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Chrishankhah — Birth of a Champion
Published: 2012-05-29 10:47:00 +0000 UTC; Views: 1830; Favourites: 29; Downloads: 12
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Description
Chrishankhah found herself kneeling on the ground, paralyzed by a burning sensation in her chest. Immediate panic washed over her as she noticed the sunlight around her, and promptly she leapt to her feet but the pain brought her down again, and she scraped her palms on the sandstone pathway.Utterly exhausted, she looked around. The feeling of panic did not leave her. Desert-like haze filled the air in all directions, but it was strangely cool and earthy. Behind her was the portal, and unending dunes stretched on into distant darkness either side of her. Straight ahead was a small oasis, behind which the sun was setting; this is where the sandstone path led. She could make out the silhouette of a tall throne surrounded by desert palms and ferns and the faint glimmer of a clear, crescent-shaped lake. One the throne sat an amazing figure, with such a powerful statute and presence, Chrishankhah wondered if the sun itself would have been easier to look at. This was the Great One she'd known so much about;
... This was Sekhmet. Chrishankhah could not have imagined her in all her glory.
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Done in authentic Egyptian style, implicitly on sandstone. Traditionally in ancient Egyptian artwork, accuracy and realism was traded for symbolism and religious expression. For instance, the more important or emphasized a character, the larger they would be shown. Similarly, this is not a completely accurate expression of the story. The palette is limited to the colors and tones used in this style of art. Normally, the colors would have very specific meanings, but I did use them literally, here.
Surprisingly fun to do; may do more like this for other parts of the story!
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Comments: 27
I thought I commented on this, but I guess I didn't. This is beautiful. It reminds me of genuine Egyptian art!
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I love the history - my mother is History teacher, so the love for it comes with her. One of my favorite channels are National Geographic and Discovery. It was fun to watch prof. Zahi Hawass yelling at people around not to touch the walls...
However I find this drawing of yours inspiring - what I see is a point of view - like it was lightened by the torch of the viewer and we see a story that happened thousands of years ago....
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You know, it's funny you mention that. Every time I go to a museum, I have this inexplicable urge to touch the REALLY old exhibits. I like to say "I touched this cool piece of art thousands of years old from my favorite culture ever!" ... I've been yelled at, too.
You saw my idea exactly! There is a torch or a lantern being held up, which just happens to make the sword look like it's actually glowing.
That's awesome that your mother is a history teacher, by the way! My mother taught too, before she retired. She taught special needs, though. History was one of my favorite school subjects, too, along with English and the arts. Not many others probably enjoyed history as much. I think it's often better (like more interesting) than fiction!
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Awesome story! And a cool picture to go with it
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Very cool! The cracks and texture 'holes' (whatever you'd call the bumpy bits) are a nice touch.
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Thank you! 
In retrospect, I think I did something a little different from actual paintings (which look more like wall paper, now that I examine them,) but I still like this effect, so I'll probably do it again some time!
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I like that you said, "her hair is so straight that she looks like she might as well be on Egyptian wall art!" And then you go and do it. XD This looks really cool though. I love the lighting effect and how everything looks like it was really carved and painted on stone.
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Ahah! I didn't even remember that. See how the subconscious works?
I've tried this once before, long ago, but I wanted to have another go at it. Most of the time spent on something was in post-work, for once! I just hope I remember what I did, in case I do it again!
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I love this style! This is a beautiful way to incorporate the ancient Egyptian paintings and your own characters into one piece. It's definitely a party. :]
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Thank you! I thought it was going to be a real challenge at first, but it was actually a lot easier than I thought. It's like the shorthand of drawing -- can tell a long story in a short amount of time. I think I understood why the Egyptians used it now.
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Thank you! 
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Very cool ^^ I love this! ^^ So I guess your character sees this heiroglyph? (I hope I spelled that right xP) or is this just a narritive? ^^
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What I kind of imagine is that it's a symbolic retelling much later, in actual Egypt. In Chrish's story, Sanagis falls and Egypt rises in its place, and much of the stories of the great mages are taken and eventually twisted into stories of gods. This one assumes that someone (either Tigresa or Chrishankhah herself) told one of those stories, and this was how it was recorded.
In reality, Chrishankhah was standing when she received the blade, and it wasn't all glowing in midair, but appeared sheathed at her side -- far more subtle. But subtle doesn't work in iconic drawings well.
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Ahh I see. 
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Haha, maybe she could. Though Chrish tends to be pretty humble. Not so much in the "laugh it off" or "It was nothing" kind of way, she'll shift the focus or try to tell the story from more than just her own perspective. That's why it sometimes takes Tigresa's side to get the facts straight about how heroic (and occasionally how flawed 
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I see..that's very interesting. ^^
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I just try to avoid the stereotypical "ooh look at me and my exploits!" personage, I think, hehe.
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