[Art] Wandsuna - Packin' My Bag For Lolita City

[moonvoice]

Complete

Huzzah.
A thousand huzzahs.
I want to draw octopi until my brain explodes.


Wandsuna - Packin' My Bag for Lolita City

38 x 51cm / 15 x 20 in
Crescent illustrator's board, technical pens, pencil and aquarelle, metallic paint, acrylic.

Comments

[lupagreenwolf]

WHY MUST YOU BE SO AWESOME.

But seriously, this is frakking amazing. I keep looking at it, and there are just more and more dimensions and lines and layers to it. Just layers and layers and layers.

Also, congratulations. You have made a creepy-awesome cephalopod being that *isn't* Lovecraftian!

[moonvoice]

Also, congratulations. You have made a creepy-awesome cephalopod being that *isn't* Lovecraftian!

Woohoo! Still getting the odd Cthulhu comment though. I think some people can't separate 'creepy octopus' from 'Cthulhu', but that's okay, because Cthulhu is bitchin'

[paleo]

Better Cthulhu than Zoidberg. :-P

[lupagreenwolf]

Why not Zoidberg? 3:

[lupagreenwolf]

Yeah, but this doesn't have the Cthulu energy. It's a totally different kind of creepy. More subtle, less "rise up out of the ocean and destroy everything".

Edited cause gif

[tsukikokoro]

There is so much I could say, but I'll limit to WOAAH - there is a really, really interesting thing you did that I would never have guessed you'd do. Okay, so the red on the "sleeves" near the hands and at the bottom of the robe make me think of the pattern that would appear if he walked out of a body of water with a lot of blood in it. But then... outside of him emanates a murky, watery aura. And so (to take a page from your tumblr):

Re: Edited cause gif

[white_rabbit]

I have been seeing this .gif everywhere and never has it been more appropriate than right now.

Re: Edited cause gif

[moonvoice]

Lol, I love that gif. MIND BLOWN! Heh.

I love that particular colour, because it just resembles blood so clearly - a lot of reds are 'too red,' because real blood has a kind of deepness and brown-ness to it. Finding the right shade of red was kind of crucial - I have about 60 shades now, and this one made me think of blood stains straight away.

[hrafn]

This has not gotten any less creepy. The sort of sickly vibrant yellow green is a nice touch.

[moonvoice]

Thank you! :)

[white_rabbit]

At first I was like "There is something very different from this Wandsuna than the others and it's not just creepiness" but I suppose a big part of it is that it's not pastels. But it suits this one very, very well. :)

It is creepy for sure, but I love the flow of the tentacles. Particularly in the black.

[moonvoice]

I've done another two Wandsuna illustrations in this style (non-pastels), but I think one of the reasons it seems different (to me, personally), is that I've tended to use extremely bright colour palettes on the Wandsuna series in the past, and I really deviated away from this, going with a grey-green-blue palette. And while the lollipop adds contrast, overall it's a break away from the incredibly bright costumes. I think it's the first Wandsuna costume where it's not so much a robe filled with bright colours, as a suit.

[white_rabbit]

The colour thing is definitely true. Though the way you did blood was a lot more 'toned down' compared to what we're used to seeing in art, it is a lot more realistic and a lot more, well... as disturbing as it's supposed to, heh. The lollipop is a perfect contrast really, you see that first and then you slowly notice the various levels of eerie.

[silverjackal]

*breathes*

Oh, *wow*! Tinged in blood and ink. *shudders* Artistically speaking, I really love the black/climbing tentacles, and the watery depth and shift of the spirals, but I am am very uncomfortable with this piece. In fact, I would go so far as to say I don't like it -- but you understand I do not mean that as criticism. I am repelled by what it represents so very well.

I am amazed that you managed to create this, and hope it helps you personally in terms of your healing journey. It's also a remarkable piece of art.

[moonvoice]

In fact, I would go so far as to say I don't like it -- but you understand I do not mean that as criticism.

I don't take it as criticism at all. There were a few times where I wanted to pack in the picture entirely because I find it repellent, and it's a valuable lesson in using quite abstract symbols to depict very specific themes (the title helping as a clear clue for the viewer) and still have the image be powerful.

It was a tough one to colour; to get that shifting sense of watery-ness, I needed to create so many different layers of colour; and there were a few times I thought I wouldn't pull it off. I think I did though. :)

[silverjackal]

I know I don't grasp some of the symbolism, such as the mice/rats. Parts of it I find very clear, however -- the suit is a brick wall. The various grasping, groping hands, and symbolic orifices. D: As I said, it makes me very uncomfortable to think about it, but in that sense the piece is *highly* successful, yes?

The water is brilliant. It puts me in mind of the area where the light starts to fade. Often (depending on where one is diving) this is also a spot where the reef either plunges, or the sea bed flattens, turning into a road. The road "downwards" yes? It's very effective in representing more than the literal, also.

[redsixwing]

There are so many things to love here.
The fox with the keyhole eyes.
The tentacles rising, inky. The yellow-green outlines against the browns and blues.

But then there is this brightly-colored twisty lollipop, and that is just completely awesome. =D

Very eerie, but awesome.

[moonvoice]

Thank you! :D I love the lollipop, I'm going to find a way to work them into future works, since I'm hooked on illustrating them!

[redsixwing]

The original draft of that comment read "Lollipop lollipop lollipop lollipop :D". ^^;

Which is to say, that's awesome and I look forward to seeing them in other places.

[outlineofash]

Wow. I've sat here for about five minutes, feeling a mixture of admiration and repulsion while looking at this piece. Admiration because your art skills are incredible (I especially love the watery, translucent quality of the skin), and repulsion because the actual atmosphere is so effectively disturbing. The composition of the tentacles, the color choices, the single, peering eye -- it's really an amazing, uncomfortable piece.

[moonvoice]

Admiration and repulsion, heh, man, I find that very flattering; thank you. :) The skin was hard to get 'right' and I'm happy with it now, but I went through about four phases of 'ARGH THIS IS NOT WORKING.' Lol.

[spider_fox]

Very creepy. I think you nailed it.

[moonvoice]

Thanks! :D

[laughinglotus]

Oh my! I love this stange mix of whimsy and... an odd creepy feel. :-D This is one of the coolest pictures you've ever done, imo!

[moonvoice]

Thank you so much! :D

[paleo]

I like how the colorful lolipop keeps drawing my eyes to it even when I try not to let it. Everything else is creepy, doomy, and disturbing but...candy!

I also like how the hand holding the bag is almost human looking, but fails at the deception (overly long thumb, weird skin color) when you look more closely.

[moonvoice]

Eee, thank you. :D I love that lollipop, it's meant to be the thing that draws you in, which acts as extra symbolism; how candy has been stereotyped as the original 'law' into a pedophile's clutches. The eye follows the candy, and it draws you in.

[aries_ascendant]

This is so amazingly done and it's so impressive.

But truth be told, this picture invokes a deep-seated dread in me. I can't look at for too long, so I know I'm missing a lot of the details. I guess I'm trying to say that I really like your Wandsuna series, but I'm also really scared to look at them for too long.

[moonvoice]

*nods* There's a few other people (including on DeviantArt) who don't love the piece, even though they can see that it's been well-executed. I'm okay with that. I want to make art that is challenging as well as art that is beautiful, to keep making sure that I confront myself as well, and to remind myself what a powerful vehicle art can be. But it's okay if you don't want to look at it, I really appreciate you letting me know, it might sound weird, but it means a lot to me.

[aries_ascendant]

Oh, I can appreciate it as art. I like it as art. I wouldn't have such a powerful response to it wasn't art. Art makes me feel feelings :) And in that sense, it's absolutely amazing and powerful. It's just the feelings I'm feeling are dread and fear.

I don't know. I might be mixing my own feelings of cephalopods into this. I see them as clever/cunning, powerful, and adaptable. This piece takes what I generally see as positive qualities and twists them into something monstrous. That octopus-man is giving off major evil vibes.

[ariestess]

I cannot stop staring at this. It's creepy and wonderful and fantastic and... I'm just gonna stare some more, mkay?

And before I forget, I LOVE the keyholes for the fox's eyes on the bag, and the rivets in ears and nose.

[moonvoice]

Yeah, Glen wants a fox buckle like that!

