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Published: 2007-06-11 19:33:08 +0000 UTC; Views: 1999; Favourites: 47; Downloads: 8
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Description
I would have put it in the manga and anime section, but it's another of my favorite experiments--turning anime into a more realistic illustration style.FULL VIEW.
I know nobody aside a handful of devoted watchers cares. I also know that it's not my best work, but I am going through a difficult time right now and it is fun and relaxing to draw this stuff. And anyway, I draw what I want to draw. So deal.
Look closely at the orb of light coming from Xelloss Metallium's staff. If you are well versed in Slayers lore lol, then you will know what, or who, is being summoned.
And if you're betting on the dragon winning, I've got bad news for you.
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It was then that Milgasia first saw him.
In the sky.
Like an angel of death.
A man—he couldn’t have looked over 25 years old, and he appeared to be human—was flying at an incomprehensible speed towards the temple. He was dressed in a plain black cloak, trimmed in red and yellow Greek meander, and a hermit-priest’s baggy traveling attire. His only weapon was an almost comical, gnarly wooden staff with a red orb at its tip.
He had the hair of an Egyptian boy-priest, flecked all the imaginable hues of purple—violet, ruby, magenta, burgundy, amethyst, lavender, royal blue. He moved ever forward, propulsed by a savage grace, an impossible and deadly beauty, like a slick black panther. He streaked through the sky towards his destination, the Fire Dragon King temple, as a sleek sharp scythe might slice through blades of dry indigo-colored grass. He exuded confidence and unconcern. A perverse optimism, a bliss saturated with both hope and bloodlust, gleamed in his hypnotizing, long-lashed cat eyes—they were so stunning that Milgasia could see them even at a distance—and propelled him to still higher velocities. His movements were effortless, even in their viciousness. He was jubilant.
Clearly this was no human man. This was another demon. And clearly this was his very first mission out of the womb of Zelas Metallium.
He was breathtaking—a lethal purple lark.
Milgasia is still ashamed of himself for his first impulse towards that creature—not revulsion, but a shuddering, almost tearful awe. He feels disgust that, at that moment, he was seized by some unholy joy, some kind of excruciating pleasure, at simply watching the movements of that exquisite warrior. He was transfixed into nonaction.
To his horror, some deep recess of his teenage self actually wished for this foe’s victory.
Then a large, livid male ryuzoku from the distant battle line turned sharply and corralled the purple-haired youth against a small patch of floating land. The golden dragon spread wide its glistening white jowls and roared right in the beautiful boy’s face.
And the boy…
Smiled.
So very serenely. So pleasantly. As if the dragon had beckoned him to high tea.
A halo of ruby-crimson pulsated out from the boy-mazoku’s pores.
His smile became a sneer of staggering malice. His eyes, which had fallen closed as if to withdraw, to compose and refuel, now snapped open.
They were so gorgeous that to look at them was agony. They were toxic.
The boy-mazoku’s sneer sprouted bottomless scorn. And then he began to dissolve into something that in no way resembled a human. Something black, and oozy, swirling, and covered in piercing sharp, mobile spikes.
Milgasia knew, even before the transformation began—the moment those painful eyes opened—to be terrified and repulsed. “RUN!” he tried to scream, but his throat was dry, closed, with an indescribable and sudden despair. An unnatural despair from without, which choked him. It must have been coming from that agonizingly beautiful boy-demon.
And the black vortex released its stranglehold on the stupefied adult dragon. It became that beautiful pseudo-human again. The mazoku ducked, turned his staff parallel to the turf, and in one fluid gesture, impaled the dragon through the neck. He drove straight to the nape, in the back, where the nerve sack, the human equivalent of the jugular, was located.
“NO!” Milgasia tried to shriek. Nothing came.
And then the beautiful monster began to giggle. It was obscenely beautiful, playful almost, and Milgasia felt that he had been damned to hell just for listening to it. The laugh abruptly stopped, but it initiated a rhythmic, almost choreographed dance, in and out, of the dragon’s neck.
The great topaz-hued creature was so stunned that it didn’t even cry out as it plummeted to its death.
The mazoku just kept smiling.
******************************************
Hajime Kanzaka is the creator of Slayers.
Related content
Comments: 73
AmberPalette In reply to ??? [2011-02-28 22:35:45 +0000 UTC]
I agree about the dragon's neck. This is from I think 2007 and I worked really frantically back then because of anxiety and health problems, and didn't give the dragon's anatomy appropriate attention.
Thank you so much!!!
