17.7.11
† Creative Bokeh Tutorial †
Recently I paged through the March 2011 issue of Practical Photography and saw a really neat little bokeh experiment presented by photographer Ben Turner. I immediately decided to try it and had so much fun that I just had to share it. Sadly I couldn't find an electronic article on it to repost (unless I'm blind), so I decided to record my own process. :)
Find Part One here!
Part two coming soon! :)
11.7.11
† Artists' Block †
I've been suffering from a really heavy case of Drawer's Block lately. I've been pushing myself really hard and feeling a little burnt out, so I think I might take a short break to try and focus on my photography studies and getting some other personal projects into gear...
Having said that,I leave you with a peek at the last couple of illustrations I've been busy with. I think they're both pretty mediocre right now, and I simply can't be bothered fixing it up right now - so any feedback or suggestions would be more than welcome!
"WonderKind" (c) Madelein Janse van Rensburg 2011
"Steampunk Coppélia" (c) Madelein Janse van Rensburg 2011
22.6.11
† A Goblin Guardian †
If I mention the word "Labyrinth", no doubt 80% of you would think of David Bowie in pants spanned so tight that it seems almost vacuum sealed. And yes, I would indeed be referring to the cult-classic by Jim Henson. As Politically Incorrect as some of the... ahem... 'insinuations' in the film might seem at first, what with a beautiful innocent teenage girl being kidnapped by/drugged by/stared at with the rapeface eyes of - a man considerably older than herself... It, at the same time, seems charming and daring and romantic. And for ages I have been a biiig fan of the film and the idea of Jareth and Sarah (of course a grown up, less annoying version of her) together.
A Goblin Guardian is an ongoing fancomic I've been casually working on over the past year or so. And by "casual" I mean "when I have the time/motivation", meaning I only have 13 pages completed. It started completely by accident: I'd doodled down some thumbnails of cute Sarah/Jareth moments, which happened to fall into sequence, and posted it to DeviantART. It EXPLODED, and hundreds of fangirls/boys pleaded for more. I obliged, at first with random postings, but soon enough I found myself making a plot for it.
For months I've struggled finding the will to carry on with it, and I was considering bringing it to a close soon. So I took out my notebook and jotted down a few ideas, which inspired me all over again to create more! I actually look forward to drawing the pages now that they're a bit more planned. Hopefully the fanbase will love what's coming up as much as I do!
5.6.11
3.6.11
† Supporting Torea Art Studio †
Torea Arts Studio (Gisborne NZ) is a non-profit community organisation that has supported the creative growth of local artists with mental or physical health issues. They have been presenting workshops and gatherings that have helped out so many people, but recently their funding has been cut and the directors have been running the show in their own time with very limited resources. So in effort of helping the struggling folks at TAS, a few local businesses are placing exhibitions around town to showcase the works of the artists involved and raising awareness of its existence.
This weekend, CodeShack Ltd. is hosting an exhibition at an old Railway Station in town, showcasing and even selling some of the works. In attempt of helping these wonderful people out, I am donating 30% of the proceeds from "Ghost in Me" and "Mille" (which will both be exhibited at the CodeShack Exhibition as well) to TAS. It is only a drop in the bucket, but I truly hope that it makes at least the smallest difference to the people who need it!
If these pieces don't sell during the weekend, I will be auctioning them off. :)
Other businesses that have been involved are BNZ and Verve Cafe, Gisborne.
31.5.11
† 31/05/11 †
Awww yeeeeeeaaaahhhh, making some progress on the pages for Madison&Harmony. Here's a little fun pic in the spirit of things!
Madison&Harmony (c) Madelein Janse van Rensburg 2011
3.5.11
† Portfolio Overhaul †
Yol folks!
