sense. I'm like you, I normallly just color Hard with the Prisma's so that the wretched white spots don't show up. I think that I'll have to try the watercolor approach, though. I'm not terribly adept with watercolor and my biggest irritation is when the paper warps (but I guess that would imply the wrong sort of paper?).

Wait... backgrounds? Oh yeah... those DO need to be done. *chuckles*

I also wanted to ask: do you have any trouble with the paint/gel pens "sticking" to the colored pencil? I'd never considered using them because I assumed they would just wipe right off.

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rachaelm5 In reply to LizanaBee [2012-11-06 00:19:23 +0000 UTC]

As to the gel pens... I've not tried them over Prismas; I use them primarily over watercolor/watercolor pencil on my ACEOs. If the ink is water-based, then yes, it will wipe right off the uber-waxy Prismas. DecoColor metallic pens (which is what I used on Draconigena) work well over waxy mediums, as they have a xylene base. Some alcohol-based markers and pens will work, too.

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rachaelm5 In reply to LizanaBee [2012-11-06 00:14:22 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, you do need to use a fairly thick paper for watercolors - 80# drawing paper will work, but it's fragile. 100# bristol board or 140# watercolor paper is better, or you can use cold-pressed illustration board at 150 - 300#.

For my backgrounds I usually just slap colors in there. To help with the warping, especially with stuff like bristol board, I wet down both sides with a spray bottle before I start painting. That will work with 80# drawing paper, too, but you have to be very careful how you handle it when it's sopping wet, as it tears easily.

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LizanaBee In reply to rachaelm5 [2012-11-06 00:26:02 +0000 UTC]

Wow! Thank you SO much for the tips on both the pens and watercolor. I've had a larger-scale project I've been working on for a few months and had stalled out because I wasn't sure how to finish it... you've given me a LOT of ideas and if I wind up trying a technique similar to what you've been doing, I'll certainly give credit where credit is due.

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rachaelm5 In reply to LizanaBee [2012-11-06 02:28:00 +0000 UTC]

I'm glad to help. I learned this stuff by watching what other artists have done, and I'm happy to spill art secrets to the benefit of others.

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LizanaBee In reply to rachaelm5 [2012-11-06 02:37:20 +0000 UTC]

I like the spilling of art secrets.

Admittedly, I was also thrilled to find your work (and many you watch / are friends with) who create in traditional media rather than primarily digital. I like digital work and I think it's very shiny, but... it's not my cup'o'tea for art-making. In short... it has been a great pleasure stumbling onto your corner of the dA-verse.

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rachaelm5 In reply to LizanaBee [2012-11-06 23:10:23 +0000 UTC]

When I was in college, digital art was still in its early stages - I think we had Photoshop 2.0, Illustrator of an earlier version, Quark XPress, and Auto CAD. The printers couldn't output anything worth framing, so I didn't really feel it was worth my time and effort to learn digital media at that point. That, and I really did (and still do) enjoy making a huge mess and having artwork take shape in the middle of it. I also admire other folks who can handle their traditional mediums well, but by the same token, I also admire folks who *did* take the time to develop their digital media skills and have created absolutely amazing stuff that, in the past, you needed a super-expensive airbrush set to accomplish.

I'm glad you're finding all sorts of great artists and resources here on DA. That's a lot of what I like about this site, too. I learn stuff from everybody, pros and hobbyists alike.

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Antycasper [2011-08-29 21:13:28 +0000 UTC]

SPRUNG FROM THE DRAGON SHINE BY NIGHT

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rachaelm5 In reply to Antycasper [2011-09-01 23:24:49 +0000 UTC]

Yes, that's a literal translation. I only found out later that the Noctiluca part is a term used to describe the algae and plankton that sit on the surface of the ocean and glow.

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Antycasper In reply to rachaelm5 [2011-09-04 01:45:54 +0000 UTC]

the Latin is a very confusing language

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heartandsouldragon [2011-08-15 22:48:24 +0000 UTC]

this is awesome! im at a loss for words.

