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ObsidianSerpent — Execution
Published: 2010-04-19 16:07:39 +0000 UTC; Views: 27710; Favourites: 687; Downloads: 168
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Description
Acrylics on Canvas BoardAnd a tiny bit of explanation, as this is an illustration to a story that only exists in my brain.
Uther discovers that Merlin is a sorceror. Normally he wouldn't hesitate, but he knows how close Merlin is to Arthur, and it will be easier to take action when Arthur is out of the way. When Arthur rides off with a few knights to check out reports of bandit activity on the borders, Uther decides it's the ideal opportunity to drug Merlin so that he can't use magic, and then burn him at the stake. However Arthur's horse goes lame and he returns early...
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Comments: 250
Thank you for such a nice comment!
Though you wouldn't want my brain...it's very small and would be easily lost.
Yeah, I do love the idea of protective Arthur rescuing Merlin. Bless!
Perhaps you could submit your college paper in the form of an equation and baffle them with maths? Brief, but to the point...
Feline + nutrients = 0 < feline
Feline - nutrients = 0 > feline
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wow just by looking at youre art i saw a sad story unfold greatest art i seen so far
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You are so kind!! Thank you so much!
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You painted Arthur's expression so well! And I agree, you have to write you story, cause your idea sounds delicious
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Thank you very much, (though I'm not a writer unfortunately, so I'll leave that sort of thing to someone else. 
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Omg you must write that fic now! I'd love to read a story like that. Uthers never been quite so clever before in anything similiar that I've read...
Anywho, back to the picture, I LOVE it! To think that you did that with acrylics is astounding! I love the reflection of the fire on Arthur's armour. Brilliant detail!
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Thank you so much for such a nice comment. Sorry I didn't reply before now, I've been really busy and haven't been onto DA for ages.
(I'm in the middle of...erm...*counts 'em*...four merlin paintings at the moment. So any ideas of writing fic are going to have to go on hold, at least for the moment.
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Very nice. It makes me want to see/hear/read more of the story behind it. I'm not sure if it was intentional, but one detail I especially like is how Merlin's hand and wrist look somewhat skeletal, like he's been ill and/or malnourished, which would likely make him vulnerable. I also just love the overall idea, and you've done a remarkable and lovely job in executing it (pun not intended, but, hey, there it is).
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Awww, thank you!
No, Merlin's hand wrist looking a bit skeletal was accidental...he's a thin chap so I gave him a thin hand/wrist. (And I have a bit of a thing for visible wrist bones, I think they're pretty/elegant.
But I like your idea that he's undernourished/ill. (You see what you want to in a picture and that's what makes it interesting...that you can weave stories from it.) Maybe Uther's been secretly drugging Merlin for a while to stop him using magic. And it's made Merlin eat less/unable to keep anything down. Arthur's noticed that Merlin been looking ill lately, but not realised why...
And puns, (intentional or otherwise), make me laugh, so the "executing it" thing made me chuckle.
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you should see if someone would write the fic, and you and the person would talk to each other to get all of the details you would want in it. I would very much like to read it since you gave basically the summary of it. This picture is outstanding
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Thank you so much.
A couple of people who have seen the picture have expressed an interest in writing fic for it but it hasn't actually happened. (They've got other fics on the go...or they just don't have the time.)
Yeah, I'd love to read it too.
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I had seen that one on LJ some time ago and I still find it stunning, the way Arhur looks murderous and protective at the same time is just incredible and OMG poor Merlin ...
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Aww, thank you. And I really appreciate you bothering to comment again, if you have already seen it elsewhere.
x
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This is fantastic, one of the best Merlin fan arts ever.
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Thank you so much, you are really very kind!
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*whistles at the hottness and awesomeness
ever thinking of writing it up as a drabble? id love to read it; for once merlin would get to play damsel in distress and arthur can rescue HIM, lol
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Aww, thank you.
No, I don't write unfortunately. (And if I did try you wouldn't want to read it, as it would be rubbish. :LOL
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Oh wow - this is my favorite off all your paintings. It's so powerful, and just brilliant and I fail at feedback but yeah wow
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Thank you. But I didn't mean you had to come over here and comment! 
I didn't know you were on DA! Goes off to look at your site....
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The faces! They look so like the actors! Amazing and stunning. I love how Arthur holds Merlin and how our sorcerer is looking for grip at his prince, its kind of dramatic and cute
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Thank you very much!
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This has been sitting in my inbox forever because I can never come up with anything to say that even remotely does this justice!
I just end up marveling at it and my brain stops working.
It makes my little fangirl heart smile 
absolutely gorgeous, I can't get over your freakish amount talent!!
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Thank you so much. That's such a nice thing to say.
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**amount of talent
-facepalm-
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Sounds a tiny bit similar to a plot bunny I'm lightly batting around (well, only the bit about Merlin being drugged and burnt to death - then things start to become different from the pic.)
But, enough of that, this site is for commenting on pics. And I would say this is definitely one of the best I've seen of yours. The details are spectacular, right down to Arthur's armour reflecting the flames on his right side.