So lately I've been feeling the need to update my portfolio to "Industry Standard" so that I can actually get work once I get the whole freelancing gig on the go. I've been hanging around on conceptart.org a lot and gaining heaps of inspiration and reference from there. Hopefully enough to help me shape a nice little gem of a portfolio for yer viewing pleasure :)
Here's a few paintings I did today:
The internet has thousands of websites to host and show off your artworks like DeviantART and Artician.com which I've both been using for years along with many others. Though to be honest, as much as I love dA I can't help but feel that it's become less serious with time. Lately it has become just another social platform for bored teenagers who use the galleries to post hundreds of iphone-camera pictures of themselves and try to pass it off as "photography", because the art categories don't cater for "cam-whore". Those that don't use it for this purpose use it to post all their Naruto and Bleach fanart. Which, don't get me wrong, can be cool, but it is just not appropriate for serious critiquing or proper showcasing any more (unless you're a fashion photographer of course, everyone LOVES seeing pretty people dressed up in the latest fab fads and all that). I've simply lost the will to take dA seriously anymore.
I love the feel of conceptart.org. It consists of a community who all support one another. Everyone is friendly and honest, but most of all everyone is serious about their work. It's not a bunch of snotty trendy little kids trying to sound like wise asses on the interwebs. It's a mature and passionate atmosphere and I love it. I might not kiss dA goodbye for good, but I sure as heck won't look at it the same way ever again.
Anyhoo, I am currently busy with many personal projects including Madison&Harmony, the new portfolio, photography studies, setting up a merch store and freelancing gig and learning industry software. I feel a little overwhelmed by everything I want to achieve by the end of this year, but hopefully if I stay strong and keep at it things will start happening :)
Also, in my free time I've been playing an awesome indie game called Trine, my boyfriend got it as part of a Humble Indie Bundle and I've fallen in love with it >.> I've been playing it so much that I've even been dreaming of swinging by a grappling hook!
Anyhow that's all I've got to say for this week!
Laters!
xx
18.4.11
† Madison&Harmony †
1. I'm waiting on some peeps to authorize some forms for me, and if all goes well I should have an online merch shop up in a few weeks. Which is exciting, I've always wanted to go into apparel but have been to scared of it. So fingers crossed for no glitches!
2. Madison & Harmony. A comic concept that my sister and I brewed up together that has never properly seen the light of day, whose first chapter is currently underway. My goal is to complete a short story graphic novel to sell at the Armageddon Expo in Auckland next year (or if I manage to finish on time, which I doubt, this year even) along with some of my merch and prints. If it is well received by the public, I might think of presenting it to publishers (eek!)!
Here's a peek at some of the artwork and the first chapter cover for Madison&Harmony. I designed the logo in the second image myself and I'm still not quite happy with it, but I think it will do for now.
Madison and Harmony are two cute little twin sisters with a dark twist. Harmony is the happy, perky elder twin with a deadly violent streak, she suffers from Tourette's syndrome, which makes for many random comical outbursts. Madison is the quiet, serious younger twin shrouded in mystery and darkness. The girls share a huge stuffed animal named Bunneh, who is almost like their triplet and goes everywhere with them. He's the 'cool older brother' type of character who almost has more personality than them though he can't speak or move. Together the three of them deal with daily life as misfits and take joy in the simple things in life: making the neighbours' lives hell, playing guitar, world domination and being silly.
The first chapter starts off with Madison explaining Harmony from her point of view - on her evil throne in the corner of their room.
I'm on the third page currently, and it's been so much fun to draw so far - I really hope it stays that way!
Anyway on a different note, Easter is coming up and I'm off for the long weekend to soak up whatever sun is left before the Winter sets in and kills my extremities.
Happy Easter and all that!
xxx
5.4.11
† Artist Feature †
Harro peepls!
Since I don't always have something neat and interesting to post, I thought I'd
start to occasionally share another artist's talent with the few of you who stumble on
to my humble little blog!
Here's a peek:
For this week, I'll kick off this neat little segment with a fellow redhead Kiwi artist:
World, meet Kelly Thompson...
Kelly is a fashion illustrator and photographer extraordinare in my book.
Her illustrations are stylish and modern, yet timeless and thought-provoking at the same time.
Beautiful? YES PLEASE!
All images were sourced from her Facebook Page
8.2.11
† World Characters †
Howdy doo, folks!
That time of the week again! Lifting off from last week's post, Motherland, I'm going to discuss a couple of
the creatures that reside in the different countries of the Motherland. I might split this into different posts and just handle some of the magical anthropomorphic characters this week.
Let's start off with the:
Elves
There are different Elves for each region, and each type has a power unique to their region/type.
Forest Elf
Country: Southern Meadows spreading to south Corjetuvlök
Element: Earth
Forest Elves live to care for the Earth. They are known for their manipulative abilities and are separated from other Elves by their non-elemental powers. Instead of harnessing physical power, they specialise in chanting. They can easily take control of objects by chanting to it, though their favourite playthings are humans. Like all the Elf families, they are lead by a Grand Elf, who serves as Guardian of the Meadows.
They are more playful than the others in the Elf families.
They symbolise Manipulation.
Water Elf
Country: Northern Wetlands
Element: Water
Water Elves thrive in the Northern Wetlands, where they are well known for developing intricate and complicated devices and technologies that run on water, despite their very ethnic and tribal appearances they are far advanced to their neighbouring countries. They have the ability to manipulate and control large bodies of water(depending on age, experience etc.).
They are highly intelligent, peaceful and welcoming.
They symbolise Wisdom.
Frost Elf
Country: Far Northern Frost
Element: Ice
Frost Elves are rare and live in tiny colonies (which are few and far between in the first place). Due to the intense cold of the Far Northern Frosts, very few reside in the North of the region. They are heavily tribal and territorial, and are well known for being aggressive and violent when even slightly provoked. They have the ability to manipulate ice into shards - handy as weapons and tools.
They speak a completely different dialect that only some Northern Wetland Elves can understand or somewhat interpret.
They symbolise Destruction.
Witches
Country: Southern Meadows
Element: Various
Witches are powerful beings skilled in magic from power that they source from nature. At a young age, witches apprentice with their mothers, who teach them all the laws and basics. They then have to set out on a journey across the Motherland to find their crystal. Once found, these crystals are then cut and shaped by the owner herself, and mounted onto a staff that she keeps with her for the rest of her existence. Each witch's elemental power depends on her crystal and it's country of origin, so if it was found in the Shaenne Canyon (for instance) it would be a fire crystal.
They can also use various other smaller crystals that they can allocate for particular tasks, such as healing or navigating. However it is absolutely forbidden to try and use any of the Merùsanite Crystals*.
As any other being on Earth, witches decide their temperament for themselves, not all witches are bad - but not all are good.
At a certain stage in her life, the witch sets off back into the Motherland to find herself a mate - a mortal man - who will ensure her an heiress.
Once a witch dies, the crystal on her staff melts and becomes a part of the Earth again, where it will once again grow for thousands of years and form new crystals.
Small Fae
Faeries and Pixies
Country: Southern Meadows/Corjetuvlök
Element: Earth
Faeries and Pixies are only two of many types of small fae. They are known as "The Children of the Forest" and help maintain it's beauty. In Corjetuvlök, faeries help the Grand Fae Guardian to hide and preserve the Merùsanite Crystal* and are the only other beings to know it's whereabouts.
Pixies are typically smaller than faeries and are known to be tricksy and playful.
** The Merùsanite Crystals are sacred crystals that nourish the Earth and keep all living things alive and balanced. Each country has a crystal that is unique to them, and each crystal has a different temperament - as if they themselves are alive. Only the ruler of each country knows it's whereabouts and is responsible for its safety.
Well that's it for this week! :B
Hope you enjoyed meeting new species!
Ciao for now!
xxx
That time of the week again! Lifting off from last week's post, Motherland, I'm going to discuss a couple of
the creatures that reside in the different countries of the Motherland. I might split this into different posts and just handle some of the magical anthropomorphic characters this week.
Let's start off with the:
Elves
There are different Elves for each region, and each type has a power unique to their region/type.
Forest Elf
Element: Earth
Forest Elves live to care for the Earth. They are known for their manipulative abilities and are separated from other Elves by their non-elemental powers. Instead of harnessing physical power, they specialise in chanting. They can easily take control of objects by chanting to it, though their favourite playthings are humans. Like all the Elf families, they are lead by a Grand Elf, who serves as Guardian of the Meadows.
They are more playful than the others in the Elf families.
They symbolise Manipulation.
