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sithness — The Noble Ladies Beifong
Published: 2012-08-22 09:54:35 +0000 UTC; Views: 15681; Favourites: 490; Downloads: 72
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"I don't know if that's necessary, mother. Lin sounds pretty cultured to me."Three generations of Beifong ladies in traditional chinese costumes. Partly inspired by *shoomlah 's historically accurate Disney princesses - that's some amazing work there, if you haven't seen.
Headcanon is that Toph eventually reconciled with her family but obviously they'd never really understand the lifestyle she (and eventually Lin) adopts. Of all the prissy upper-class activities, I think music lessons for Lin would be the only acceptable compromise for the blind bandit and her family. And I bet Lin will take to it like earthbending hahahaha. Especially since it's an art form her mum can actually praise her for since Toph can't see her kiddy pictures.
But really, this is just an excuse for me to draw elegant ladies in traditional Chinese costumes. Poppy's in Tang dynasty wear... I referenced it off several paintings, particularly one of Lady Yang. Toph was a hard one because I didn't want to stuff her in something that wasn't in character... but I think this Qing dynasty changshan worked out well. Referenced from period dramas. *shame* Lin was the easy one - 1930s Shanghai qipao just goes with her hairstyle sooo well. Referenced old Shanghai posters and movies like In the Mood for Love and Everlasting Regret for this. Motifs: peonies for Poppy, lotus for Toph and bamboo for Lin. I took a long while considering the symbolisms and stuff, and I'm really pleased with how appropriate they are. The peony symbolizes wealth and honor, the bamboo for resilience. Fairly obvious. As for the lotus... well... 出淤泥而不染 (to emerge from the mud unstained).
And musical instruments are badly drawn. Was trying to merge the Shanghai deco style into the instruments but I dunno... Whatever. Look at the ladies!!
Awful lot of work for fan art. But hey, it was fun, especially since I've been doing hardcore life drawing in uncomfortable tropical jungles and parks for the past week. I deserve to indulge in guilty fan art pleasure.
Edited; So several comments have said that Toph looked too manly. I don't know about that - to be honest I don't really see it. But since I was editing a bit of Poppy's dress that was bothering me (bad line art), I tried to edit Toph's face and neck a little to be more feminine as well. The problem, I suspect, may be in my attempt to age her... she's supposed to be in her mid to late 50s in this picture since she gave birth to Lin in her early thirties. Not sure... it looks a bit better to me, what do you think?
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Comments: 62
I just noticed Lin has pieces of armor under her chair and cable wrapped around the arm. NICE DETAIL!!!! I love this piece!!!
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This picture is wonderful. I too love Poppy's outfit and Lin's dress is outstanding. Poppy has to be at least 70 in this picture, nearing 80.
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Thank you! I hear the next season's gonna feature a lot more of the Beifong family - I can't wait!
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I like it - it reminds me of Michelle Yeoh in Wing Chun, which is totally appropriate!
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This is gorgeous. They all look fantastic and I love the thought behind it as well. Excellent work. I think Toph looks pretty, for what its worth.
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Thank you! Do you happen to be the fanfic writer satomobile? If so, I loved your 'The Push & Pull'. I left a review as 'Q' a few days ago. <3
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Omg! Yes! That is me 
Anyway, so glad you liked it. I'm working on the next chapter, having a little trouble with writers block, but man just hearing from someone that enjoys it gets my inspiration going again so thank you!!
And please keep doing your amazing art! I absolutely love it.
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Yes! I have seen your tumblr, but I don't have an account myself. Been wanting to get one, but have been too lazy to even complete the sign up process hahahaha. I should really get one just so I can dump all my doodles and sketches. I only ever feel comfortable posting completed works on DA.
Glad that you enjoyed the review! I thought you deserved something longer and more thoughtful for the work you put into the fic. I really enjoy reading good, thoughtful fanfiction because they're more than just some cathartic emotional closure for fans but also detailed studies of characters & relationships... you know, the stuff that the show doesn't have time to explore. Fics that are purely emotional responses tend towards the melodramatic and 'quick quick let's make the stuff I wish to have had happened happen nao!!!11'. They also get a ton of reviews, but they just don't work for me at all.
Keep doing the work you do, because even if it seems like not many people are appreciating it, the content is much more meaningful than the crappy and unrealistic shippy fics that flood ff.net.
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I love the idea behind this picture, and it came out beautifully!
However, I kind of do see what people are talking about with Toph being a bit masculine, I don't think it's the face so much as it is her tunic; Poppy and Lin both have very feminine floral bodices/dresses on, and with Lin's it defines her breastline a bit more. With Toph, the tunic doesn't really do her female form any justice--granted that is more attuned to something Toph would wear.
But yeah, awesome picture, but if you do want Toph a bit more feminine, I'd say slim down the tunic a little
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Thank you! No - I think at first I was bothered by the comments, but after speaking to a few of my RL artist friends, they didn't find anything masculine about Toph. We found that that it might be a problem with Western perception, where a lot of emphasis is placed on the exaggerated female figure (in comics, anime etc.) when women really don't look so hyper-sexualized. I hinted at her femininity with her slim fingers and the slight indent of her clothing where her hand is placed on the hips, but I suppose most people don't get that. I can live with the crits and I'm happy with how it looks. Really appreciate your thoughtful comment - it's not often I get one!
