Recently finished ref sheet commission! I’m so humbled when I’m asked to do a ref sheet commission, because it isn’t something I formally list anywhere that I do, but the ones I’ve done have been very enjoyable. Many thanks to Zecknel for this one, in particular, because when first asked to do this, I let Zecknel know that I would use a looser line style. I say this for all the ref sheets I’ve done, because before this year, I wouldn’t say I work with clean lines.
Serendipitously, between the time Zecknel approached me with this project (an updated ref sheet for his character, the original itself a ref sheet I made for them a few years back) and the project’s start date, I began drawing more with line as I drew The Harbinger’s Path webcomic. By the time the start date for this commission approached, I was fairly confident I could do this reference sheet with cleaner lines than for any ref sheet I’ve drawn before. I would still consider these lines more on the looser side, and not “true” lineart – but they’re much cleaner than “lines” I’ve drawn before this year – especially on commission.
Zecknel has such a cool concept for their character, especially once you add color. The vibrancy of their character’s feather patterns have a visual spark, I think! I’m also excited about this ref sheet, because it will be used to create a costume (or “fursuit”) Zecknel is commissioning from a specialized crafter. I’ve known Zecknel’s character for a few years now, and I’m really looking forward to seeing a physical manifestation of their character! I’ve always had a lot of admiration for the craftsmanship behind fursuit crafters – the technical skill to bring these imagination creations into physical form is this wonderful representation of passion and creativity. I’ve seen some truly incredible instances of artisan craftsmanship that rival what you see on stage or in films. I just love seeing people expressing what they love, especially the more indie types!
Edit Nov 5, 2025: I don’t know what it is about posting that makes my eye notice things, but I noticed the angle for the far wing was inaccurate! I’ve revised the above refs, and the earlier versions are in the full post below: