Jean is my clan leader on the dragon petsim Flight Rising, in-game she is a nature elemental female pearlcatcher. Her in-game profile is here https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/4025429
Lore outline: Originally born in the nature elemental lands she found herself enchanted by the stars above the canopy, and journeyed to the light territories in search of knowledge. But these dragons had little in the way of passion besides snobbery and a burning desire for truth. In her love of the night sky and shunning of the sun she did not fit here, and was bullied for it. One particularly bad episode altered the golden runes that her scales bore, covered her with patches of glowing gold - a permanent mark of the burning sun. But she did not only come to harm in the light flight, for it was here that she came across a clan of misfits just like her, formed by a guardian dragon who wanted to protect all those who were different. And then she, along with the clan, moved to the territory of the arcane flight - the home of curiosity, and those that loved the stars. They have been there ever since.
Art method: I started with graphite and ink on white A4 paper, scanned it into the computer and set to multiply then used photoshop to add colour and further shading + a simple gradient for a background on the layers beneath.
I used an online program called "Sketchpad" if you'd like to use the web tool I used for the trees. I was overall just messing around with it, but I'm very happy with the result.
Another attempt at utilizing varied line density. I think it came out better than the previous attempt, since the lines aren't too thick. I didn't really know what to do with this one, so it kind of feels bland as a result.
I'm experimenting with line density to help differentiate details from the main outlines. I think I went a bit too thick on the robot's line art. I'm satisfied with how the flame trail came out though.
Whether the script in the background is an actual sutra is not the concern, even if it is, would it be readable to most? I question the use of lines in Calligraphy. Without the recognition of the exact words or meaning, can we still appreciate the quality and skills involved? Armed with a Chinese writing foundation, I adapted the use of the eight strokes (the basis of construction to Chinese character). The `writings’ resembles Chinese/Japanese writings but in fact, they are not. I needed a texture. With language as a symbol of culture, by visually adapting these kind of lines endears us to the image.
