poppypari

Happy Holidays 2022

Added 2022-12-24 22:12:09 +0000 UTC

The fireplace crackles, the cheery gold lights of the Christmas tree twinkle, and all the house's residents are fast asleep. Santa's little helper is at ease as he quietly lays the presents down on the table (and enjoys the offerings left out for him--it'd be a waste not to when they've clearly put in so much effort). It's his last stop before returning to the welcome warmth of his own house. The night has gone on without a hitch. It's a relief for the new helper and perhaps that relief has made him careless. He doesn't notice anything amiss until there's a prickling feeling on the back of his neck. A little magic and a lot of training have made him sensitive to being watched and with dawning horror, he looks up. A new man sits casually on the edge of the couch, quiet as a mouse. Though he says nothing, the wide grin on his face speaks of his intentions loud and clear.

I hope y'all have/had a lovely holiday! I had a lot of fun with this piece. I really wanted to push myself with it in comparison to the one I did last year. I'm a sucker for warm lighting. I also experimented a bit with a different brush and coloring. Less rendering and more reliance on cell shading and stronger shadows. I do need to improve on that and hopefully, in the next year, I'll be able to better improve my lighting abilities!