Nephirin + Velvet Sketch

Today Im posting another of that set of 3 non-patreon commissions on the free sites so go check it out if you want. 

As before, for patreon I picked another favorite of mine that I never posted anywhere else, this one being from 2017. Hot springs are one of my most requested settings so yeah. Youll also notice this au ra has a different scale pattern, particularly having the hands covered in scales so they are more like claws. I do like it when people add unique touches to their characters to set them apart from the in game model.

Anyway, what I really wanna talk about today is Velvet. I was actually considering just making her the main post but I felt like having a sketch as the main post would be kinda lame so yeah.

So, it took me a really long time to lock in on something, and because of how much I liked Tales of Berseria and her character in general, I was really afraid I wouldnt be able to capture her properly. I hate it when I see fan art of characters I like and people completely fail to capture the essence of the character, so I definitely wanted to avoid that.

The good news is, I finished the sketch just a few hours ago and I couldnt be happier with it. I have a lot more to say about it, but by now youre reading this and thinking "JUST SHOW ME THE SKETCH ALREADY", so here it is.

This is probably one of the most emotional scenes Ive done. Those who played the game will know exactly when and where this is taking place, and why Im saying that.

Its actually really hard to put into words what Im trying to do here with the general body language and expression, because its so complex. I knew from the start I wanted to do something sensual/revealing with some nudity, but it was also really important that I kept it in character. I couldnt have her undressing or teasing the viewer or anything like that because thats not her. It had to be that kind of scene where the nudity is just another element, and not the focus.

I spent so long on her expression, because I wanted her to have that look of someone who is overwhelmed with anger/grief, but STILL have her look cute and fragile at the same time. Its this pinpoint balance which is so hard to get but fortunately you can just look at it to know what I mean.

There are two elements that contribute a lot to it, that I added very late into the sketch. One being the hint of tears in her eyes/face, still subtle enough that it gives her this look of trying to hold it in (and failing to). The other one being the hand clawing at the ground (ironically it being her human hand) and also the large claw marks visible on the wall in the back, alluding at what is hiding beneath the bandages on her left arm.

Anyway, I know most people will be like "yay boobs", but this one is really special to me and I do like doing something deeper once in a while, so I hope you all enjoy it (especially the people who have played the game).

I might post the full version next if Ive finished it by then, which I should since coloring goes by pretty quickly. I still havent decided if I want to go with red top or brown top, because considering when this scene is taking place, she would be wearing the brown one still... Yet, the red top is a big part of her look and stands out more, so yeah. Ill probably just take into account the general colors of the pic and go with whatever looks best.

(I really hope people actually read these patreon posts lol, I wish I could keep them shorter but I have so much to say)

Oh almost forgot, here is Fragile for LucBot.