Water Elf
Element: Water
Water Elves thrive in the Northern Wetlands, where they are well known for developing intricate and complicated devices and technologies that run on water, despite their very ethnic and tribal appearances they are far advanced to their neighbouring countries. They have the ability to manipulate and control large bodies of water(depending on age, experience etc.).
They are highly intelligent, peaceful and welcoming.
They symbolise Wisdom.
Frost Elf
Element: Ice
Frost Elves are rare and live in tiny colonies (which are few and far between in the first place). Due to the intense cold of the Far Northern Frosts, very few reside in the North of the region. They are heavily tribal and territorial, and are well known for being aggressive and violent when even slightly provoked. They have the ability to manipulate ice into shards - handy as weapons and tools.
They speak a completely different dialect that only some Northern Wetland Elves can understand or somewhat interpret.
They symbolise Destruction.
Witches
Element: Various
Witches are powerful beings skilled in magic from power that they source from nature. At a young age, witches apprentice with their mothers, who teach them all the laws and basics. They then have to set out on a journey across the Motherland to find their crystal. Once found, these crystals are then cut and shaped by the owner herself, and mounted onto a staff that she keeps with her for the rest of her existence. Each witch's elemental power depends on her crystal and it's country of origin, so if it was found in the Shaenne Canyon (for instance) it would be a fire crystal.
They can also use various other smaller crystals that they can allocate for particular tasks, such as healing or navigating. However it is absolutely forbidden to try and use any of the Merùsanite Crystals*.
As any other being on Earth, witches decide their temperament for themselves, not all witches are bad - but not all are good.
At a certain stage in her life, the witch sets off back into the Motherland to find herself a mate - a mortal man - who will ensure her an heiress.
Once a witch dies, the crystal on her staff melts and becomes a part of the Earth again, where it will once again grow for thousands of years and form new crystals.
Small Fae
Faeries and Pixies
Element: Earth
Faeries and Pixies are only two of many types of small fae. They are known as "The Children of the Forest" and help maintain it's beauty. In Corjetuvlök, faeries help the Grand Fae Guardian to hide and preserve the Merùsanite Crystal* and are the only other beings to know it's whereabouts.
Pixies are typically smaller than faeries and are known to be tricksy and playful.
** The Merùsanite Crystals are sacred crystals that nourish the Earth and keep all living things alive and balanced. Each country has a crystal that is unique to them, and each crystal has a different temperament - as if they themselves are alive. Only the ruler of each country knows it's whereabouts and is responsible for its safety.
Well that's it for this week! :B
Hope you enjoyed meeting new species!
Ciao for now!
xxx
1.2.11
† Motherland †
Howdy folks!
Time for an update! :) This week I'm going to pick up where I left off in last week's post, Old Things Made New. I'm going to explain a bit more about the world that these characters live in and try to give you an idea of their different environments. So in the next couple of paragraphs, I'll explain a bit about each region.
There are still a few kinks that I need to work out, but these are minor. :) Here goes:
Welcome to The Motherland
West
Crystalflake Forest (Forest of Corjetuvlök)
Spirit's homeland. Crystalflake is known for it's beautiful, lush trees that never die or wilt due to the power of a special crystal. It is also known for its dangerous inhabitants, and is one of the most dangerous countries in the Motherland. Many creatures from the other countries drift to Crystalflake, and over the years have evolved into beings unique to this place. For instance, ages ago some of the mighty dragons of Shaenne Canyon moved into the forest and adapted to it to a point where their predecessors have no trace of Shaenne left in them anymore. They are now dragons unique to Crystalflake. Scientists argue whether this was caused by the minerals in the water of Crystal Lake, and some even believing that these new breeds have no relation to Shaenne in the first place. But only nature will know... Small (nicer)fae also make this forest their home, and they help Spirit to sustain its natural beauty.
Honan Country
Ruled by King Jono, Honan is a peaceful, friendly country mainly inhabited by mortals/humans. It is driven by its agriculture, and so it is mainly just a farming country. The people of Honan are warm and receiving, they mind their own business and rarely cause a ruckus. But their peace is often disrupted by a stray monster from neighbouring Shaenne.