[ariestess]

I bet!

[perlandria]

How can something so creepy be so neat? The rat patterns, the way the dark background swirls seem to emanate from the head and fade with distance like they are the source of complication, the fox clasp, your amazing use of outline... but I think the note that emotionally stands out to me the most is the soft pastels of the lolly.

[moonvoice]

Yeah, the lollipop was my favourite part to colour actually. :D So bright and tasty!

[kath_ballantyne]

I liked the line art for this. I think this coloured version is very well done. It really makes me uncomfortable to see it. I didn't get that so much from the line art but I think it is meant to be disturbing. I'm just interested as to why it is so much more disturbing for me in colour.
Really well done.

[moonvoice]

It is meant to be disturbing. Lolita City was a massive online pedophile ring (now busted), and the lollipop + the title paints the main character as a pedophile. I'm noticing that even if people don't make the conscious connection, unconsciously, an appropriate amount of dread and discomfort is being created by engaging with the piece; which is fantastic. It was my aim.

[bodlon]

You so were not joking about the lollipop. :D

LOVE IT.

(And by "love it," I mean I'm still full-on doing the uncanny valley thing with this, but it's beautifully wrought.)

[ex_liondaughter463]

Wow. That's amazing!

I hope you're doing well. :) All the LJness going on lately made me remember that I actually have a long neglected DW account, so I bounced over here to look around and thought I'd say hi. I moved this fall, but your artwork still has a place of honor in my dining room and shrine space. I also peek at your shop from time to time and hope you're getting along okay.

[moonvoice]

Hi! I'm getting along well, doing lots of art, starting a Masters degree, still posting way too many cat photos. Hope you're getting along okay too. And hope your new place is awesome. :)

[ex_liondaughter463]

That's really cool! What are you doing your Masters in? And is there such a thing as too many cat photos?

I'm doing pretty well. I think adjusting to any new job is challenging and I'm in a whole new place now. I have some really good friends here, which is making that adjustment a bit easier but it's still hard. I really like the town though (Champaign, Illinois) even if it's farther from home and flat as heck. :)

[moonvoice]

The Masters is in Communications - so media studies, but I'm on hiatus at the moment to reassess what direction I want to go in next year. Heh, sometimes I think there might be such a thing as too many cat photos! But then the cats do something adorable again. Do you still keep guinea pigs?

I know some peeps in Illinois, it always seemed like a pretty cool (if mellow?) place. I hope the adjustments go as smoothly as possible, and that the job is wonderful.

[ex_liondaughter463]

It is pretty cool and I think it is mellower than the east coast. I met a Pittsburgher who also lives in my complex and he says he likes it here because he hasn't met any "jag offs". And I couldn't disagree with him.

I don't have guinea pigs anymore. Chitter and Winkle both died. And then the other two I had . . . My heart wasn't in it any more. So they went to a really nice guinea pig rescue and were adopted by a 12 year old girl and her family almost immediately. I think they're better off where they are and I hope they're still doing well. Sometimes I think it would be cool to have guinea pigs again, but I'm not allowed any pets where I am now and it does make things easier not having them in some respects. I think I'd seriously consider a cat despite being slightly allergic if it weren't for the no pets thing. I'm still more of a dog person, but cats are happier when left alone during the day than dogs are.

I don't know how much I'm going to be around on DW. I'm going to try, but we'll see how it goes. I'm going to add you back to my lists though. Please don't feel you have to reciprocate though if you don't want to. :)

And now, I think it's bedtime. I'm picking up my dad from an airport two hours away tomorrow morning so I should probably get a good night's rest. :)

Take care!

[moonvoice]

I'll add you back. :)

Hopefully the animal companion that's right for you comes along sooner rather than later (though prolly not in a 'no pets' place), and hopefully not one you're allergic too! I don't know how Glen copes, he washes his hands a lot, but I still know his quality of life would be better without the cats in the house (well physically, he loves them emotionally, so maybe it balances out).

It's cool if you're not around on DW much, or for long, I mean, I would like that - but a lot of people have gone off blogging / or just want one place for their thoughts and that makes a lot of sense too.

Sleep well, and have a good Christmas if I don't see you around before then. :)