An Unexpected Endeavour

Dunno if I'm happy with it but it's a finished piece so!!! Enjoy

i am shrunken down and brought to the gnome world and when i attempt to assimilate to their culture I use an acorn cap as a hat and they all laugh cheerfully at my silly mistake of wearing what they use as a bowl like a cap and though this is a transgression that would have humiliated me in my human life I am instead laughing alongside them at my humorous misunderstanding

they ask me what I would like to eat and knowing that gnomes enjoy fruit i ask for my favorite fruit, an apple, and they all laugh raucously and say that i must be very hungry indeed to desire an entire apple rather than just a small chunk, and i go along with their joke and say that while my body may have shrank my stomach has not! and they all guffaw with delight until their faces turn red and see that my request is met and we all sit around a toadstool and share many apple slices together

over my time spent with the gnomes, my antics are still regarded with much delight. though i am past the age in which i am confused by their customs and norms, i occasionally pretend to be clueless about simple and easily understood things, such as shock at how toads are as tall as I am. they all continue to laugh at my feigned surprise, and sometimes join in, asking me if I need any help distinguishing what berries are for eating and which are for painting. i laugh, too. there is a sense of grace that comes with my shortcomings amongst the gnomes. they are entertained by my misunderstandings, yes, because life is to short to not be jolly.

i wake up one morning back at my original size. the small cavern in the roots of a tree that i lived in is destroyed in my sleep. my clothes, tailored from cut-up scraps of fabric, are shredded around me. i am a human again. i am horribly embarrassed.

the gnomes of the community gather around where i sit, all looking at me and exchanging glances with each other, none of them speaking the obvious. i can no longer stay here, now that i am not their size. but i was part of their community. i became one of them, indistinguishable from these people only from my past. how am i supposed to return to the world of the humans now? there is no life left for me there. that is not a life where i may fish for minnows in a babbling brook and feast off a bounty of raspberries. i am distraught. i cry.

my community comforts me. friends, all minuscule to me now, pat me wherever they can reach, nimbly dodging the tears that fall from my face. one of them offers me water. they don't have any containers that are big enough for me, they apologize, so just this acorn cap filled with morning dew will have to suffice.

i take the acorn cap and look at it in my hands. it is so small now. with a sniff, i put it atop my head.

the gnome chuckles. then laughs. then bends at the waist, bellowing with laughter, supporting himself on my knee. then i am laughing too, face red, tears still falling, and my community of gnomes laughs with me as well, so loud that a flock of birds takes off in the distance, and i am still laughing even as i stand to my feet and lumber away, back to where i once came.

House on a hill

I'm so glad people liked this drawing! I struggled a bit to get this one right so I thought I'd share my process for this.

Attempt 1 - The design of the house is a bit bland and unrealistic. I thought the tree came out ok but the grass in front of the house needed work. I also decided I wanted to add shadows through color instead of ink for the next attempt.

Attempt 2 - A much more interesting house but the grass still needs a bit work and I'm not happy with the new tree. Clouds are ok but uninteresting.

Attempt 3 - Improved the house a bit - rounded chimney, new roof and not as dark shadows. I also got rid of the wooden support beams sticking out of the roof. I'm working more with texture on the house this time. Improved the grass and I'm very happy with the new tree which got a lot more interesting in texture and dark/bright values.

Color - With some color I was able to divide this drawing into three areas of value - 1. The house + foreground, 2. The tree, 3. The sky. Added some simple shadows too. Lastly I created a layer with noise and a tiny splash of color as finishing touches.

That was my process drawing this house. Hope it was interesting and/or helpful!

A very small 1-page Skyrim zine I made this summer, in a single day right before Japan Expo. @frostgiant-art also made one about the Thieves' Guild !

Assorted panels from RMR Chapter 1: RED MOON RITES.

DEMON IN THE NAME OF DEVIL! DEMON IN THE NAME OF DEVIL! DEMON IN THE NAME OF DEVIL! Available as prints with 30% off here: www.inprnt.com/gallery/ohotnig/

Lady Vanity as a Triple Goddess with Starshine Fierce & Starlight Lass featuring @arealgreg‘s character Edge. Pencils by @arealgreg and inks & colours by me!

Daredevil #24 (2013)

And the tastes keep coming

Edge is © Greg Barr

Art by Andres Labrada, http://andreslabrada.tumblr.com/

OMGTHISISAMAZING