Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School Art: Acela

Hey everyone! 

So, it’s my birthday today! :D And because of that, I thought it would be a great idea for me to surprise you guys with a little gift! Specifically in the form of something that I am absolutely obsessed with — ART! :D Or more specifically, art commissions! Specifically, the type of scenery-heavy commissions that opens up the world in a way that only an illustrated piece can!

We’ve already seen a glimpse into the Nexus with WPA’s cover art! And we’ve also seen a few glimpses into Earthrealm via the commissions with Emma in the armor assembly room, as well as the original cover art with Emma and the portal! 

However, what we haven’t yet seen is a really good glimpse into Earthrealm outside of the IAS — and considering the holographic trip to Acela was one of the highlights of the story for me to write — that’s exactly what I hope to rectify with this commission! :D 

This particular piece shows Acela’s old-new quarter right at the cusp of dawn, high up on the rooftops of some of the older buildings (old by 3047 standards haha!) with Emma sitting atop of her Aunt’s apartment complex, looking out towards the city’s expanded skyline which at this point is considered a heritage zone in and of itself. 

I really love EVERYTHING about this piece! From the time of day this takes place in, giving it a warm glow that I don’t really see often in sci fi art pieces depicting skylines, to the sheer scale this whole piece exudes when you focus in on Emma and notice just small she looks compared to the expansiveness of the world around her! 

Moreover, I also wanted to highlight a few elements of the city that were important to me and my worldbuilding, that being the expansion of a city with an emphasis on human centric development, the adoption of new technologies to facilitate the expansion of structures and spaces that tie into a city’s local heritage, and the creation of spaces that just feel nice to live in for the sake of an individual and community’s quality of life! :D 

I also wanted to include some of the solar punk aesthetics that are prevalent in most spaces too, giving natural spaces some room to breathe atop of or alongside these architectural expressions of modern development. I just really love seeing both traditional and new constructions existing here side by side, with art deco and modern takes on it coexisting with newer styles of structures, expanding far into the horizon!

But yeah! 

I just wanted to find a way to show my appreciation and gratefulness to you guys, for all of your support, and for your kindness and understanding throughout everything! You guys are literally the best community I’ve ever had the pleasure of interacting with online, and I just wanted to express those sentiments of appreciation in a way that I hope is meaningful.

So once again, thank you guys. 

Thank you for making this silly little writer’s days just that much brighter. 

I hope you enjoy this little gift from me to you guys! :D 

Artist Reference: texd41_art on Instagram