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rachaelm5 In reply to heartandsouldragon [2011-08-17 01:32:02 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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heartandsouldragon In reply to rachaelm5 [2011-08-17 11:22:48 +0000 UTC]

your welcome!

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Avanemi [2011-08-15 12:57:51 +0000 UTC]

This is really nice I love all of the little details you put in because that makes it look just so much better!

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rachaelm5 In reply to Avanemi [2011-08-17 01:31:53 +0000 UTC]

Thanks very much. It's the detail that drives a lot of my projects, truly. It's an enjoyable challenge to try to find the perfect balance between "superbly detailed" and "overkill".

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Avanemi In reply to rachaelm5 [2011-08-17 14:27:36 +0000 UTC]

It is a tricky line to walk sometimes!

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RynWolf [2011-08-14 18:52:24 +0000 UTC]

great!!!! i would give it 30 stars!!!! but im no critic

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rachaelm5 In reply to RynWolf [2011-08-17 01:31:11 +0000 UTC]

LOL - Thanks very much.

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rebeccawangart [2011-08-06 14:55:58 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful! I love your dragons.

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rachaelm5 In reply to rebeccawangart [2011-08-07 16:40:07 +0000 UTC]

Thanks very much. As fast as I had to throw this one together, it turned out to be one of my favorites this year.

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vincegotera [2011-07-28 20:31:04 +0000 UTC]

Rachael, I just love your work, as I've told you before. The play of blue and green here is marvelous. Fave.

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rachaelm5 In reply to vincegotera [2011-07-29 03:45:03 +0000 UTC]

Thanks very much, Vince. I plan to play with this kind of composition more in the future. (And yes, of course I'll be playing with the blues and greens again - it's just about my favorite color range. )

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Cornaline [2011-07-19 11:19:37 +0000 UTC]

It's beautiful I like your style You seem to be very creative at using different media an materials ^^

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rachaelm5 In reply to Cornaline [2011-07-23 23:30:07 +0000 UTC]

Thanks very much!

I do a lot of experimentation with the mediums I like to use, and it seems to come out the most when I do work for other people...

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squidink [2011-06-05 09:28:28 +0000 UTC]

It's quite a fluid and vivid piece. All the sinuous movement, textures, and construct makes me want to look at it over and over again. Lovely and elegant work!

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rachaelm5 In reply to squidink [2011-06-06 01:21:27 +0000 UTC]

Thanks very much! I'll definitely be experimenting more with this kind of design. It was a nearly-last-minute thing, but it ended up working much better than I'd expected.

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JadeThePredator [2011-06-05 04:18:16 +0000 UTC]

I love how you use so many different untensils and tools and techniques to do your art. Makes it something really special, I feel.

I like the teals and blues on the dragon, but I really like the moon.

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rachaelm5 In reply to JadeThePredator [2011-06-06 01:42:06 +0000 UTC]

Thanks very much. The mix-and-mash media thing is something my mom has been encouraging me to try more often lately. She ended up buying this piece precisely because of the metal moon. "More!" she says. "More like this!" LOL - Yes, Mom.

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HRLSS-GeckoTea [2011-05-10 17:10:57 +0000 UTC]

This is fantastic!!! I love the amazing detail and choice of colours!!!

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rachaelm5 In reply to HRLSS-GeckoTea [2011-05-11 03:57:05 +0000 UTC]

Thanks very much! The blues and blue-greens are definitely among my favorite colors, and I was glad for the opportunity to really let them shine in this piece.

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Waylien [2011-05-01 02:48:14 +0000 UTC]

The colors of the dragon and the accent of the metallic hues of the moon work together to perfection in this one. I love it!

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rachaelm5 In reply to Waylien [2011-05-01 04:52:57 +0000 UTC]

Thanks very much. This is probably the most cohesive attempt I've made with the metallics/colored pencil combination, and I definitely plan to do more in this vein.

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