{fanart} Merlin's Favorite

[altocello]

Do I really need to warn for crossdressing art on my journal anymore?

Drew this for Challenge #5 over at merlin_ficart. There were so many prompts I wanted to take but, alas, I only ended up having time to do one. But this is the one! Here is my illustration for the lovely "Gray Lace and Satin Roses" by riventhorn.

Beta'd by the ever amazing reni_m, amphigoury, and gfeather, with serious support from the folks at gsdmerlin.



Graphite on grey paper.

Comments

[riventhorn.livejournal.com]

THIS IS SO GORGEOUS. I love Arthur's pose, and the way the shoulder strap is slipping down. Oh--and the way the fabric is draped around his legs, too--GUH that is sexy. And the expression on his face--he looks so peaceful, which is how I imagine him. Also love the little hint of art deco(?) design on the headboard--it looks very 1920s.

I think my favorite thing about it, though, is that you didn't feminize his body. He is still very muscular and broad shouldered. That was such an important thing for me in those stories--that Arthur didn't want to be a woman in the biological sense of the word or even with feminized mannerisms--but that he loves the clothing that has been gendered as "female." (Ugh-I find the terms "masculine/male", "feminine/female" very problematic, but hopefully I've gotten my point across). Anyway, I just really love that you picked up on that and drew him like this. ♥♥

I'll add a link to this on my story!

Thank you, thank you! :)

[altocello.livejournal.com]

I'm SO glad you like it! :D It's always a bit nerve-inducing, creating a piece for someone; you never know if your vision is the same as their vision.

And I keep trying to write a cogent response to your comment, but haven't had any success, lol. A brief summary would be, "YES, THAT!" to all of your points, because they are exactly what I hoped you would take away from it. Especially the one about him still being very much a MAN in a dress. <3

[fuzzytomato02.livejournal.com]

Cello! I love the draping and the collarbones which you already know. :D and I love the richness of the background. so pretty! :)

[altocello.livejournal.com]

Thank you tomato! If you haven't already guessed, I have a thing for collarbones, have had since before I really knew what a fetish even was<,/i> lol. The drapery was fun and a bit different, since it was the fabric lying across his lap rather than hanging down. Weirdly, the background was the easiest part of the whole thing, and I had fun with the touch of art deco in the headboard. :D

[itzcoatl.livejournal.com]

Very nice, I love the soft gentle shading on it. And I love the fact that you've kept Arthur very msculine despite the clothing, (love those collarbones and the hint of his pecs)

[altocello.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I was hoping for a really soft look, so I'm glad you feel that in this. I also really wanted it to be clear that this was a MAN in a dress, since that was how Arthur saw himself in these stories. Which is surprisingly hard to do, there is a strong temptation to narrow the waist and give more swell to the hips. And any excuse to draw collarbones is a good excuse, in my book! :D

[katie-andrew.livejournal.com]

This is gorgeous! :)

[altocello.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It took a lot of work to get it here. <3

[reni-m.livejournal.com]

You worked really hard on this one, Cello!
Fab job! :D

[altocello.livejournal.com]

Thank you, reni! I would never have gotten it done at all if you hadn't been there to help me sort out what to adjust! <3

[k-nightfox.livejournal.com]

I'm no art critic so I'll just tell you what I like about this drawing. I love Arthur's musculature and collarbones, the strong cheekbones and the way his hair/fringe lays. It's a small but significant thing, I like how you drew his knees. I see so many drawings where the knees just don't look right, especially when the legs are bent to the side like this. I also really like the detailed background, especially the headboard & curtains.

I find this this very lovely. thank you for sharing your work with all of us!

[altocello.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! This was a challenging pose to draw, so I'm glad that all those small but significant details looked right to you. :D I happen to kind of like knees for some reason, so I'm particular about getting them right, even though they're hard to do, lol. The background was based on a fantastic period photo of a 1920's bedroom which I found and mimicked shamelessly.