maiji: Shen Wei / Heipaoshi part 2

[Image 1: digital ink-brush style illustration of Shen Wei/Heipaoshi from Guardian. In the background, Shen Wei holds an open book and glances over his shoulder. In the foreground, the masked Heipaoshi ("Black-Cloaked Envoy" is in a mid-attack pose, his right arm out with the sword in a flipped position extending behind him. Organic, inky lines wrap about the figures in a frame that seems to be made of a necklace, the large magnified pendant curving just under Heipaoshi's sword-wielding arm. Lines reminiscent of ink trails, billowing fabric and wispy shadow, cloud, or wave-like forms. The pendant and the background of the illustration have yellow/gold/amber tones. Loose ink ovals in opposite corners of the image frame two sets of handwritten Chinese characters. Top left reads "Heipaoshi" and bottom right reads "Shen Wei". Image 2: very rough scribbly sketch of the above composition] A followup commission for yaaurens of the two identities of the “Black-Cloaked Envoy” from the Chinese SF/fantasy-danmei drama 镇魂 (“Guardian”)! You can see the previous illustration here. Both this and the previous piece came from the same prompt, two different takes! It's really interesting not only to compare the rough thumbnail with the final, but also just the entire process of experimenting and playing with various approaches to the composition. This style itself is very organic, and it's really fun to play with the lines in terms of where/how they vary or become thick or thin or blob out as I try find a balance that gives the right feel and focus, letting Heipaoshi shine with that mysterious dynamic energy without making things feel too cluttered and busy.Thank you yaaurens for giving me the chance to illustrate this beloved character again! It was such a delight to get to work on this!I’m currently still open for commissions! More info here.