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NicolasRGiacondino β Blind Guardian...?
Published: 2009-09-19 04:58:55 +0000 UTC; Views: 14775; Favourites: 305; Downloads: 0
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Hello, my fellow watchers and watcherettes!Here's something to end the week and relax after much working and other affairs of the real life this past days. Another of my B&Ws!
As I posted in my blog last Friday and here in my Journal too, I've rediscovered myself a lot these days thorugh these "back to basics" technique of doing B&W and strengthtening my lines and style.
One of the main things this exploration has given me is the chance to be free with my designs and ideas, because I don't ned to think of hues, palettes and schemes. I just draw away at leisure and surprise myself as I go along. This illustration is a perfect example: at first, it was an image of a rescuer with his eyes blind, rescuing a very unlikely princess; a Medusa. A lovely metaphor for blind love. Later, as I added more detail, it became an image of the same Prince rescuing a Princess that didnβt want to be rescued, overwhelmed by her curse. A tragedy, perfect. However, one last turn was to come about as I finished rendering his clothing: he was her jailer. A bounty hunter, perhaps, paid to keep a precious creature because only he could. Or is he an assasinβ¦?
I particularly enjoyed this piece because of the crosshatching intricacies the Medusa's hair provided as well as the cloth of the bed, the texture on the wall and etc.
So, as usual, let me know what you think and what is your interpretation of this image too!
Have a great weekend!
Nic.-
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Comments: 51
Wow...wait a minute. *stares at work harder* 
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OMI GOD YOU'RE RIGHT!
I SEE THEM- I SEE THEM NOW!!!
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I love it. The background, the postures, the concept. Just wonderful.
The approach you took to shading the snakes reminds me a lot of the art scarfgirl drew me: [link] but I liked the varying texture on these ones very much- all the contrasting line weights really makes their forms pop.
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I like her body posture, its like "stay away I might kill you"
haha, awesome def watch and fave.
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This one is better. I like the idea, finaly Medusa have a happy ending, or somewhat.
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That's just a really inspired idea. And, per usual, your art is awesome all on its own no matter the content. Please oh please keep it up.
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i think it'd be a great love story~
the blind jailer destined to keep the Medusa behind closed doors, falls for her, and she for him, that'd be cute, then blinded by love she convinces him to set her free and together they take revenge on the kingdom that imprisoned her!!
*cough* or, you know, love story~
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stunning work, incredible emotion, really powerful!
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i thought he may have lost his eyes so that he could caress Medusa without losing his life and found her to be jailed so he lamented more.....
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I just love this. So many wonderful and compelling stories are being told through the characters all at once. Is he an assassin, jailor, savior, lover? Could he be comforting her as she laments her cursed form? Or perhaps... taking advantage of her?
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instafav for bad-ass art and a really intriguing story concept!
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there's so much depth and value in this, great image as always!
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Beautiful work. The picture tells a great story and your line work is great.
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wonderful drawing 
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Hmm, the art is amazing, and the portrayal is wonderful - though I do wonder if you've lost a few opportunities by making him her jailer as opposed to her rescuer. Kind of reduces it somewhat... though I'm a romantic, so the whole idea of a blind man loving a medusa was what ensnared me 
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Outstanding! Your linework always amazes me, with the quaity of the forms and the way you can convey feeling. Awesome stuff, as always!
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Wow. Such a brilliant concept and execution here. I really like the sense of emotion and substance you always put into your pieces.
Keep up the great work!
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A lovely concept!
Also, my favourite band is Blind Guardian.
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Se ve increiblemente bello. No cae en lo cursi, pero es conmovedor. Y las lineas son super limpias.
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Is he a saviour, a jailer, or an assassin? Good question
Perhaps both a saviour and an assassin. Who knows, she could've been his love, and after being cursed, was captured and kept as a precious pet. But I would not take it, and so choose to kill her beloved, than to let her live as a cursed being used for the pleasure and fun of a cruel and inhumane owner. But knowing he could never see her again, he choose to never see anything again, so that he could be near her in the need, without fear of the curse of the Medusa.
Well... kinda made this little story on the spot, but it's my view of the events portrayed here
A very beautiful work you have done, and I special like his facial expression, of of caring and comforting.
Hope to see more of these excellent artwork
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I like how the eyes are on his hands, and all of the snakes are moving aeay from him. Nice!
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Actually, I really like that you have this 'there's a story here, but it's open ended' thing going on and as a design thing, I really like the scales on her arms.
