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Description
You're not imagining this! I am actually drawing something again. I think the last time I drew fanart was two years ago, with early season 1 ATLA.

Season 3 Zuko, a partial sketch on canvas-board. Why canvas-board? SO I CAN PAINT IT, OF COURSE. I am terribly excited about this, if you can't tell.

I've always had problems with posing bodies off the top of my head, so this time I went through my 1500+ photos of all my traveling in 2007, and picked out a photo I took of a friend, half-sketched his body shape, then replaced his head and clothes with Zuko's. It's hard, but the result is a lot better than if I'd tried to sketch without something to look at. I think it means the pose is more natural, too. Not terribly dynamic, maybe, but strong and solid-looking.

In the original photo my friend is holding a shovel that crosses in front of his legs; I haven't decided yet what Zuko's going to be holding.

I find myself looking obsessively at screencaps to get his rebel costume juuuuuuuuust right. They are coming along, though I still need to get his bottom half figured out. His face is a challenge... right now it's halfway between realism and cartoon-style. His nose looks cartoony, but his mouth is a realistic size instead of an anime or cartoon size. I think I'll keep it that way. The hair was, surprisingly, the easiest thing. I think it's because I already had the proper head size worked out. Also, Zuko is nearly smiling. Can you tell? My friend was smiling huge in the original picture; I toned it down to a half-smile while trying to figure out what Zuko's mouth should look like.

I'll scan it again when I have the full sketch, and then again when I have the painting part done. I don't know yet if I want to add a background.

There is one thing that's bothering me: I'm not sure if his face looks "Asian" enough. I tried to draw it from the screencaps, but still it doesn't look quite right. He doesn't not look Asian... he doesn't look like anything, right now. Maybe it doesn't matter at this stage, and is something I should worry about when I paint it.

LISTENING TO: "Sons & Daughters", The Decemberists

Description
You're not imagining this! I am actually drawing something again. I think the last time I drew fanart was two years ago, with early season 1 ATLA.

Season 3 Zuko, a partial sketch on canvas-board. Why canvas-board? SO I CAN PAINT IT, OF COURSE. I am terribly excited about this, if you can't tell.

I've always had problems with posing bodies off the top of my head, so this time I went through my 1500+ photos of all my traveling in 2007, and picked out a photo I took of a friend, half-sketched his body shape, then replaced his head and clothes with Zuko's. It's hard, but the result is a lot better than if I'd tried to sketch without something to look at. I think it means the pose is more natural, too. Not terribly dynamic, maybe, but strong and solid-looking.

In the original photo my friend is holding a shovel that crosses in front of his legs; I haven't decided yet what Zuko's going to be holding.

I find myself looking obsessively at screencaps to get his rebel costume juuuuuuuuust right. They are coming along, though I still need to get his bottom half figured out. His face is a challenge... right now it's halfway between realism and cartoon-style. His nose looks cartoony, but his mouth is a realistic size instead of an anime or cartoon size. I think I'll keep it that way. The hair was, surprisingly, the easiest thing. I think it's because I already had the proper head size worked out. Also, Zuko is nearly smiling. Can you tell? My friend was smiling huge in the original picture; I toned it down to a half-smile while trying to figure out what Zuko's mouth should look like.

I'll scan it again when I have the full sketch, and then again when I have the painting part done. I don't know yet if I want to add a background.

There is one thing that's bothering me: I'm not sure if his face looks "Asian" enough. I tried to draw it from the screencaps, but still it doesn't look quite right. He doesn't not look Asian... he doesn't look like anything, right now. Maybe it doesn't matter at this stage, and is something I should worry about when I paint it.

LISTENING TO: "Sons & Daughters", The Decemberists