My only complaint is that it seems a little blurry. Which I put down to the scan perhaps?
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Ooooh, your story sounds interesting. I hope Merlin gets saved somehow. (Though angsty death is always nice to read too. *G*) (I'm not a sadist, honestly! *G*)
Thanks for the nice comment. Yes, this one probably worked better than most of the others. The only down-side of that is that I reckon the next few won't live up to this at all. It's horrible to do something almost good...and then have to churn out another whole lorry-load of mediocre before the next good bit... *G* (But, then, I suppose this is why I work in an office and am not a professional illustrator instead. *G*)
The painting is too big to fit on my scanner-bed, so I had to take a photo of it with my cheap digital camera, and then reduce the "size" of the file radically so that it wouldn't kill the computers of the people trying to look at it. So yeah, it does look a bit fuzzy now unfortunately.
One thing I do find, (I don't know whether you might be able to advise on). When the painting IS the right size to fit on the scanner bed, then even if I have put the paint on pretty thick, the scanner seems to read loads of interference from the canvas-weave and it comes out as dots all over the place. I've got a very early edition of photoshop, and by doing a "blur" of 2 then it seems to just tone those down a bit so that the interference doesn't obliterate the painting. (You can't see the weave at all in "real life", but it's there on the scan.) But the "solution" is annoying in that you also end up with a slight blurring of the image. I'm totally crap with computers. I'd love to know if there's a way round that.
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WOW...
THIS IS BLOODY AMAZING.
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Thank you very much!
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Yes! I 
I love this so, so much!
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Thank you very much!
Yeah, I don't think anyone is getting anywhere near Merlin again now that Arthur is in that mood. I love protective Arthur.
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Thank you VERY much! xx
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I love the story idea (you seem to be really good with plot ideas--like with the stained glass story you came up with). I also love the look on Arthur's face. It's so him! As always, I'm amazed at how great you are at drawing likenesses. And in my opinion, drawing multiple people interacting is always hard, so I'm impressed with what you've done here.
Really nice work with Arthur's outfit. Since so much of it is not just cloth, I would imagine that was difficult to paint. The reflection of the fire off his metal plating looks great.
And of course, I love the Arthur x Merlin aspect of this.
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I get a lot of plot ideas, I wish I could write well. (But I tried once in another fandom, and I really can't).
Arthur's likeness worked okay for pretty much the first time this time. (I've been having SUCH trouble getting pictures to look like him.) Yeah, drawing more than one person in a picture is a minefield. You can almost guarantee that if one of them works then the other one won't, no matter HOW long/hard you fiddle with the likeness.
Actually, the armour/chainmail is huge fun to paint and easier than cloth. (not so many dang folds for one thing!)
Arthur/Merlin for da win.
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Very powerful fanart! Amazing job!
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I think this is my favourite one of yours so far, definitely! This may just be perfect... I'm probably repeating myself, but you're SO talented!
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Thank you very much. I think it's my favourite of mine so far too.
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This is really beautiful
And I love the storyline behind it
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Thank you very much.
And you are MORE than welcome to use the painting as a springing-off point for a fic, I would be bonoured.
(Could you please give me a link if you do write it? I'd love to read a fic like this, and I wouldn't want to accidentally miss seeing it.)
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You're welcome!
Thanks so much! I'm not sure if I'll be able to write it at the moment as I have exams coming up in a few weeks and am busy with revision, but I'll definitely link it as soon as it's up.
Since it's your work that it's based on, would you like it to be chaptered, or a one-shot?
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Thank you. (And I know all about "Real Life" getting in the way of fandom. I do think us fans should have an exemption and not have to do anything else all day except play with pretty imaginary boys.
As to whether it's chaptered or a one-shot, well that's completely up to you and what you feel like writing. (I'm just honoured/pleased that you feel like writing anything at all connected with my picture.)
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Hey, sorry I disappeared for ages, but I'm back now
So can you fill my in on the story with as much detail as possible so I can try to make it as good as possible?
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Sorry I didn't reply sooner. I've committed myself to illustrating three "Big Bang" Merlin fics and I've been so caught up with that I haven't had a chance to get onto DA.
As regards the story...well, there isn't much more than what I wrote under the picture. It was just rough idea that prompted a painting. I had a vague idea of the poison being slow acting...so Merlin is getting sicker and woozier over about two days, without knowing why, before he finally collapses and Uther swoops in with some knights to drag him off to the pyre.
But if you fancy writing a fic then just take it and run with it and do whatever you'd like. (Do give me a link if you write on though, I'd love to read it.)
xx
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Oh it's fine. I look forward to seeing them!
Is it ok with you if I fill in any missing details I find necessary myself?
If so then I'll get started straight away!
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So sorry I didn't reply, I haven't been on DA for ages, as I've been caught up in other stuff. Yes, filling in anything you want with whatever you want would have been fine. (Though it's so long ago that you asked me that that you've probably forgotten all about it by now.) Sorry about that!
xx
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