Three characters drawn as children, from my comic Light of the Last World. The girl in the left wears a well-kept dress. The middle child wears a noble outfit. The right girl wears a run down dress.

Sketching up some OC’s when they were children 🥹

#WIP #OCSky #sketch #LightoftheLastWorld

Illustration is art at a low angle, behind a knight striding forward, away from the viewer towards her foe. The knight wields a sword that has a mottled, white blade. From the angle, only the knight’s lower body is visible. Ahead of her is another woman. She has pale skin and large stag antlers crowning her head. Her arms are outstretched, as if to goad the knight to attack. The rest of her body is hidden by billowing wisps of shadow and smoke. Behind her, in the darkness, very faint eyes can be seen staring out. Lore: Not much lore for this piece. It is a concept of my OC, a knight in training called Wren, confronting the Wytch that attacked her town.

Three figures are in a dark cave. Two of them are armed with weapons and shields. They wear cloaks and hoods. The third figure sits on the ground, his lantern dropped to the ground in front of them. It casts long, dark shadows across the cave and its many, many stalagmites and stalactites. The seated figure is pointing up to the cave roof in fear. A creature looms above them. Large and quadrupedal, it walks on very human like hands. Draped over its form is almost a cloak of tattered skin. It’s many eyes are visible through some of the tears. It has a large head, almost like that of a T-Rex, but without a lower jaw. Instead of a tongue, it has a large red tendril of flesh formed from fingers and muscle. The very tip of it is an outstretched hand. Lore: The Corruption and Horrors that plague Sunlorn thrive in darkness, in the absence of the Queen’s Light. Besides the Black Hinterlands beyond Sunlorn’s borders, nowhere is this more apparent then various caves and caverns beneath the earth. Mining proves to be an arduous task. Everyday, miners forge new breeding grounds for monsters, while they greedily dig through stone. Alabaster Steel, a vital material in the fight against the Accursed, is mined from deep under the Alabaster Mountains. The work cannot stop despite the dangers posed to those brave workers. The Underguard is the chief security force for the mines of Sunlorn. While not blessed with Oath magic like the Knights Solace, nor as robust as the automaton Ivory Legion, the Underguard earn their reputation through numbers, expert training and tactics with tunnel fighting, and a whole lot of luck.

Last two illustrations I made for #inktober ✨ I’m rather proud of the second one!

Happy Halloween everyone! My post is only vaguely on theme haha!

#drawtober #halloween #LightoftheLastWorld #darkfantasy #art

A peasant woman with greying, mottled skin hides behind the rubble of a wooden and stone building. She is scared. In the background, a fire burns through another house. An automaton made of white and gold metal lurks round the colour. Its face plate has been shaped to look like a marble mask. A large greatsword that glows has been plunged into the ground. Another automaton is patrolling in the background. Lore: Cold Alabaster Steel walks the roads of Sunlorn. With the disbandment of the Knights Solace, the Kingdom still needed warriors in the eternal battle against Corruption. The solution was the Ivory Legion - the metal children of the visionary, Silas Krieg. These towering automatons are a marvel to many and, to some, a miracle. Others consider them just another horror to run from. The Ivory Legion boasts far greater numbers than their predecessors. With an armoured chassis made from Alabaster Steel, they were resilient to all but the most dangerous threats to Sunlorn. Their blades and weapons, powered by living radiance, cut down any foe placed in front of them. The Legion’s wide array of armaments means a Legionnaire is a versatile combatant. Equipment can be installed to tackle any problem. They never tire. They are ceaseless in performing their primary directive. The Ivory Legion carries out its duty with dispassion. They are a hammer to the scalpel that was the Knights Solace. Uncaring and unyielding. Sunlorn’s citizenry should be wary, for the Legionnaires could turn against that the smallest sign of Corruption.

A 7ft tall woman sits upon a chair. A balcony is behind her revealing a lake and shimmers with light. She has crossed her legs and sits tall and regally. A gold, metal gauntlet is on her eighth arm. She wears a white cloak with a furred mantle. Covering the upper portions of her face, from the nose upward, is a golden metal mask and helmet. The mask has a circular design adorned with the sun. Lore: The Great Queen Ygraissant, the timeless ruler of Sunlorn. It is through her divine power that Sunlorn persists despite the endless threats to its existence. Her seat of power is the Alabaster Citadel in the a city of First Light. The people of the kingdom revere her as their saviour and their god.

