I started out working off the concept of a "dark female wizard," but the completed image looks
like a bit like an "in-your-face" girl from the local martial arts dojo.
Copied texture already has scan lines in it, so if I scan that into the computer it's hard to use because a certain
amount of moire pattern interference results. I sometimes try to correct this by blurring or skewing the texture
a bit. 2137 and 2138 are some rare examples of where this
approach worked well. I created the background by warping a photograph of some clouds.
The pattern for the character's clothes was created by folding and bending some thin gold brocade originally designed
for a doll and copying it onto the usual adhesive-backed transparency film. She's a little tan because I intended
her to be so. The ring on her back and the blade of her sword are generated from a copy of mother-of-pearl. There
are several elements in this image that are a little too restrained, making it a less-than-perfect color illustration,
but I like the way all the elements came together. 2138 was created as a freebie, as
part of a sales promotion, and it probably looks a little more ordinary than 2137....
Ultimately, I didn't submit the 2137 version with the red background
or the 2138 version that looks like she's jumping through the flames. I think they're a
little more orthodox-looking.