Islands of Mae
The Maean Islands are what would historically be known as "Savage Country". The third most dangerous place on the map, not much is known about this mysterious set of islands or its inhabitants. It is said that they are of human form, but have extraordinary supernatural powers that they harness from the dead. Rumour has it that these people might seem like they haven't evolved with the Motherland, and their little boats never come too close, but they hide something far advanced from the rest of the world.
North
Nothern Wetlands
Inhabited mainly by a breed of elf-like creatures that thrive near water. The country's entire infrastructure consists of water-driven/dependant beings and technologies that are totally unique to only them.
Far Northern Frost
Inhabited by ice fae and hairy beasts of all sizes, though it is not a large population due to the extreme and constant cold. Few dwell in its direction, but those who do have a purpose. That purpose would most likely be to see Lake Glacea - the largest frozen lake in the Motherland that is said to be home to serpentine creatures unable to escape their icy cage. If you're lucky, at dusk you might catch a glimpse of the shimmering scales far beneath the black surface.
Epicea
The typical "Holy Land", Epicea is home to clerics and religious followers. At the foot of the Epicean ranges lies the Holy City of Glass. Epicea is technologically advanced far beyond all the neighbouring countries, and virtually no fae reside there due to the Epicean racism. Powerful supremacist clerics who oversee the country believe that fae are the scum of the Earth, and so they are not allowed to "soil" their beautiful country. But not all of the Epicean people are like this, and have proven that it is not really such a bad country. Above, on the summit of the Epicean ranges, lies the Fountain of the Gods. This sacred lake is the origin of all the Motherland's rivers and water supplies. It is said that drinking the water straight from the Fountain either gives you devine blessings and knowledge far advanced to that of a normal person - or kills you. And it is Mother Earth who makes this decision based on the kind of person that you are. Epicea is a country shrouded in mystery and dark secrets, despite its shiny and sparkling clean appearance.
North East
Isle of New Epicea
Home to generations and generations of monks. It is also said that the peaceful, sacred Isle was the place of sacrificial rituals in the old days.
East/South East
South Eastern Desert
The most dangerous place in the Motherland. Not because of the inhabitants(who are an unfortunate few and far between) but because of its harshness. The South East Desert is a massive expanse of heat, hot winds, snakes and sand. And absolutely nothing else.
South
Southern Meadows
Cyprus's homeland. Home to witches, gorgeous fauna and flora and various small fae. Not all witches are bad or evil with an ugly warty nose! In fact, the witches of the Meadows are earth-bound beings that focus on elemental power, either for the love of nature or for the sake of convenience (y'know, a self-functional mop does a world of good to a bad back!). Mostly the Southern Meadows is a beautiful peaceful paradise of lush green fields.
Central Motherland
Shaenne Region
The second most dangerous country on the map. Inhabited by dangerous dragons and scaly creatures of the Shaenne Canyon, travelling through it is out of the question unless you're utterly mad.
**Now as you might have noticed, there are a lot of elemental references. The entire Motherland can be broken down into this:
Corjetuvlök/Southern Meadows = Earth
Honan = Wind
Northern Wetlands/Epicea/Isle of New Epicea = Water
Far Northern Frost = Ice
South East Desert/Shaenne Region = Fire
Islands of Mae = Constellation
I've added two more elements as I believe that they have far different qualities from the regular four.
Well! That's all I can give away this week! Hope you've all enjoyed being whisked away into a different world for a few minutes! ;) Next week I might expand on the different races and give you all an idea of what creatures our character live with!
Till next time!
xxx
Time for an update! :) This week I'm going to pick up where I left off in last week's post, Old Things Made New. I'm going to explain a bit more about the world that these characters live in and try to give you an idea of their different environments. So in the next couple of paragraphs, I'll explain a bit about each region.
