Tag: cadeyrn

Artwork showing nine forum avatars used on the official Guild Wars 2 forums. — **Top row**: 2022 | **Middle row**: 2019 | **Bottom row:** 2018

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.

Four forum avatars from 2018. — The three forum avatars from 2018, including an extra alternate version which was unused in favor of the live version.

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!

Loose sketch drawing of Cadeyrn from Guild Wars 2. He wears a crown of golden, glowing vine, as he slouches smugly against twisted thorns. — Cadeyrn Warm-up (Crop)

Super rough Cadeyrn warm-up! I’ve been wanting to sketch the ending portion of Ree Soesbee’s “Dream and Nightmare” passages, particularly the final one describing Cadeyrn after he’s founded the Nightmare Court. The specific portion reads:

Cadeyrn lounged on his throne with a careless, prideful slouch. A crown of golden vine glittered on his forehead as courtiers bowed and whispered before him, hanging on Cadeyrn’s every word, their eyes as lightless as the space between the stars.

— Source: Dream and Nightmare by Ree Soesbee

I love the imagery this passage depicts, and it’s been on my task list for a while to try sketching some ideas based off it. This is my second (very loose) attempt. Below is the full, uncropped (and very rough) composition:

Full version of the Cadeyrn drawing shown previously. He sits atop a throne-like tangle of thorned vines. — Cadeyrn warm-up (Full composition)

I thought it might also be fun to play a little with Cadeyrn’s design, namely his outfit. I’m not a huge fan of his in-game armor, but I wanted to try something that is still recognizable as having that as its inspiration (for comparison, this is Cadeyrn’s in-game appearance). I really like how in the Nightmare Court outfit series of armor, there’s a mild sense of lasciviousness, or this air of seduction, which works thematically with their concept of corrupting (or “seducing”) Dream sylvari to Nightmare.

I also thought it didn’t quite make sense that Faolain (the canonical leader of the Nightmare Court) wears Nightmare Court armor, while its founder wears low-level sylvari cultural armor. From the Grove, no less! This never made sense to me, given how arrogant Cadeyrn is depicting in Ree Soesbee’s writings. (I imagine he might likely have disdain for anything associated with the Grove.) But I do love when concepts are created based off in-game appearances – it’s why often, my favorite games to do fan art for tend toward those with lesser graphics. Because these allow more freedom with how artists can imagine their depictions, and allow more creativity and play among different interpretations across a variety of people.

That’s the idea behind his alternations here – I tried combining features from the sylvari male version of the Nightmare Court light armor (as Cadeyrn is a mesmer) – mainly by opening the chest, and changing his collar armor to thorns instead of leaves – while attempting to keep the “spirit” of his in-game appearance intact.

Incidentally, the first sketch I tried was from two days ago, sketched as an even looser warm-up:

Loose sketch showing Cadeyrn toying with his “crown of glittering vine.”

There are aspects of this sketch I also like. I’m not sure which version I’ll take further – it might be neither, maybe I’ll try a few more ideas! – but it was fun to finally sketch down some potential tries for this idea.

Finally, the first sketch is also part of one of the “sketchpages” I use for warm-ups – this is how the full page looks:

Loose sketches | *Left,* Cadeyrn from Guild Wars 2; *Right,* Corveil, from my own setting (not GW2)

This page started as as warm-up with Corveil first, on the right, as some anatomy construction practice.

Posts Tagged with cadeyrn

Guild Wars 2 Official Forum Avatars | February 8, 2026

Cadeyrn Warm-up | January 9, 2026