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Description
I am not sure this is the right category, as usual, but I think so. I *just* managed to stop myself from submitting this into "people" just out of habit...

*ehem*.

I believe that you don't necessarily need to paint the character to "depict" the character, in a way. The same way that you, when describing a character, sometimes will put impact on a few things that doesn't really have anything to do with looks - what sword he carries, how his office looks, whether there's flowers in his windows or not - and I think the same thing can be used in a picture. What we surround ourselves with and what things we choose to keep with us says quite a bit about us as characters.

Also, I did want to see if I managed to draw a sword. It's not completely straight, but hey - it's more than 3000 years old... Not really used much anymore. The person who owns this sword is Arodhi, the villain in my story. I am a bit afraid that I am making him less and less evil, and nicer and nicer... Not that I think anyone will mistake him for the hero(ine). Here follows a short little description that's meant to shed some light on this picture. And when you in some years sit and read my book, hopefully, you will sit there, scratching your head and go "hmmm.... Where have I read that section before?" Although that will be an edited version.

He walked hastily into the room and put his sword on the table - it was long since he had used it now. For decades, maybe even hundreds of years - he could not really remember anymore, as he had not paid attention to it - it had been lying on a table in his office, wrapped in cloth. Before that, it had hung on his wall. He never really thought he would find any use for it again. After all, he was a sorcerer and seldom needed it. He had other swords. Plenty, and of better quality. Swords this old tended to be very fragile, although this had proven its worth many, many times since he aquired it 3000 years ago. He did not remember how he aquired it, but now it seemed like it had always been there. He had wondered whether it had any magical qualities, as most swords would have fallen apart by now. Maybe it was just the power of being a person's first sword. It was not entirely straight, and it had many marks of combat. And yet he could not help but think that maybe he should take it with him, just to be sure.

His eyes fell on the medallion, with the green stone that was no gem, no precious metal, but yet it had a certain glow to it. Nobody had ever been able to tell him what it was, but he knew that it was magical. It might be something from the gods themselves. He shrugged and picked it up. He always carried it with him, he had only taken it off now to look at it, before he was interrupted. A present from his mother it was, and his only memory of her except the one painting in one of the old hallways. He had gotten it when he started learning magic. It was her that had brought the magical line into his family, at least most of it, and had been his safe haven. But then she was no more. Now the medallion was his protection. Well. He could imagine. He mostly kept it for remembrance, that and because it was after all a symbol of the power he had inherited, and because she had wanted it that way. It was the only thing he had ever been able to do for her.

His thoughts - why did they always have to come when there was no time for them? - were interrupted by quick footsteps in the hallway, and one of his generals looking into the room.
"Master, the gates are secured and the guards have been doubled. The messengers will soon be ready, and - " His eyes fell on the medallion and the sword, and his voice faltered. He was one of the few who knew the full story, had been there through it all. Arodhi could see that he did not like the memory.
"It all went well then, and have ever since," he said and slipped the medallion over his head. "In the end we just have to trust ourselves, as before. I don't believe the power in these will help us much, neither the strength of the sword, but it doesn't hurt. We always managed on our own before."
"Do we know how strong she is?"
"No, but I fear the worst. That's why I think fighting with non-magical weapons might come in handy. For all we know, she can be able to detect magic. We saw how it turned out last time."
"Yes, master. I thought of the same thing. Oh, and the scouts came in just now, as far as they can tell, she hasn't travelled much."
"Send them up here when they have seen to their horses - I just need to finish the message to Thirain. And send for the messengers, we need to get this out as soon as possible."
"No magic communication at all?"
"Can't risk it. Go now."
Arodhi frowned at the empty paper and sat down to write. Thirain, the commander of the elite troops, second in charge in his empire, was far away at the moment, but if this truly became a war, they needed every man they could get. He would never let their enemy know that he wasn't the arrogant fool they thought he was. You did not win a battle by underestimating your enemy. That was the first thing he had learnt, and it was a lesson with a high price. Way too high.

Oh well, not exactly what was in my head when thinking about it, but I can't be bothered to re-write - enjoy or don't. It probably seems like he's a very sentimental guy, and that these things are protecting him - they're not. He trusts only himself and the closest of his generals, and his own magical powers. The medallion, though he keeps it with him at all times, are purely for remembering his mother and how it all started, so as he will never forget and, as a result, forget things that should not be forgotten. The sword is somehow bound to him, so it will not break in his hands. Even though it looks like it.

I am planning on doing a picture of Shanouna's sword too, just to illustrate the difference between the two. It's quite interesting, actually, because I wasn't aware of it myself.

A very fun picture to paint, I've been sitting for days with it without getting bored or rushing it to get it finished. It could have been far better, but my head is kinda empty. And I feel it is finished. I've never believed that I would paint something non-human just for fun... But it was. Quite different from how it looked in my mind, but I still think I conveyed it pretty much.

...and no. I think it's just silly if my villain should have a black, spiky sword which looks super-evil.

Aaand: I did not make the medallion's look out of laziness; at the time and in the culture it was made, high emphasis was put on patterns, and people who knew how could gain power over you by knowing the pattern of one of your items. So things were consciously made slightly un-symmetrical, and this one in particular as it was meant for one with magical abilities and one that would, from the day he was born, have enemies. So there.