There are still a few kinks that I need to work out, but these are minor. :) Here goes:
Welcome to The Motherland
West
Crystalflake Forest (Forest of Corjetuvlök)
Spirit's homeland. Crystalflake is known for it's beautiful, lush trees that never die or wilt due to the power of a special crystal. It is also known for its dangerous inhabitants, and is one of the most dangerous countries in the Motherland. Many creatures from the other countries drift to Crystalflake, and over the years have evolved into beings unique to this place. For instance, ages ago some of the mighty dragons of Shaenne Canyon moved into the forest and adapted to it to a point where their predecessors have no trace of Shaenne left in them anymore. They are now dragons unique to Crystalflake. Scientists argue whether this was caused by the minerals in the water of Crystal Lake, and some even believing that these new breeds have no relation to Shaenne in the first place. But only nature will know... Small (nicer)fae also make this forest their home, and they help Spirit to sustain its natural beauty.
Honan Country
Ruled by King Jono, Honan is a peaceful, friendly country mainly inhabited by mortals/humans. It is driven by its agriculture, and so it is mainly just a farming country. The people of Honan are warm and receiving, they mind their own business and rarely cause a ruckus. But their peace is often disrupted by a stray monster from neighbouring Shaenne.
Islands of Mae
The Maean Islands are what would historically be known as "Savage Country". The third most dangerous place on the map, not much is known about this mysterious set of islands or its inhabitants. It is said that they are of human form, but have extraordinary supernatural powers that they harness from the dead. Rumour has it that these people might seem like they haven't evolved with the Motherland, and their little boats never come too close, but they hide something far advanced from the rest of the world.
North
Nothern Wetlands
Inhabited mainly by a breed of elf-like creatures that thrive near water. The country's entire infrastructure consists of water-driven/dependant beings and technologies that are totally unique to only them.
Far Northern Frost
Inhabited by ice fae and hairy beasts of all sizes, though it is not a large population due to the extreme and constant cold. Few dwell in its direction, but those who do have a purpose. That purpose would most likely be to see Lake Glacea - the largest frozen lake in the Motherland that is said to be home to serpentine creatures unable to escape their icy cage. If you're lucky, at dusk you might catch a glimpse of the shimmering scales far beneath the black surface.
Epicea
The typical "Holy Land", Epicea is home to clerics and religious followers. At the foot of the Epicean ranges lies the Holy City of Glass. Epicea is technologically advanced far beyond all the neighbouring countries, and virtually no fae reside there due to the Epicean racism. Powerful supremacist clerics who oversee the country believe that fae are the scum of the Earth, and so they are not allowed to "soil" their beautiful country. But not all of the Epicean people are like this, and have proven that it is not really such a bad country. Above, on the summit of the Epicean ranges, lies the Fountain of the Gods. This sacred lake is the origin of all the Motherland's rivers and water supplies. It is said that drinking the water straight from the Fountain either gives you devine blessings and knowledge far advanced to that of a normal person - or kills you. And it is Mother Earth who makes this decision based on the kind of person that you are. Epicea is a country shrouded in mystery and dark secrets, despite its shiny and sparkling clean appearance.
North East
Isle of New Epicea
Home to generations and generations of monks. It is also said that the peaceful, sacred Isle was the place of sacrificial rituals in the old days.
East/South East
South Eastern Desert
The most dangerous place in the Motherland. Not because of the inhabitants(who are an unfortunate few and far between) but because of its harshness. The South East Desert is a massive expanse of heat, hot winds, snakes and sand. And absolutely nothing else.
South
Southern Meadows
Cyprus's homeland. Home to witches, gorgeous fauna and flora and various small fae. Not all witches are bad or evil with an ugly warty nose! In fact, the witches of the Meadows are earth-bound beings that focus on elemental power, either for the love of nature or for the sake of convenience (y'know, a self-functional mop does a world of good to a bad back!). Mostly the Southern Meadows is a beautiful peaceful paradise of lush green fields.
Central Motherland
Shaenne Region
The second most dangerous country on the map. Inhabited by dangerous dragons and scaly creatures of the Shaenne Canyon, travelling through it is out of the question unless you're utterly mad.
**Now as you might have noticed, there are a lot of elemental references. The entire Motherland can be broken down into this:
Corjetuvlök/Southern Meadows = Earth
Honan = Wind
Northern Wetlands/Epicea/Isle of New Epicea = Water
Far Northern Frost = Ice
South East Desert/Shaenne Region = Fire
Islands of Mae = Constellation
I've added two more elements as I believe that they have far different qualities from the regular four.
