The Chariot - Rappy

A somewhat late, but still heartfelt contribution to Operation: Happy Rappy.

I wanted to do something more than just your typical portrait in this piece, so I spent some time looking for something that inspired me as to Rappy's character, and this was it. The attributes given to the Chariot card seemed to match fairly well with that of Rappy herself, so it was a matter of first making a quick study of her features and then figuring out how to compose the card itself on paper. I was initially intending to have at least one dino pulling on the chariot visible, but with how things turned out Rappy's figure dominated, and any detail from something further in the foreground would simply be lost. The emblem on the front of the chariot is symbolizing her signature blood lightning; I had to improvise somewhat as I couldn't remember the emblem she and her teammates had created for the forum's most recent avatar tournament. Using some of her own work as reference, I tried to recreate her sword, Frostviper, as best I could. The details of her outfit come from a number of previous pieces both by her and other artists. I don't often do much on the mouth area for other characters, but Rappy's full lips demanded that I pay special attention here; I think the shape turned out well.

My continued struggles in this piece are a bit evident in some details. On long, thin lines like those of the blade of Frostviper, my hand still isn't quite steady as compared to when I can add more pressure on the pen or on shorter lines. The cityscape in the background wasn't as well-composed as it could have been, and I still need to work on making my brush strokes even on areas where I need to use it. I probably darkened her eyes a bit too much. However, I did find the most effective mix for grayscale: one part ink, three parts water. So, that should be simpler to employ on future pieces.

Anyway, this is my hundredth deviation, and I dedicate it to you, Rappy!