I forgot to post last week’s #inktober piece so have both today! We got fantasy robots and god Queens 👑

Pretty proud of last week’s illustration ngl ✨ Peep a little bit of lore in the alt text.

#darkfantasy #LightoftheLastWorld #drawtober #art #originalart #webcomic

A shepherd stands on a grassy hill over looking the plains and a lake. His cloak billows in the wind. Far in the distance, a beam of golden, crackling light surges towards the sky. Closer, and drifting across the grassy plains is a thick, inky-black cloud. Dark, hazy rain and globules of thick ichor fall down from it. Tendrils of shadow snake their way to the ground too. Lore: In the wake of the devastation that wasted Arbuthmuir 24 years ago, a new threat to the Kingdom Sunlorn emerged. Concentrated clouds of Corruption periodically drift down from the north, 3-4 times a Passing. From these clouds, Corruption falls like rain in a storm. Thick globules of ichor. A inky haze. Ghastly winds. For most caught in Blightfall, it is a death sentence. All many can do is evacuate and pray. It takes time, but eventually the Queenslight burns away the clouds and restores a semblance of normality. In the aftermath of Blightfall, the Ivory Legion is deployed to clean up and cleanse everything in the cloud's path. Whole towns have been found either dead or succumbed to the Black Blight's influence. These Accursed are slain. The dead are burned. Since the emergence of this disastrous anomaly, incidents of nascent Wytches have risen tenfold, with many slipping through the net of the Ivory Legion.

Working on a personal project for #inktober this year. Just one a week as so don’t have the energy for that daily stuff anymore 🤣

A story idea that I barely get to work on - Light of the Last World ☀️ Some lore in the alt text

#darkfantasy #LightoftheLastWorld #drawtober #art #originalart #comic

Exploration and creature design piece for my comic Light of the Last World. In the foreground, a man hides behind a tree in fear, his hands cupped over his mouth. Behind him, wading through the swamp water is a large, monstrous creature. Its form is shaped like a heron, but instead of a beak, two massive hands are pressed together with their finger tips touching. Fingers protrude backwards from its head and neck, like frills or feathers.The neck of the creature is full of holes and openings that leak a black fluid. On its back is a cluster of black pustules. Instead of feathered wings, it has a cloak of web-like silk make from black threads. LORE: The Black Blight is a corrupting influence, hence its colloquial name, Corruption. It affects the mind and body of those exposed to it, but fortunately for the people of Sunlorn, at most they would have to worry about Accursed or even a Wytch. However, if a creature is saturated with enough Corruption, it can become a Horror. Horrors are the apex of Accursed Creatures. Typically massive in size, their forms are varied, strange, and at times, incomprehensible. Each one is unique and a product circumstance and its environment. All Horrors hold malice in their hearts, and seek to extinguish life where it may find it. In addition, Horrors heavily pollute their surroundings with Corruption, seemingly becoming a near unlimited source of the Black Blight. These monstrosities cannot be frightened, cannot be reasoned with. They can only be slain. No normal blade can do the job, only one of Alabaster Steel. Despite this, even a lone Knight stands little chance against a Horror. Even a small group would struggle. The Horror depicted in this illustration is probably one of the least monstrous of its kind, in terms of design. I imagined it was once a heron that fell to the blight and now walks the swamps and wetlands. I’ve named it the Murk Wader.

Exploring some creature design for #LightoftheLastWorld particularly horror and monster designs. These creatures I imagine to be the biggest threat anyone could face in this setting. I really need to practise them more.