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I like it veeery much! great line and idea. Nice work!
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Reading your thought process about this piece is a really nice touch as it makes you look at it in so many different ways. True when I first looked at it I thought he had kidnapped her and kept her as a prisoner but reading your description it is possible to add so many different other possibilities to why they are both there, it all depends on the mind set of the viewer.
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Finally, a gorgon who finally found her loved one.
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Cross-hatching is sweet.
My take on the story involves a change of heart... maybe he was meant to capture her and imprison her, but fell in love with her nevertheless. The chains on her wrists and the skulls in her cell suggest that despite being confined, she's still managed to be dangerous... except to the blind fella there.
Maybe she feels a bit of reproach that he caught her, a little proud that she can still kill a couple unfortunate passersby and isn't totally sure what to make of his tender feelings. And a little afraid too maybe... her power doesn't work on him. She'll have to resort to reason!
...it's the beginning of a beautiful friendship!
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Again, another wonderfully evocative piece. The black and white does seem to be bringing out an interesting side to your art.
As for my interpretation of the scene, I'm not certain in what way these two came together, but they seem to be literally made for each other. I don't think the woman began her life in such an unnatural state. Her body language, expression and air convey someone cursed, not a monster. Her rescuer seems a weary spirit. Perhaps he failed a task of similar nature once, long ago, and paid for that failure with his eyes. Now he has a chance at redeeming his mistake, in breaking the curse this woman is under. Of course anyone else would fall victim to her stone-gaze, no matter how hard she might try to prevent it, but since he cannot see her, only he can save her. She seems unable to beleive that he, unlike the others has not perished by the sight of her. She's been alone and an object of fear for so long she can't beleive her time of deliverence is at hand. Fate has lead them to each other, and saved them both from thier own darkness.
And yes, sometimes I am a hopeless romantic. I'm not proud of it, but I'm not ashamed either.
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Amazing work, I love the contrast to the normal "rescue" story. It really plays out well as I view the whole image. I've yet to decide just how horrible his guy is but it's something I'm mauling over.
On a side note I'd love to color his if you'd allow it.
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Yeah, for all my praise of your color work, I'm getting a bit more mileage out of this black and white contrast stuff because I'm coincidentally trying to refine my own pen and ink work.
I really do like the classic "rescuer" pose done with unlikely characters like a Medusa and a hardened, battered, older man. It looked like his he's had been gouged out, but I see something that looks like an eye on his palm like The Pale Man in "Pan's Labyrinth", so I'm a bit unsure what to think of that, but I instantly got the "blind love" vibe from seeing it, before reading your description.
There's a real classic feel to the whole thing, with the curvy female and the "heroic" male even if they're not in the classic mold and brings to mind the big guys like Alex Raymond or Frank Frazetta in terms of idea.
But what I think I like most is the simplicity of the figures themselves in the foreground while the background feels like it has distinct character and communicates it's own harshness to make the tenderness stand out. Kinda gave me a flash to past with the stuff Jeff Smith was doing in "Bone".
Awesomesauce!
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wicked. your lines are smooth as expected. i wanna draw Medusa now.
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There's a beautiful intimacy between the two figures! The delicate posing of their arms and the tenderness of the contact is almost heartbreaking. The eyeball in his palm is a rather interesting touch- what was the idea behind that?
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Heh, interesting to read about how the image basically developed itself as you drew it.
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Exelente trabajo. El ambiente esta muy bien plazmado, el fondo muy bien realizado y los personajes te quedaron muy bien.
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pregunto, pero si lo ve con los ojos de la mano, no estamos en lo mismo?
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I personally believe the guy is a bounty-hunter/assassin who met her before she became who she was and fell in love with her. Later on she drops off the face of the earth (not literally) and he never sees her again, until he finds his bounty. Struggling with his ideals, and his emotions, he decides he should steal one last kiss and then ask for forgiveness before killing her. He then drops his role as assassin/bounty-hunter and becomes a monk-type of traveller to repent for his ultimate sin.
Yea that's a lot I admit, but that was the story I received from looking at it.
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Saw the pencil for this piece, I really love how it turned out. You're getting more detailed in your inking. ^^
Keeping the figures simple and contrasted but adding a good deal of depth and texture to the background and certain objects.
Would you offended if I toned one of your works in the future?
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This is truly amazing...I love her expression and how even though the background has a darker vibe, to me he seems almost gentle in a way. Truly a beautiful piece.
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This is really lovely. I'm inspired by it. :]
Great job.
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