Description
I am not sure this is the right category, as usual, but I think so. I *just* managed to stop myself from submitting this into "people" just out of habit...

*ehem*.

I believe that you don't necessarily need to paint the character to "depict" the character, in a way. The same way that you, when describing a character, sometimes will put impact on a few things that doesn't really have anything to do with looks - what sword he carries, how his office looks, whether there's flowers in his windows or not - and I think the same thing can be used in a picture. What we surround ourselves with and what things we choose to keep with us says quite a bit about us as characters.

Also, I did want to see if I managed to draw a sword. It's not completely straight, but hey - it's more than 3000 years old... Not really used much anymore. The person who owns this sword is Arodhi, the villain in my story. I am a bit afraid that I am making him less and less evil, and nicer and nicer... Not that I think anyone will mistake him for the hero(ine). Here follows a short little description that's meant to shed some light on this picture. And when you in some years sit and read my book, hopefully, you will sit there, scratching your head and go "hmmm.... Where have I read that section before?" Although that will be an edited version.

He walked hastily into the room and put his sword on the table - it was long since he had used it now. For decades, maybe even hundreds of years - he could not really remember anymore, as he had not paid attention to it - it had been lying on a table in his office, wrapped in cloth. Before that, it had hung on his wall. He never really thought he would find any use for it again. After all, he was a sorcerer and seldom needed it. He had other swords. Plenty, and of better quality. Swords this old tended to be very fragile, although this had proven its worth many, many times since he aquired it 3000 years ago. He did not remember how he aquired it, but now it seemed like it had always been there. He had wondered whether it had any magical qualities, as most swords would have fallen apart by now. Maybe it was just the power of being a person's first sword. It was not entirely straight, and it had many marks of combat. And yet he could not help but think that maybe he should take it with him, just to be sure.

His eyes fell on the medallion, with the green stone that was no gem, no precious metal, but yet it had a certain glow to it. Nobody had ever been able to tell him what it was, but he knew that it was magical. It might be something from the gods themselves. He shrugged and picked it up. He always carried it with him, he had only taken it off now to look at it, before he was interrupted. A present from his mother it was, and his only memory of her except the one painting in one of the old hallways. He had gotten it when he started learning magic. It was her that had brought the magical line into his family, at least most of it, and had been his safe haven. But then she was no more. Now the medallion was his protection. Well. He could imagine. He mostly kept it for remembrance, that and because it was after all a symbol of the power he had inherited, and because she had wanted it that way. It was the only thing he had ever been able to do for her.

His thoughts - why did they always have to come when there was no time for them? - were interrupted by quick footsteps in the hallway, and one of his generals looking into the room.
"Master, the gates are secured and the guards have been doubled. The messengers will soon be ready, and - " His eyes fell on the medallion and the sword, and his voice faltered. He was one of the few who knew the full story, had been there through it all. Arodhi could see that he did not like the memory.
"It all went well then, and have ever since," he said and slipped the medallion over his head. "In the end we just have to trust ourselves, as before. I don't believe the power in these will help us much, neither the strength of the sword, but it doesn't hurt. We always managed on our own before."
"Do we know how strong she is?"
"No, but I fear the worst. That's why I think fighting with non-magical weapons might come in handy. For all we know, she can be able to detect magic. We saw how it turned out last time."
"Yes, master. I thought of the same thing. Oh, and the scouts came in just now, as far as they can tell, she hasn't travelled much."
"Send them up here when they have seen to their horses - I just need to finish the message to Thirain. And send for the messengers, we need to get this out as soon as possible."
"No magic communication at all?"
"Can't risk it. Go now."
Arodhi frowned at the empty paper and sat down to write. Thirain, the commander of the elite troops, second in charge in his empire, was far away at the moment, but if this truly became a war, they needed every man they could get. He would never let their enemy know that he wasn't the arrogant fool they thought he was. You did not win a battle by underestimating your enemy. That was the first thing he had learnt, and it was a lesson with a high price. Way too high.

Oh well, not exactly what was in my head when thinking about it, but I can't be bothered to re-write - enjoy or don't. It probably seems like he's a very sentimental guy, and that these things are protecting him - they're not. He trusts only himself and the closest of his generals, and his own magical powers. The medallion, though he keeps it with him at all times, are purely for remembering his mother and how it all started, so as he will never forget and, as a result, forget things that should not be forgotten. The sword is somehow bound to him, so it will not break in his hands. Even though it looks like it.

I am planning on doing a picture of Shanouna's sword too, just to illustrate the difference between the two. It's quite interesting, actually, because I wasn't aware of it myself.

A very fun picture to paint, I've been sitting for days with it without getting bored or rushing it to get it finished. It could have been far better, but my head is kinda empty. And I feel it is finished. I've never believed that I would paint something non-human just for fun... But it was. Quite different from how it looked in my mind, but I still think I conveyed it pretty much.

...and no. I think it's just silly if my villain should have a black, spiky sword which looks super-evil.

Aaand: I did not make the medallion's look out of laziness; at the time and in the culture it was made, high emphasis was put on patterns, and people who knew how could gain power over you by knowing the pattern of one of your items. So things were consciously made slightly un-symmetrical, and this one in particular as it was meant for one with magical abilities and one that would, from the day he was born, have enemies. So there.