#darkfantasy | #webcomic | #creaturedesign | #horror | #art

Visual concept and exploration for my comic, Light of the Last World. This illustration is set at the border of the lost ward of Arbuthmuir. It features a rugged and hilly terrain filled with grasses and hardy shrubs, that extends off into the distance. In the foreground, a damaged sword made of white metal has been discarded or planted into the ground by its tip. The white metal is mottled with black and grey discolouration to to the effects of the environment. Upon the cross guard, moss and small plants attempt to grow. The hills extend behind it, alongside other similar discarded swords, and a ruined stone watchtower that leans to one side. In the distance, the very edge of a dark forest is visible on the horizon. Like all my other Light of the Last World work, the style is a marbled yellow, gold, and orange. Everything gleams with a bright yellow light. Lore: 24 years ago, the northern Ward of Sunlorn known as Arbuthmuir fell to Corruption. It was a devastating event that resulted in the disbandment of the Knights Solace - those who pledged to protect the kingdom from the Black Blight that plagues the world. Many knights were tasked with cleansing the Ward of this dark power, and many were lost in the campaign. Most that survived were too demoralised to continue, cast aside their alabaster swords and their oaths, and forged new paths for themselves. The crisis in Arbuthmuir was only resolved by the direct intervention of the Great Queen Ygraissant. Her divine power cleansed the immediate threat to the rest of the kingdom, but the Ward itself was still lost. In the aftermath, the Queen seldom makes appearances, either in court or to address her kingdom. Whispers of weakness travel quickly through noble circles while Arbuthmuir stirs with dark intent.

Visual concept and exploration for my comic, Light of the Last World. This illustration is set at the border of the lost ward of Arbuthmuir. It is the same as the previous image with one change. A hand reaches down to grasp the handle of the discarded sword. The gloves are torn, exposing decayed flesh and a skeletal finger. A thick, black, ichor drips down the arm and onto the sword’s hilt. Some of it forms pustule like growths, while other parts of it form black, silk like threads like a web.

‘Arbuthmuir may be lost to us, but something dark festers within those corrupted lands. No doubt it will one day turn its gaze towards the kingdom we hold so dear.’

Another #LightoftheLastWorld style exploration ☀️ Peep the alt text for a bit of lore if you wish 🤭

#darkfanatsy #art #oc

Wytch Rising. A young man emerges into a clearing from some dark woods. His back is to the viewer, a torch is held in his right hand while his left is pressed against a nearby tree. He wears simple peasant clothing. In the background, the rest of the woodland is silhouetted, comprising mostly of spruce trees. The sky is a wash of orange and yellow hues. Lines of light trace across the sky. Hovering above the clearing, with limp arms and legs, is the silhouette of a woman. She is cast in shadow. Her digits are sharp and a thick, ichor drips off her hands. Her head is not visible, instead hair and flesh have opened up to form a vortex shape with tendrils spinning out. Across her chest is a magic sigil know as a Wytchbrand. Lore: The biggest danger of Sunlorn is that of Corruption, a foul, ichorous magic that festers in darkness. Those afflicted by Corruption can be driven mad or mutated - the end state of which being known as Horrors. Fortunately, the light of the Dawn Engine keeps the Corruption at bay, though it can find a foot hood when the artificial sun sets for 4 hours ever day. Wytches are powerful individuals who are able to manipulate and empower themselves with Corruption using Wytchcraft. They mark their bodies with brands to facilitate this. Typically isolated, powerful Wytches can form covens to achieve mutual goals. Wytches come in two flavours. The first are the most common - Wild Wytches. These are individuals who have been exposed to a considerable amount of Corruption. They are erratic and unbalanced, while their expression of Wytchcraft is far more unrestrained and instinctual. Conversely, Nurtured Wytches are taught Wytchcraft by another Wytch. They are far more cunning and patient than a Wild Wytch, with their application of Wytchcraft being far more specialised.

‘Traversing those accursed woods cost him precious minutes. To his horror, when he found the clearing, only the shell of the woman he once knew remained… ‘

Another #LightoftheLastWorld Inktober drawing, concerning Wytches and the dark magic they draw upon.

