This sketch was started in my sketchbooks. I started with the lovely Coelacanth fish - which I adore (I once had a superhero named Coelacanth). Then, there was some refining steps, and a buncha sketches. Some of them had more normal wings - but that was more of an interpretation for my D&D game. I chose to play with the watercolors and interlace them with the colored pencil technique that I am so comfortable with. I loved the transparency of the watercolor, especially around the fins. I added some gorgeous orange to really punch the red tongue. Anyway – it's love. Her name is Spice, and she's a sand worm – and she will obviously live in my game.


Jandari movie
From sketch to finished colored picture. Yum! It takes less than a minute to watch.


First, there is the sketch. In this case, it's two of my characters who have gotten married. He thinks of her as a wild flower, and has climbed into a rose bush to gather the first bloom of the season for her.
After the sketch is done, I scan it into the computer, and make a print-out that is the size I need. This also allows me to fade the actual line work so that it receeds into the painting more. The print-out I mount on a Cresant Perfect Mount board. Now, it is almost ready to paint. The board allows me to work more wet without the warping that happens if you are just working of Bristol or paper. I square-off the work with painter's tape, and frisket off the face of the work. Frisket allows me to put off the clear plastic and only paint the areas I want to. Starting at the 'back' of the picture, I painted the trees first. I then moved to the leaves in the foreground.
The next step, and the most important in this picture - is the characters; Keemara and Jandari. I was enjoying the light colors, so I kept things in the same tone range. Just a bit of intense color at the lady's belt (which is balanced in the last picture in his shirt).

And, the finished picture - scanned as opposed to all the photos taken.



The Process of a painting
I haven't done a huge breakdown yet. I'm always too busy painting to stop and take a few pictures. When you are on a roll, you don't stop. Here is a 3 part break down.

these are the pencils of the main figures.
I seem to concentrate on the people more than the background, so they get some detailed pencils.
I have the background in mind, but the plan for it is not as firm
The back ground is rendered first.
I like all the cool light tones and the rune work carved into the trees.
Check out the brown edges. That's painter's tape which is removed to give the finnished work it's white square edge. Everything painted on the brown is pulled off at the end.
Here is the finnished work.
It was a commision for Jason Crook of his characters Alysae and Dawn.
I loved doing the drow and enjoyed the opportunity to put a furry with her.
Dawn's name insipired the color scheme.
Pretty Please Do Not Copy