Night Lights

Here is my gift for *DivinityEclipsed for the #Great-DA-Herd Winter Wonderland Art Swap!

This is her adorable mare, Pippin. As soon as I saw that rainbow mane and tail, I just knew I had to paint her with an aurora borealis. Although Pippin seems like a spirited, fun-loving mare, I decided to create a peaceful moment for her. She seemed right at home in this winter scene, pausing for a moment to watch in wonder as the northern lights dance above.

This piece ended up being a huge challenge for me! I'm not going to lie: when I first saw my contest assignment, I almost fainted. (I've NEVER drawn a horse with such fluffy, multi-colored hair before!) I had to completely re-think the way I paint hair, but I really love how it turned out. (And it's so fluffy! ) I also realized half-way through the piece that I drew Pippin's unmarked side. (Oops! You can see her pretty left-side markings here: [link].) I didn't like the composition when I tried to flip it, so I hope you don't mind this right-sided view of her, Divinity!

I'm happy to say this is my first full digital piece of 2013! I wanted to continue my artistic experimentation, so this was my first time painting an aurora borealis, a reflective surface, and a far-off forest. I tried some new painting techniques, too, for the snow and mountains. (Not sure if I like my new way or old way better. ) Lastly, I tried to do a little bounce-lighting effect on Pippin to really bring her into the piece. (I hope it worked! )

Happy Winter, ! I had a great time drawing your lovely lady!

And if anyone would like to see a close up of Pippin's details, you can do so here: [link]. (It's so fluffy I'm gonna die! )


-Paint Tool Sai, Photoshop CS5, and Monoprice Tablet
-Horse referenced from [link] by ~Colourize-Stock
-No reference for the background! (I'm rather happy with it! )
-Used these hair brushes ([link]) by *Aomori to help create the aurora borealis effect. (They're very versatile brushes!)
-Total hours: A LOT, off and on over two weeks

Pippin is (c) *DivinityEclipsed. Art is (c) me, Kathryn Powers. Please do not use my work without my permission. Thank you!