#darkfantasy #webcomic #conceptart #art

The Barrowlands - Day. Environmental concept for one of the provinces of Sunlorn, known as the Barrowlands. The terrain is rugged and mountainous, with many hills and valleys. A river runs through the main valley. The land here is littered with grave markers made of wood or stone, with various designs. This art makes heavy use of contrast, with dark, heavy shadows, and bright orange/yellow rim lighting. The foreground observes many of these markers, and looks over a small valley filled with spruce trees that climb up the hills on the other side. This smaller valley flows into the main valley where the river curves through. In the background are a series of mountains and hills - the largest of which towers off the illustration. Located on this mountain is a city, illuminated by a massive tower. The sky is a wash of orange and yellows and behind the largest mountain is a single pillar of light that climbs high into the sky. Lore: The Barrowlands are one of the provinces of the Kingdom of Sunlorn, found on the western borders. The realm is littered with stone markers that give it its name. Burials are forbidden in Sunlorn, due to fears that Wytches would plunder the graves to forge Blightborn undead, thus these markers serve as graves and memorials to every person who has perished within the kingdom’s borders. These Markers are maintained by the Keepers of Mourning, a powerful group dedicated to the rites of the dead. Based out of the city of Mourning high up on Griefbarrow mountain, it is unknown how these Keepers know all the names of the dead, but they work tirelessly to maintain the Markers that litter the realm.

The Barrowlands - Night. Same as the previous illustration, but set at ‘nighttime.’ The sky is now dark, with the Dawn Engine setting beneath the largest mountain. The column of light now extends up to a singularity that hangs in the sky - the only portion of which is illuminated. Across the black sky, are sigils, circles, and lines of yellow light that encompass the kingdom like a cage. The rest of the piece is unchanged, but the land is cast in heavy shadow as the light fades behind the mountains. Lore: ‘Night’ in Sunlorn consists of the 4 hours that the Dawn Engine sets low in the sky, hanging above the Queen’s Palace in the Capital of First Light. Every 20 hours, the artificial sun needs to rest, plunging most of the kingdom into darkness. Were it not for the Dawn Wards that trace the sky, Corruption would overrun the kingdom quickly, and these wards help to deter exponential grown. They lack the power of the Dawn Engine however and thus ‘night’ is still a dangerous time for the people of Sunlorn.

A couple of environmental concepts to explore the aesthetic of #LightoftheLastWorld ☀️ I need to do more of these. These are day and night illustrations of one of the provinces of Sunlorn called the Barrowlands 💀

#landscapeart #webcomic #fantasyart #illustration

Full body, character sheet for Kessler. A knight in black armour stands with a great sword sitting in his shoulder. The sword’s blade is wrapped in leather.

Full body, character sheet for Wren. A knight in dark leather armour stands with a short sword pointing down and to the side. The sword’s blade is a soot stained, white metal. Wren had white hair cut to shoulder length

Older sheets I made for the two of them, last year ☀️

#LightoftheLastWorld #OCsky #knights

I should really follow up on this as I have a bunch of art I can show! New portraits of the two main characters - Wren and Ser Kessler.

I’ll drop some lore tidbits in the alt text too 🤫

#LightoftheLastWorld #meetthewebcomic #ocsky

Early mockup comic cover for Light of the Last World. Set at a Dutch angle, a pair of knights walk away from the viewer, down a road that stretches out to the horizon. The furthest knight, Ser Kessler, wears black full plate armour and carries a greatsword upright, against his chest. The sword's blade is wrapped in leather and Ser Kessler's back is to the viewer and he wears a helmet. The younger knight, Wren, wears dark leather armour and lacks a helmet. Her short, white hair catches in the wind as she turns her face towards the viewer, with her hand resting upon the hilt of her short sword. To the left of the road, stretching out to the horizon are the white mountains of the Alabaster Range in the Kingdom of Sunlorn. To the right are green fields. The sky is a painterly mix of orange and yellows. A beam of radiant light extends upwards towards the Dawn Engine, an artificial sun forged to light these lands. The Dawn engine is a mix of an eclipse and a black hole. Across the sky are the magic circles of the Dawn Wards. This illustration makes use of dark, heavy shadows and yellow rim lighting.

Sharing something more self-indulgent, but I have been slowly working on a comic. Light of the Last World is a dark fantasy comic following knight-in-training, Wren Albright, and her mentor Ser Kessler Vaun, as they travel the kingdom of Sunlorn, a land without a sun.

#LightoftheLastWorld #ocsky