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No problem! It's not often I get people who take critique the right way! So that's welcomed too. And yeah, I get REALLY sick of people drawing anime-esque women with size 0 waists and triple D breasts; it's unrealistic, not to mention visually unpleasant. I did notice the little indent of Toph's hipline, and I don't think she looks at all "manly" she looks a little rough for a woman, which only means you captured Toph perfectly!
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Whoops! I said breastline when I mean waistline >_< sorry!
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Amazing picture!
Hmm, yeah, Toph does look a little masculine, but it doesn't bother me too much, I suppose.
Overall, this is an incredible picture! ^^
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Thank you! Glad you liked it. (:
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Words cannot describe the beauty of this picture. *.*
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Its a great drawing but your viewers are right. Toph looks like a man :/ Her chest is too wide and broad and she has no waist. Her feet are rather large in proportion but what makes her the most mainly would be her neck. Her neck is much to large across. It goes from the back of her head, all the way to the front of her chin. It's too large to be feminine. In fact I'd honestly change the necks on all of them, out of them all Lin's neck is the best but still slightly bigger in comparison to her head.
I see you tried to make it more realistic, the way Legends of Korra did with their new take on style and the anime/manga/realistic blend they use for drawings c; they made many mistakes too but that's because their style has changed through the years. Even A:TLA's first season art is vastly different from the final season. We grow the more we draw, our styles change the more we draw and when we try new styles, we have to learn it all over again to grow in new styles.
Here are some tutorials, I've become a fan of them as I learn to draw. Can't wait till I get a scanner one day c;
There are some various examples on the human forms. Toph was still very tiny in the new series, even as the 40 year old she was in the flashbacks. She's still very short and tiny compared to those around her. Though they often messed up the head and face proportions and often made her appear with six fingers... -.- the height and width of her waist showcased how truly tiny she was. Her hips were wide but her torso short and small. In the poster of the four Team Avatar characters all grown up, she is almost a foot shorter then both Sokka and Aang and she is still inches shorter then Katara.
Here her chest is much to wide in comparison to the rest of her body, her cheek bones have to sharp an edge and are very high. Many women have high cheek bones, in fact it is often considered very beautiful and many women envy them (But dear god Megan Fox, why the HECK did you get them implanted. Ya just look scary now.) lol... but despite that most have softer edges in their face.
As for the neck, even looking into a mirror or at the people of everyday, their necks normally aren't as wide in proportions to their head, and normally when the neck is as wide as the head it is a sign of certain biological disorders, or in some cases accidents in which left a person looking and sometimes acting much different then before.
The details, the coloring, most of the other anatomy proportions, clothing and objects are all done very well. It wouldn't hurt to check out some tutorials. Deviantart has tutorials for EVERYTHING, just make sure to use the tutorials that look professional, I've found a few that I'd question learning from, and as artists we never she NEVER EVER stop learning improving and trying new things.
Hopefully you'll make another drawing of the three Bei-fongs. You should draw them dressed for as ball, as I'm sure Poppy would want Toph to attend as a member of the family, and if she had to suffer it, so would her daughter ^-^
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Heh heh. Nice picture! With the exception of Poppy, the Bei Fongs aren't exactly the kind of family you'd expect to be fancy. I love their outfits.
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You really do lovely work. 
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Hahaha. Glad you think so. I figured if so many people thought that she looked manly maybe there was something wrong.
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I actually got worried that I was the only person and that you thought I was insulting you. D:
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LOL don't worry about that. I never take my work too personally - it's easy for me to maintain a professional distance from it so I hardly ever get insulted.
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nice.toph kinda looks like a dude.but it's still a nice picture.
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Take a look at the edited picture and my associated reply! Thanks for the comment. (:
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So elegant and classy!
Yeah, the comments below have already point out the awkwardness with Toph´s body, but apart from that, this is really amazing!
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Take a look at the edited picture and my associated reply! Thanks for the comment. (:
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Oh, I see. Thanks for the explanation!
No problem! It was a pleasure!
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OH, My. Lin is so amazingly sexy in this. you don't even know how much blood is running out of my nose, spilling on to my keyboard.
Oo O
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Hahaha! She does look rather attractive, doesn't she? I love Lin so much. Thank you for the comment!
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Magnificent!
My only nit-pick would be Toph's face. She looks a little too manly, but everything else, is breath taking!
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Take a look at the edited picture and my associated reply! Thanks for the comment. (:
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The figure is also a bit manly - too broad shoulders for a lady (even for Toph)... I dunno...
But the atmosphere and costumes are gorgeous!
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Hmn... as for her shoulders. I'm quite sure they're fine, especially if you compare them with Lin's. LOL Her's are actually broader. It's the illusion created by her clothes, I think.
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Yeah, it's a little bit the clothes' fault.
Now that I think of it, the shoulders might not look so broad if the neck was thinner.
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Take a look at the edited picture and my associated reply! Thanks for the comment. (:
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this is beautiful! *O* i love to the bei fong
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Thank you! Took me a while to get the clothes right.
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i love the outfits, i love the concept, i love EVERYTHING about this picture! wonderful job!
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This is gorgeous! You can really see all the thought and time you put in it.
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Thank you! Glad the thought and effort shows through. <3
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