Well! That's all I can give away this week! Hope you've all enjoyed being whisked away into a different world for a few minutes! ;) Next week I might expand on the different races and give you all an idea of what creatures our character live with!
Till next time!
xxx
23.1.11
† Old Things Made New †
That's right folks, and I don't just mean this blog....
I've recently been continuing work on a concept that a friend and I worked on during high school. It still lacks an official title, but I have the majority of the story down along with a couple of introductory pages.
Disclaimer: As we were still young and romantic when we first worked on this, it still somewhat oozes cheesiness. I have gotten my buddy's permission to continue writing without her, but I have decided against changing her original names and themes. Instead, I have tried using it to my advantage...
Here's a brief on some of the characters to give you an idea of the story, I won't give away too much of the plot in this post just yet! :
Spirit -
Female lead. She is the beautiful Grand Fae placed as the Guardian of Crystalflake Forest (Forest of Corjetuvlök, I decided to make the English names translations from a language I'm developing for this story). She is calm, level-headed and formal, which sometimes creates the mistaken impression of coldness and impersonality despite her actual kind and considerate nature. And also despite her fragile looks, she is seldom bent out of shape. When she falls in love, however, her passion far easier gets the better of her... (*sniff sniff* Do I smell FORESHADOWING?!)
Cyprus -
Female support. Hot-headed, impulsive, passionate and quite unladylike - faaaar the opposite of her best friend and ruler, Spirit. She is feisty and bombastic with a heart of gold. She acts as the comic relief to Spirit's rigid and cold aura. She is an Elven dragon-tamer and traveller from the Southern Meadows, Spirit's bosom buddy, and also Spirit's bodyguard. Indebted to Spirit during one of her travels, she offers her services as a companion and guardian. They form a tight bond and end up levelling the scale of extremes (in their personalities).
Marcus -
Male lead. Similar to Spirit, he is also calm and formal-looking. Being the elder of twin siblings, he is the respectable, mature one. He is also heir to the Honan throne. But his coolness is as much for show as it is sincere. He secretly appreciates the attention he receives from the adoring female public and is well aware of his beauty, though he does not make a show of himself. He sometimes plays the role of the "prettyboy" and can act quite girly behind closed doors. He is smart, assertive and true - as is expected of a good future King, but he has one major flaw: Mortality. But he has passion and learns to know love, which helps carry him through when he is faced with the inevitable reality of dying young.
Persius -
Male support. Marcus's younger twin sibling, Persius, seems quite similar to Cyprus though truly in comparison, he is the responsible, mature half. As big-mouthed and sword-happy as he can sometimes get, he is far more serious. He could easily be mistaken as the older brother as he seems more mature and responsible, he is also the more "manly" of the two, so-to-speak. Regardless of all this, due to his far less pressured upbringing he frequently still reminds everyone that he is the younger one by his rude and almost intrusive in-your-faceness.
Jono -
King of Honan Country and long-time friend of Spirit. He is a single ladiesman and would often jokingly try his luck with Spirit. But since Cyprus's arrival on the scene, the two of them would quarrel feverishly over who is the dumber whenever he tries... He is funny, sarcastic, cute and quite childish. But he is a good ruler and a fabulous person. The two girls love him as a close friend (despite Cyprus's jealous rantings).
Marissa -
Antagonist. A Witch from the Southern Meadows. She is ambitious, resourceful and very, very cunning. She threatens the peaceful balance between all the countries with a scheme so selfish and dirty that it could destroy life as they all know it.
** Now I know you're all thinking Fairies with big pretty wings and tattered clothing and stuff. That is where I'll stop you by saying that Spirit is NOT depicted as a typical clichéd fae character. Her wings aren't visible unless she sprouts them, and she is a Grand Fae, which would rule out short leaf/petal-dresses and the like. She just sports an unnatural, timeless beauty as an indication that she isn't mortal. Cyprus has pointy ears, and that's as far as it goes.
Well! That's the low-down on all the main characters. That is also all you're getting out of me this week! Next time I'll do a little piece on their world and maybe show y'all a map and all! Until then, I'll leave you with a couple of pages to peek at!
Enjoy!
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