One more work to archive here! This is a Tier 2: “Watercolor-style” commissioned painting from 2024.
Below are a few process sheets from this commission (with client name omitted, as since this was from a while ago, I cannot quite recall whether this commissioner wished to remain anonymous).
I’ve been meaning to occasionally update this blog with some art I haven’t posted here before! Starting with a few Guild Wars 2 Tier 3 “speedpainting” commissions from a while back. These are 3 of my favorites from 2023!
The other reason I wanted to post these is because I took timelapses of several pieces from the 2023 batch of “speedpaintings.” I’m planning to post the timelapse for the first and third artworks in this post (the fiery charr and the confident-looking sylvari).
I recently finished editing the timelapse videos for those two, and will post them to YouTube soon. I’ll update this post when those process videos are up!
I’m undecided about whether I’ll post the timelapse for the middle artwork (with the Ascalonian sword – one of my favorite weapon skins!), even though this is personally one of my favorite speedpaintings (I learned much about brushwork doing this one). I discovered while editing the clips that there’s a small portion in the middle that didn’t record. It’s very short, but it’s one of the parts I personally would want to see drawn (it’s when I draw the shoulder shapes), and I feel like it’s less interesting without this portion in there.
Timelapse video above
I searched all through my frames and sadly it is nowhere! It’s just lost. I’ll look at the video again to see if it’s still interesting to watch, but argh! I wish I had it there, because that one was so fun to draw, and I’d have liked to see that part drawn too.
I’ll again update this post with the process videos when they’re up!
Commission for Skylark finished for this past Valentine’s Day, as a surprise gift for their partner! Above is the mesmer virtuoso, “Tarcisio Chiavetta,” who is Damedarosa’s character! (Names mentioned here with permission.)
Above and below are detail crops.
Process sheets below!
For this piece, we began with a general range for the budget. I was given a fair bit of artistic freedom, and I offered to draw a series of thumbnail during the initial sketches, across a range of complexities within their budget. This way, the client could choose the idea which both appealed to them most, and matched their desired budget. The original sheet lists quotes underneath each thumbnail idea, which I’ve omitted here for the client’s privacy.
First-round revision after the sketch idea was chosen.
Here is blocking out the background more before the painting stage began.
And here is the finished piece once more! This illustration has two versions – a “mesmeric magic” version at the top of the post, and this version above which places the focus more on Tarcisco’s figure.
Thanks so much again to Skylark for this commission!
March 4, 2026
I was reminded of the forum avatar projects I was part of back when I was an ArenaNet Creative Partner for Guild Wars 2. It reminded me that I don’t think I’ve ever shown the original batch of avatars I drew.
Much of these are older artworks – especially the ones before 2022. I remember this was a really fun project for us to work on as fans of the game. I’m still sentimental over a few of these because of this, despite some of them showing their age!
I’ve shown the second and third batches on socials before (but i think this is the first time for this blog, now that I’m using it again :D ) – the first and second rows in the image above. I remember posting those, and the original batch (2018’s) was so long ago, that I thought I had only done these 6. I only remembered I had drawn 3 additional avatars during the first time they ran this project, which I think I was only reminded of when I happened to see them being used on their official forums some time after.
I don’t have the original files for the 2018 batch (at least not on my current PC), and found these when searching through my emails for when I submitted the files to ArenaNet. I completely forgot I had drawn two versions of Cadeyrn – which according to the email I wrote at the time, I apparently drew both because I couldn’t decide which to go with. The top version is the one which is used on the forums now, which I’m glad about as it’s clearly stronger as a sized-down avatar compared to the alternate option.
I do love Cadeyrn as a character, and since I didn’t remember I drew this at all, it was fun to see a new artwork of him I had forgotten about!
As of this post, these avatars are still live on their official forums. I still get a kick when I see them being used!
It’s been a while since I did an end-of-year art summary! I tried to show a variety, as it could have easily been mostly comic pages this year. The Harbinger’s Path was definitely my main creative fixation for 2025. :D
I didn’t realize until counting just now, but I finished exactly 50 comic pages since announcing The Harbinger’s Path in April! I almost can’t believe that. It really was an obsession that took hold of me. Still, I managed to do a few more paintings than I remember! I also did more drawings and sketches this year than past years, which aren’t shown above. While looking for artworks to include in the summary, I realized there are many drawings I haven’t post anywhere (though some were posted on this blog throughout the year).
Honorary mention for October is the Trahearne-Malyck 2D practice animation, which I’ll add again here below:
My output in terms of personal art projects was definitely much more this year than previous years. I’ve been meaning to type up a post reflecting on why that was, as it was a very deliberate aim I wished to strive for at the beginning of this year.
Next year, I want to do more small comic projects and 2D animations, alongside drawings and paintings. :D
Edit 11:12 pm:
Also an alternate version for September – I forgot I worked on this paintover while I was looking for another file just now.
Adding to the full post as other than September, it’s identical to the above: