Jenny Dolfen

Shop(s) revamp

I've been doing some serious thinking over the last few days and weeks, and I've arrived at a model for the time being that I hope I may be able to keep going. 

First, the last weeks - particularly outside the holidays - have been extremely difficult. Painting with Procreate is actually one of the few things I can do without overtaxing myself (and it's even better as of today as Procreate has rolled out an update, and among all the 3D goodness everything is going bonkers about, it ...

Once upon a Haunted Forest: A Strange Wind

My favourite part! ^___^ And a favourite image, too! The colouring went easier for this, too. After a month of using the iPad to draw and paint almost every single day, I feel I've got what I was aiming for. Thanks to Inktober! 

Agnes stood still, the Guardian’s voice echoing in her mind, as clearly as if he was standing beside her.

When the Light is free at last
The Guardian comes to his high-wrought Halls
Follow the Light
To end of night… 2021-10-30 16:13:11 +0000 UTC View Post

Once upon a haunted forest: The Hall

Three days late, ouch. That day's prompt was "Masquerade", but I couldn't get any semblance of a masquerade in, so I decided to stop trying. I needed the story to the take our heroes to the conclusion. :) 

School's started up, and is taking up all my energy. I'm sorry I still haven't opened my Etsy shop; I wouldn't know how to deal with packing orders right now, frankly. BUT I've looked into other print on demand sites, as I promised, and I've set up a shop with Society6! They have...

Once upon a haunted forest: Twinkling Pumpkins

 One day late! I'm catching up! … before falling hopelessly behind again once school starts up next week. 😂 

Probably the prompt I had most trouble with (as well as the next one, which I chose to interpret even more loosely!)

Another double page spread. There'll be at least one more of those. I also think I'll do a few little spot illustrations on a few pages to round things off and make it more publishable.

22: Twinkling pumpkins

“We must search for t...

Once Upon a Haunted Forest: Reunion time!

Agnes finds Peef, and a new friend: The Light of the Forest. 

And yes, there'll definitely be a book! I'm trying my best to keep the art style consistent for that... 

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19: Ancient Grove

Agnes left the Guardian, but she found that the courage that had filled her when she first heard his voice was still in her heart, and she felt as though no evil could frighten her. With the stag gone, the forest felt completely dark, but after a while, ...

Falling behind a bit...

I dhould have posted this yesterday, but between the con last weekend, a lot of fun holiday activities, cinema (James Bond and Dune, tonight!) and doing some marking, it was only to be expected I'd fall behind. Hey, it took me until day 19 to do so. That's better than most other Inktobers!

Here's my lineart of "Ancient Grove". The prompt (as well as for the next two pieces) take second position to the story now, but I'm still finding ways to accomodate them. 

I'm also postin...

Once upon a haunted forest, day 16: Ghostly animals

16: Ghostly animals

“I was the Guardian of this forest,” the stag went on, “when it was fair and green and full of birdsong. Then the Light was taken and imprisoned in an iron cage, and the spirits of all that lived here faded away, lingering in deep underground caverns. For long centuries, what remained of the creatures of the forest has been bound to this place. Some endured, but were bound to their shadowy forms and their trees and clearings. Others became mean and twisted, lik...

Once upon a Haunted Forest, Day 13: The Guardian

I know it's the 14th, but technically, since I started on day 2, it's still correct =D Agnes finds out about the ancient curse that lies upon the forest, and meets its Guardian. 

13: The Guardian

Into the clearing sprang a white stag, the most magnificent Agnes had ever seen. Glimmering cobwebs streamed from his antlers like ribbons as he came down upon the clearing, scattering the Fae, who shrieked and rushed away into the gloom.

The stag did not pursue them...

"The Guardian", lineart

I'll probably fall behind today; the lineart is done, but I don't think I'll finish this tonight, so here's a little teaser!

I'm off to MagicCon tomorrow,  but only until Saturday. Spent all day bagging prints and pinning pins. It's weird being back at a con after more than two years. Wonder if it'll feel the same?

There's a con bonus of 15% off everything on Teespring until Monday, with the...

Dark Fae - finished

“It was your fault!” – “No, your fault!” – “You lets it escape, you did!” – “And the crest too! Naught but shadow fowl for eatin’ for as long as I can remember, and you lets a real crest get away!” – “Is that all you thinks of? Don’t you remember the verses? When the Light is free at last – you knows what happens next?” – “Yeeeh, but he won’t appear here, now will he? These shrubs look like high-wrought halls to you?”

