The Holiday Special

The Chatcendre Household is not on good terms with the rest of their family.

Dario Hasn’t seen his family since he ran away from home at 16 and changed his last name for his back then artistic name. And Julia has talked a few times with her since according to them she “Escaped and married a delinquent”

So every last Friday before Christmas The Chatcendres have a small christmas party With the workers of the music store Dario won on a poker game on the rooftop, and with the years that party was also extended to include the band their daughter plays in and their collaborators.

In this piece, next to Davo is featured “Tak” Or Erika but no one besides her family really calls her that. She’s a character I haven't done a good job introducing but she is a graphic designer and does all the image related things for the band. They knew her first when some of them went to highschool with her. She was in the same group with Tony and he used to have a huge crush on her. Maybe he still does, who knows…?

She doesn’t spend a lot of time with the band because of her job. She’s a freelance graphic designer and an online artist in her free time. You know, she posts her OCs online and does some commissions. She’ll still go to some concerts and hang out with them from time to time.

Here also you’ll find among others Lil’s parents, Dario and Julia Chatcendre. I had come up with their back story before but this helped to set a couple of things. My favorite fact about them is that their last name, as I said before is one Dario made up, it comes from “Ashy Cat” in french.

So last Year on Christmas I posted this piece on christmas: https://twitter.com/Katnay3/status/1474481336622542852 Which I still liked. The idea back then was to make a kind of classic Christmas card. That drawing I still like of course, but it could have been better. I rushed to make it in the afternoon on the 24th. So this year I decided to take my time from before and take my time with it. So this time I tried to pull a twist on the traditional Christmas aesthetic using a more urban setting.

This scenario is one from an animation I have had in mind for months or maybe years, and I still want to make an animation but the background fit so well for this that I couldn't help it. An Empty rooftop next to a tall wall with graffiti all over it. It’s a combination of various places I’ve seen around my city.

The big structure over them in the background is based on an elevated train railway, like some of my city but a little more like ones I’ve seen in the media. But I changed it a bit to look more like a bridge or elevated highway because elevated train railways have become a kind of politically charged topic in Mexico. And the big wall behind them features the "Yes" Graffitti that I often include in my drawing as some kind of easter egg. Apparently someone on their town has practically covered their entire city with it.

I spent a lot of time on the lighting of this piece because A) it is fun and b) because the lights are the main thing that brings this piece to the Christmas aesthetic. I decided to not use more obvious elements like a tree for example. Not only to achieve the previously mentioned urban feel but because I didn't know where to place it in the picture and because to be honest drawing christmas trees is kind of hard. In last year’s piece I only drew half of a christmas tree and that’s part of the reason.

In this piece I introduce Tak, that like with RJ and Nicole is a new character sort of based on an old design of mine, into the lore of the band. I also added some more shadows on the floor to indicate that there are more characters on the party than the ones that appear.

I originally wanted to have Diana with her guitar but it obstructed Zara and RJ in the background which is another Idea I’ve had for some time for a piece. A picture of the band hanging out and Zara and RJ together a little bit apart from them in the background. I hadn’t done it before I felt it could give the impression of the band spitting or something. But I think it actually worked here. After all it is a party.

Lastly, the title, either The Christmas Episode or The Holiday Special, as I haven't completely decided is based on a Series of illustrations I did this summer called “The beach episodes” The in universe explanations was for them to be the covers for an album the band worked while touring on a couple of cities next to the beach. As for this one I’m not completely sure if there's an in-universe explanation, but it could be the cover for a Christmas album. I don’t imagine them doing a Christmas carols album but maybe covers of songs that sound like christmassy but technically aren’t. I had a playlist of songs like that. Or maybe it’s the album of a single, an instrumental piece that they called “The Holiday Special” cause they released it in december and they are trying the same gimmick I’m doing with this.

Anyway this is my big Holiday piece for this year, but I may do some more, I kind of have an idea for a “The Whisperers” one but still not sure. Whatever is the case, I wish all of you an early happy holidays!

Atached here is the Full Res version of this piece.