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LossingFeathers In reply to AmberPalette [2011-03-01 23:15:48 +0000 UTC]
You know what, I think I remember seeing this back then now... ^.^;; my brain shorts out on me sometimes. I should really check out some of your more recent works... Sorry about that.
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TheL-chan [2011-02-28 20:27:46 +0000 UTC]
O_O
I... der...
*pops back up* THAT IS SO COOL!! Not just the story (heehee, sucks to be Ryuuzoku ), but Xelloss and the dragon look amazing! Xelloss kinda has the... Aztec/Mayan/Incan shaman/medicine man vibe going on (sorry, I'm too lazy to look up which culture his outfit most resembles), and the dragon looks like Quezacoatyl (spelling sucks!), the sun god in... nngh... whichever culture lived in Central America. TOO LAZY... TO... LOOK UP... INFORMATION... TALKING... LIKE... WILLIAN SHATNER... MUST... STOP THIS... MADNESS..!
Looooove the coloring on Xelloss, and I think the dragon's mohawk should have its own fan art gallery xDD. Excellent job!
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AmberPalette In reply to TheL-chan [2011-02-28 22:36:26 +0000 UTC]
This is SOOOOO old and my Slayers ideas have changed significantly since then, but I think that was roughly my intention with respect to Xelloss and the ryuzoku! Thank yoU!
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TheL-chan In reply to AmberPalette [2011-02-28 22:49:35 +0000 UTC]
*gangstaa pose 'n lingo* RESPECT, YO!
...That's not a shameless stereotype, I'm just getting my white girl gangstaa on... ew, I'm gonna go take a long bath now.
OLDIE BUT A GOODIE! Yeah, Milgasia got the crap scared out of him, but hey, I don't like gold dragons cuz they suck and are mean to Ancient Dragons like Valgaav. YAY CARNAGE! ^____^!
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AmberPalette In reply to TheL-chan [2011-02-28 22:58:28 +0000 UTC]
Thanks. Rofl reading through old comments on this, I was startled to see I got into a small fight with someone who is now one of my best friends XD She really didn't like this drawing at all! XD! How weird.
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TheL-chan In reply to AmberPalette [2011-02-28 23:00:53 +0000 UTC]
That is really weird, then again, when my friend first introduced Xelloss in an RPG, I couldn't stand him! Now... I cannot NOT love him O_O!
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AmberPalette In reply to TheL-chan [2011-03-01 00:33:24 +0000 UTC]
For me Xelloss was love at first sight XD
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TheL-chan In reply to AmberPalette [2011-03-01 00:50:33 +0000 UTC]
:3 Awwwww... I met him long before I ever saw him, hence, the silly Relloss Xezo story when I actually DID watch the series at long last from... the conversation we had going on your Ulterior Motives pic, if memory serves.
Note to self: Sailor Moon crossed over with Slayers is BAD. >< Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!
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AmberPalette In reply to TheL-chan [2011-03-01 01:27:12 +0000 UTC]
XD Did you know Akira Ishida (Xelloss) voices that Fish Eye dude in Sailor Moon? XD
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TheL-chan In reply to AmberPalette [2011-03-01 02:18:07 +0000 UTC]
Yep yep! And Wataru Takagi, voice of Valgaav, was Rubeus... though Val is much better looking :3!!
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Mayleef In reply to AmberPalette [2010-04-10 14:35:54 +0000 UTC]
Nyahaha. Sure not. Ha-ha, will he run, I'm thinking...? Nah, Dragons are too proud.
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AmberPalette In reply to AmberPalette [2008-05-23 20:05:10 +0000 UTC]
LOL sorry. Who is that?
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ChloeDust [2007-10-24 19:49:41 +0000 UTC]
Wow i LOVE this!! The colours are fantastic, bright and bold and they really draw you in!! Fantastic shading, great colouring, i love it. +fav. :]
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AmberPalette In reply to ChloeDust [2007-10-24 22:21:12 +0000 UTC]
Thank you so much! It's a favorite series of mine
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OpMegs [2007-07-28 19:41:11 +0000 UTC]
The....lipstick, is it? on his face kind of throws it off, but the description.... ye gads, it's so absolutely wonderful. And you described that gleefully maniacal giggle from TRY perfectly.
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AmberPalette In reply to OpMegs [2007-07-29 03:53:35 +0000 UTC]
LOL shit everyone thinks he has on lipstick because i screwed up the pic using the contrast and saturation tools and going overboard on his face. i should fix and resubmit that so people don't think i'm trying to make him a transvestite XD;;;
and LOL yes thanks. AHAHAHAHAH!
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Rotae [2007-07-01 14:40:08 +0000 UTC]
Dude. I. LOVE. THIS. Srsly. I have no idea what it is, but it's just so damn friggin awesome I don't care. LMFAO The COLOURS and the DRAWING and just... aguh.
Srsly.
Peace,
Rotae
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AmberPalette In reply to Rotae [2007-07-01 17:26:55 +0000 UTC]
LOLOL thannnks!!! DUDE if you ever get into anime, The Slayers is for you. And this character (man with purple Egyptian wig/pageboy hair lol) would be your favorite. A "Slytherin" personality through and through. His name is Xellos. He's actually a demon/spirit who can take a very sophisticated disguise form as a human being. His race thrives off of the negative emotional energies of human beings, sort of like the reverse of Dementors His personality is just delicious: He doesn't give a damn what people think of him, he's a pragmatist to a ruthless degree, and even when he's butchering an adversary, he smiles very politely lol
and he's one of those morally struggling at-the-crossroads types that you and I love lol XD
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Chenria [2007-06-16 11:42:47 +0000 UTC]
I have to admit, I had no time to read your comment I'm in a little learning-brake and have to return to my accounting stuff in some minutes XD
But I wanted to take the time to say how amazing this looks!!! The texture is great, the fold, the lightning, your choice of colours *____* Everything looks so perfect!! Keep it up, dearest
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AmberPalette In reply to Chenria [2007-06-16 17:02:39 +0000 UTC]
you're not neglecting anything that i'm aware of but anyway, many thanks!!!!
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snurkmaiden [2007-06-13 21:47:18 +0000 UTC]
HOLYCRAP! it's vivid as a firework!!!
*.* you do realism SO GOOD!
i especially admire the shading of the material (i can't do clothes for my life TTwTT; ) and the dragon's jaws @W@ FANTASTIC!!
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AmberPalette In reply to snurkmaiden [2007-06-13 22:46:39 +0000 UTC]
thank you ;; ;; most people are saying it's "not my best," lol X_X;
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AmberPalette In reply to snurkmaiden [2007-06-14 17:09:16 +0000 UTC]
almost all the peope who commented except about three lol XD it's okay though, that's life!
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snurkmaiden In reply to AmberPalette [2007-06-14 19:16:59 +0000 UTC]
*gets a eye twitch* yeah ^^
*pokeie pokie* >3 [link]
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snurkmaiden In reply to AmberPalette [2007-06-15 23:02:02 +0000 UTC]
you're welllllcommmmme >W<
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Kasumi9 [2007-06-12 18:09:12 +0000 UTC]
Wow. Stunning. The colors on his clothing, with all the folds and such are super slick. And I love his pose. The dragon is pretty sweet too. I loves me a good dragon tale. Ooh and I love how Xellos' hair is all out of sorts, but in a rather organized fashion..
Heehee, I see your fingers on the side. :3
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AmberPalette In reply to Kasumi9 [2007-06-12 21:24:59 +0000 UTC]
thanks and LOL you're not the first to point that out. *Wiggles evil red nails lol*
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WeirdSister [2007-06-12 10:01:45 +0000 UTC]
OMG! Ultimate awesomeness ahead! And the colours!
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GaavnoMayuge [2007-06-12 04:49:04 +0000 UTC]
Hooray for spreading the Slayers.
I'm also experimenting with making the Slayers slightly more realistic (albeit much less successfully) but I think the thing about this picture that I don't like nearly as much is the way Xelloss' nose and lips are drawn. The way they're pulled back makes him look old and it looks like he has lipstick on. Aside from that, this is a good picture with the smooth colors, the careful shading, the details, and the texture.
So is he summoning Shabranigdo's power?
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AmberPalette In reply to GaavnoMayuge [2007-06-12 17:59:45 +0000 UTC]
hmmm. okay allow me to attempt to explain the reason behind what jars you. i am not rejecting your criticisms, understand, but sometimes i feel the need to justify my choices. i of course predicate this by saying that this was a not-serious fanart that i did for personal pleasure and relaxation, not as a serious artistic attempt at growth, so clearly i was more slipshod than i should have been (and ordinarily am) at refining details. i am beginning to think fanart is just not for me. but anyway!!!!
the "lipstick" issue is i think the result of the contrast being too strong in my Photoshop tweaking. i got carried away with that, i think, trying to make sure that the colors really acidly popped. so that i definitely admit was a mistake.
the fact that the nose and lips are high up and make him seem "old" was partially deliberate. i like the tension in xellos's character between the idea of immortality (conveying something ancient and timeless) and superficial youth. so i like to make him look both young and old at the same time. in addition, i used a picture of Johnny Depp from the side that truly appeared this way--the reason why i picked that image of Depp was because he had an icy, snarling sneery facial expression, which was what i was going for in making Xellos seem subtly predatorial here. i think that images of ugliness (such as Xellos having a weird snarl on his nose and lips) can carry beauty so this was honestly an attempt at that, although i can fully admit that i may have failed at it
also don't take this as me being snotty but if you will pay attention to the critique format request, for this PARTICULAR piece, i did discourage criticism because i knew this piece was not made in my best efforts and i also knew i'd never bother to improve it....
