Day 1 - Sebastian

[vilakins]

It's August which means naarmamo. If you don't want to see these posts, just exclude this tag.

I thought I'd start with Sebastian since he's new this year. He's not that easy to do since he's black. His eyes aren't really that green.

Sebastian



As LJ-hosted pictures aren't always showing up, I also have it on Flickr.

My NaArMaMo 2011 Gallery is here; go up a level for the others.

Comments

[mab_browne]

Cool. I do get a sense of feline personality here. :-)

[vilakins]

He's personality plus!

[corvuscornix]

Oh, very nice sense of shape and weight! Love the way you've done the creases in the fabric under him, and the way his paws sink in it.

[vilakins]

Thanks! That bit was easy: just grey blended into white. Aww, who's the Sebastian look-alike in that icon?

[corvuscornix]

Simple touches can make a big difference!

The icon is from the Classic Who serial “Survival” and the cat is a "kitling", a creature which uses magical teleportation (or possibly telereplication?) abilities to hunt. Oh, and the guy in the rubbish beard is the Master, as played by Anthony Ainley (incidentally the most thinly disguised cat in humanoid form I've ever seen :-)

[vilakins]

Oh! Now I want to see that!

[corvuscornix]

Uh-oh. I'm not sure I'd go as far as to actually recommend it... It was the last serial before the show was cancelled and it's very, er, eighties. Among other things. I know you're used to awful low-budget special effects from our beloved b7, but still... ;-)

Although I am admittedly rather fond of it myself. But this may be mainly because I have a huge fondness for Ainley's completely ridiculous portrayal of the Master, at any time. I may spend about half of his screen-time trying to hide out of sheer embarrassment, but the rest of the time I'm just grinning helplessly. The guy had way too much fun in that role.

[vilakins]

So it's Seven and Ace? I've seen some of those and enjoyed them. :-)

[corvuscornix]

At your own risk then. ;-)

[vilakins]

Well, if I can find it...

[trixieleitz]

Lovely! That's a very compelling stare :)

[vilakins]

If I could hear him, I'd know whether he was demanding play, cuddles, or foooooood. He has noises for each.

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

Aww... nicely done. :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks! He's sitting at my feet wanting me to go to bed. Soon, Sebs!

[azdak.livejournal.com]

That's... did you DRAW that?... I'm blown away.

You should write a children's book about a little back cat called Sebastian and illustrate it. With pictures like this, it would sell.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Really? I wasn't even that happy with it because it's so simple, him being a silhouette with some grey highlights.

You think? Well, he'd certainly be easier to draw than stripy Ashley!

He wants me to go to bed, winding round my feet and telling me, and I should...

[san-valentine.livejournal.com]

It's one of the things I like about black cats - that they make such elegant silhouettes. The grey in your picture moulds the silhouette and makes it into a three dimensional cat.

It's a very fine piece of work. Not photo-real, but very vivid. The pose you've drawn him in is very expressive- the hed tilted in curiosity as you expect from a young cat.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thank you! He's such a cute and sweet cat. I'll have to do a couple more of him.

[green-maia.livejournal.com]

That's... did you DRAW that?... I'm blown away.

I'm blown away too!


You should write a children's book about a little back cat called Sebastian and illustrate it. With pictures like this, it would sell.

I second the motion!

[blencathra.livejournal.com]

That is beautiful!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

He is a gorgeous and adorable (still kitteny but already 4kg).

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Aww he's gorgeous!
That and I'm thinking that is your best that you've shown us.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Really? Wow! And I chose something fairly simple too since I didn't have much time last night.

I'll have to do the same tonight (just got home and it's 6.20pm).

[quabazaa.livejournal.com]

Nawwwwww so precious!!

I really love your style as well, what did you use?

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Just the GIMP because I didn't have time to play with Artrage. Artrage is brilliant but it takes me a lot longer playing around with the virtual media.

Is that your cat?

[quabazaa.livejournal.com]

Ooh it's amazing the things people can do with digital art. I have GIMP, never tried Artrage!

The kitty in my icon was my cat, Soudaa. I adopted a stray in NZ and she went on to surprise me with FIVE kittens! o.O;; After they weaned I found them all homes, and unfortunately had to give away the mum as well because I ended up having to move overseas. Still miss them so much :( But gods they were adorable, I really can't wait to have another cat!! How many do you have now? I found the pics of yours in your scrapbook, asdfg, sooo adorable!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

If you have a graphic tablet and pen, it's amazing what you can do with the GIMP. I've got watercolour and oil effects from it (playing with opacity and blending), but Artrage is much better for simulating media. I used to have an old copy of Photoshop Elements which had some nice effects but I'll have to buy a new one some time for this new computer. :-(

We have three cats. The previous three (the brown and grey Burmese girls and the B&W boy) died in the last three years or so (and are greatly missed) and I have another set of three young ones: a Burmese girl, a silver tabby girl, and a black boy, the last two rescue cats. I'm sure to do pictures of them all this month. :-)

Soudaa looks quite young there, a kitten herself.

[elmey.livejournal.com]

The shadings show him off beautifully, and the head tilt gives him a real personality. Wonderful drawing!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks! He's personality plus, and is playing excitedly with a sparkle ball as I type. :-D

I love that icon. Is Willie your cat?

[elmey.livejournal.com]

Willie was my cat, a born adventurer, and he was white with a blue and a green eye. I have no close ups of him but when I saw this icon, it was close enough to remind me.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

He must have been beautiful! I saw a cat like that once.

I use this icon in the dame way for Sam, the cat our family had when I was a teenager. He ended up going with my brother when he moved out and lived to 18.

I should do a proper icon of him and my first two cats, but I'd have to scan photos and I'm lazy.

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

I like the curl atthe tip of his tail, and his toes.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

His tail is always curled! It's own of his features. :-) The size of his paws worry me that he'll grow into them. He's already the heaviest of the three and he'd not yet one.

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Ooh! So adorable! And beautiful! Aww, I want to cuddle him. :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

And he would let you! He's the cuddliest cat I have. :-)

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

AAWW, TOES! And he's just in general so cute!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

He really, really is. He's playing with his sparkle ball (which I just found for him under the furniture) and crashing happily around after it.

[stevie-carroll.livejournal.com]

Very cute!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

As is the real cat. He's a cuddly and playful sweetie.

[theyarnproject.livejournal.com]

This is awesome!!!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[luinielle.livejournal.com]

That's a wonderful drawing of Sebastian. His green eyes are so expressive.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thank you! His eyes really are paler than that but I went for impact. :-)

Your cats really have stunning colouring.

[green-maia.livejournal.com]

Oh, Nico. That is just beautiful. I am awed.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Does he remind you of Meg? A few people who had black cats said that. :-)