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Aroihkin — Brothers in Arms
Published: 2006-11-20 08:04:00 +0000 UTC; Views: 2536; Favourites: 48; Downloads: 34
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Description
Characters are Amberdrake k'Leshya (left) and Skandranon Rashkae (right) from the Mage Wars trilogy, by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon. This is fanart, I did not make up these characters. I just love them long time.
Microsoft Paint all the way, as usual. Some details are dark, so it might take some monitor-fiddling to see all of it. But the effect is worth it, in my opinion. <3
I have no idea how long it took... it was a long, long time, anyway. It started as a vague doodle and went from there. I have decided that I'm sick of the lack of Amberdrake fanart out there, and since I've been crawling around in his skull (Hadanelith eat your heart out), I may as well work on that a bit! I'll probably draw more of him, with and without Skan, and maybe even try a pic of Gesten the no-nonsense hertasi.
Thanks to Hope, Danielle, and Ianthe for giving me delicious [cake] concrit as I went. <333
Edit two years later (almost on the day) 11/26/2008:
Four and a half hours more work on what I estimate was about sixty for the original picture. Why the edit? My new laptop's monitor displays things far more detailed than my aged CRT...
That said, you might not be able to see all the detail, but I can. And now I don't have to cringe at the shading done in what was -- on my old monitor -- nigh-invisible shades.
I prefer detail that some people can't see to glaring sloppiness that some people can.
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Comments: 37
I think it is just wonderful that someone enjoys these two as much as we do. It's great to see Amberdrake and Skan together like this. Skan is probably trying to push himself more into frame and squeezing Amberdrake out, because he figures, anything with more ME in it is better, right?
It's nice to see some love for Amberdrake, because it was really he that sold the Mage Wars books in the first place. Misty, Betsy Wollheim and I were going through some art I'd done up, and we had some story notes already for the 3 books. When Betsy got to the sultry Amberdrake picture---you know the one, showing the one nipple---she said, "Oooo. I want a book with HIM in it." Misty and I grinned and said, "Funny you'd say that...."
Last I saw the numbers, Black Gryphon was in its 33rd printing. Skan probably won't be happy 'til it's a hundred, vain bird.
Yours,
Larry Dixon
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Oh Hai!
Can Haz Gryphbirb?
Yus!
Can Haz!
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lmao
In all seriousness though, Drake's... very probably one of my favorite characters in anything. Bad-ass fighters are great and all, but it's nice to see a healer and a therapist as a main character in a fantasy book. Or three.
I'm happy to hear he was so key in getting that trilogy rolling. Sultry nipple and all.
(And I... really need to re-do this picture. It's over ten years old.)
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I got recognition for Amberdrake as the first bi male bondage enthusiast positive-role-model protagonist in a fantasy novel. At least as far as anyone knew. That was a really unusual thing at that time. And, like with Vanyel, these days LGBT/BDSM/etc characters are not a rare thing, but at the time, it was a "risk the career on it" move.
Being sensitive and helpful takes a lot of grit, though, and I wanted to show that as Amberdrake's main trait. He hurts a lot because he HAS to keep his nerves raw or he isn't as effective at noticing the subtleties of others' pain. That's what creative pros have to do, really; we train in sensitivity and we know our job's gonna hurt, but that's part of the responsibility that goes with it. There's no virtue in undue sufferring, but, you know, same as when I was a firefighter, I went out the door knowing I'd probably get hurt so someone else wouldn't, and wounds heal. Missed chances hurt way more.
And having said that, go ahead and give it a go at drawing again. They're there waiting for you.
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There's all that, too. I'm glad you guys took the risk and that it didn't subsequently blow up in your faces.
And yeah... at some point. I cringe at the anatomy on this one, though I'm sure I'll be saying the same thing about more recent stuff in another ten years. But now I'm glad I never took it down or hid it away.
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Before I clicked on it my first thoughts were Scan and Amberdrake. Glad I wasn't disappointing
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OMG I was looking all day for some good fan art from a Mercedes Lackey book/series and I finally found some, this is beautiful!
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wow, I cannot belive you dd this on MS paint. So much detail
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\o.o/
(At least, once I got over how bad everything suddenly looked. 
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Aww I loved the Mage Wars series--haven't read them in a while--this pic makes me want to go have at them again!
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(belatedly)
Awesome! I always liked Black Gryphon best of the trio, though with Skan having blue eyes in this picture I guess it would have to be after White.
Ah well. XD
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(belatedly)
Thanks! 
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Hey, better late than never!D
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I just updated the picture, so I had to log in.
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Oh, great! 'The Black Gryphon' is my favorite book...seeing fanart of it makes me happy. ^^
You have such a neat style of coloring there. One of Drake's eyes seems to look a little lopsided... *Squints at it* I love the impact of Skan's head there...^^
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O_o If you mean it's lower than the other, that's the angle. ^^
Glad you like it! It took forever, good old MS Paint. :3
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Oh, yay, Amerdrake fanart!
I think my fave part of this is how his hand is cradling Skan's beak. It's maybe a strange detail to like, but there you go. I agree with punctuatedequilibria-your hands are amazing.
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I'm glad someone else likes that detail.
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Awesome books. I love the series. Good to see some fan art.
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<33 I'm sure I'll be drawing more, especially of Drake. There needs to be more Amberdrake art!
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Yes, yes they do. <33 More people ought to appreciate their greatness, at least... that's what Skan would say. XD
Thanks for the fave! This picture took a long time. XD
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you're welcome XD this pic deserves it ^_^
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Nice!
Any chance I can get a part in the livejournal thing?
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I linked to it in the comments, the rules and app and all that good stuff's on there. <3
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Woooot. Your hands, as always, are awesome.
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