HOWEVER you seem to have a keen eye for pointing out visual weaknesses and offering advice. i just posted an original art with ADVANCED CRIT ENCOURAGED. It's titled "Wings." If you want to go take a look at that and TOTALLY let loose critiques on me, I actually WELCOME detailed critiques of my ORIGINAL art.
Many thanks!!!
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GaavnoMayuge In reply to AmberPalette [2007-06-12 18:59:21 +0000 UTC]
I'm dreadfully sorry if I was rude and if it seemed as though I was being very critical, I have a bad habit of getting carried away when I am enthused and I frequently regret it afterwards. As for fanart not being for you, I would like to disagree and point out that I enjoy your Slayers art a great deal.
Um... Thank you for taking the time to reply to me and to explain a great deal about this picture, I appreciate it.
I'm sorry that the Photoshop tweaking turned out peculiarly, I know how it is. I can sort of understand why you made Xelloss look older/uglier (although the moment you mentioned Johnny Depp my mind went to Scrik-san's Pirates of the Caribbean trailers and didn't come back for a bit), and I think he does look more predatory that usual.
As for saying that I have a keen eye, I would like to disagree. I might point out that I completely overlooked the 'critique format request' (at this point I am assuming that you mean the words under my screenname saying 'critique not desired'. I am trying to train my eye to see things more carefully, and I will look at the Wings picture and try to share anything that I see.
I hope that you are not mad at me for my comments.
Thank you, have a good day.
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AmberPalette In reply to GaavnoMayuge [2007-06-12 21:04:20 +0000 UTC]
no no it's fine. you didn't get carried away--i just like to explain the reasons behind my choices, and perhaps, my mistakes, when they are pointed out you need not feel uncomfortable or guilty for what you said. lol and i always go on forever in comments, so believe me it was no problem to type out a long thing to you
also i appreciate that you like my fanart--it's just not my main thing, and i miss having the well-ventilated studio i used to have to make the things that are closer to my heart. i fear being reduced to the level of just another dilletante fanartist here, and i am actually a serious professional artist/art historian with a bachelor's degree in painting and a master's degree in art history, both summa cum laude so i am just phobic of having those things dwindle because of various personal circumstances. your words are very kind and comforting in this respect.
i hope i did not seem too angry i am dealing with HUGE clinical anxiety and depression problems right now and i try not to let them show in my interactions with other people, but i may have slipped
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GaavnoMayuge In reply to AmberPalette [2007-06-13 21:10:22 +0000 UTC]
I'm glad that you explained the reasons behind your choices, it allows me to see beyond my own perspective which is always fun.
I'm sorry to hear that you've had difficult circumstances and I hope that things look up for you, but I do not think that you should worry too much about things that you've earned slipping away from you. Afterall, if something is important to you then it remains with you, be it knowledge, skill, friendship, or anything else; it may become a bit rusty but it doesn't really evaporate. (Do you also have a love for words? I've noticed that you're far more eloquent than most people around, myself in particular.)
Oh, earlier you mentioned a piece called 'Wings', is that the 'Wings and High tops'?
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AmberPalette In reply to GaavnoMayuge [2007-06-13 22:25:15 +0000 UTC]
lol oh dear XD; Yes I looove writing. I have to do a lot of writing as an art historian actually. And I love creative writing too! =333
And yes that is the piece!!!!
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GaavnoMayuge In reply to AmberPalette [2007-06-14 02:59:19 +0000 UTC]
Great, I've looked at it once, but I don't think I took long enough on the first time around so I need to go back now.
Thank you, I'll do my best to look and think (the thinking part may take awhile).
Have a good day.
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AmberPalette In reply to GaavnoMayuge [2007-06-14 17:12:47 +0000 UTC]
You too! If it takes me a while to reply it's because I'm sick right now, and not feeling well enough to type much, but I will soon!!!
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GaavnoMayuge In reply to AmberPalette [2007-06-15 01:03:52 +0000 UTC]
I hope you get better soon!
Please don't worry about replying to me, my Girl Scout troop and I are going to disappear for a few weeks so I'm afraid to say that I wouldn't be able to get your messages.
Take care of yourself.
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