Bewildere...

Dark Fae lineart; art cave/cat cave photos

10: Dark Fae

“It was your fault!” – “No, your fault!” – “You lets it escape, you did!” – “And the crest too! Naught but shadow fowl for eatin’ for as long as I can remember, and you lets a real crest get away!” – “Is that all you thinks of? Don’t you remember the verses? When the Light is free at last – you knows what happens next?” – “Yeeeh, but he won’t appear here, now will he? These shrubs look like high-wrought halls to you?...

Once upon a Haunted Forest: Faces in the Trees

As Agnes plodded deeper into the forest, the darkness deepened until she had to walk slowly to avoid stumbling over low brances and tree roots. All birdsong had ceased, and the silence was like a crushing, choking presence. Gnarled, dead trees stood on either side, overgrown with mushrooms, sinister in the gloom. While she wondered how far the Grove of Faces was and what awaited her there, she heard a squabbling sound far ahead. It did not sound like Peef, but it was a lead, and she braced he...

Once Upon... : Faces in the Trees (wip)

Poor little Agnes. I don't want to ask those trees if they've seen my firecrest. 

Working on backgrounds and trying to find some sort of workflow (with the emphasis on flow). Once thing I've noticed is that working in Procreate is fun during the drawing stage (the same as on paper, really), great when it is all finished, and an absolute chore while colouring. Right now, it's got little of the meditative affair that is painting with watercolours. Aaah, I don't know. Maybe the next p...

Hare-y homework

Some warmup sketches, referenced from the wonderful photos from John Garth. I love the two top right ones to bits! One of them will definitely feature in the next piece: “Faces in the trees". 

Once upon a haunted forest: Shadowy Friends

Agnes had never been in the forest before. Desperately, she looked for the bright green and yellow speck that was Peef, but couldn't see him anywhere. Even the light looked unfamiliar, as if the bright mid-day had turned to twilight in an instant. 

While she hovered on a clearing, unsure of whether she dared to go deeper into the forest to go after Peef, she heard a faint, barely audible swishing sound above her head. She looked up quickly, ready to sprint for cover, but it was onl...

Peef

Why does Agnes venture forth into the Haunted Forest in the first place? Well, to retrieve Peef, her little pet crest, who has a knack of getting himself into trouble and was last seen flitting into the forest. Hope I can do and upload the first illustration tomorrow!

Once Upon a Haunted Forest #1

Well, it's the second of October, and that means an Inktober theme comes to me in one blast! 

It was several blasts, actually. One was a comment from Leo a few weeks back, suggesting "hares and horns" as an Inktober theme, and I had no idea I would take that so literally! The other was an art challenge put together by Kneeleyp and Moonbound.Studio on Instagram, who put out a prompt list of just ten prompts - one every three days - for the challenge "Once upon a haunted forest". The...

Procreatober/OCtober #1: Legendary Jax

I was really going to make it Goldtober, but the gold wouldn’t fit here. There’s always tomorrow, I suppose! Hares, squirrels, Elves or witches may happen. In any case, it's definitely Procreatober! Maybe there’ll be more OCs. I definitely have enough for the month. 

To kick things off, I felt like drawing my character Jax once he accepts his origins (and has become powerful enough that he won’t be strung up on the nearest tree when people see his horns), no longer filing t...

Fingon in gold leaf

Fingon, of course, was rather disappointed that Maglor got the first gold leaf trial, and was very eager to volunteer for the next! 

For this one, I made my own metal leaf textures - in the classical way. I haven't been able to use gold leaf in years, so I had $$$ worth of the stuff lying around here... so I covered several large sheets of paper with gold leaf, silver leaf, and copper leaf, took photographs with interesting lighting, so I can use them in art! I'll soon upload the w...

Maglor with digital gold leaf

Trying around more with the style from the Feanor piece, and playing around with digital gold leaf! Gold leaf is so ridiculously easy in Procreate. =O I'll go overboard with this next. Might even be an Inktober idea? Fakegoldtober? ;) Ooooh, I want! 

Not sure whether this will work as a print, buuuuut it's actually something I could have printed with gold... Gosh, the possibilities.