Legacy LD5

Hi everyone - RipRoarRex here, finally bringing some new artwork of one of my rather underused characters...



Yes, I know. I have been neglecting The Duke. Other than his profile image, before now I'd only made the one picture of Seb since first introducing him to the fandom in 2011. There's been plenty of call for him since then but I haven't managed to motivate myself to finish anything until today.

I'm usually not all that keen on clothing, even less so with smart clothing. I usually find a character in a suit, shirt or similar outfit to be somewhat too formal and distant for me to find attractive. Perhaps it's because I don't like wearing suits myself - I always feel a bit of a trussed up turkey in them!



Even so, I can't deny that some characters just work when dressed smartly. I created Seb for this very reason - while I personally don't feel that any of my other characters would look right in smart clothing (even though others might disagree), Seb looks absolutely at home in formal attire, to the extent that it brings out the sense of formidable authority in his character that I find attractive. Plus are there many things sexier in the world than a fox in a pinstripe suit?



I tried hard to remind myself of my recent bid to return to my cartoon style, but as much as I knew it would ramp up the difficulty, I just didn't feel anything less than something more realistic would do this idea justice. Worse still, I actually find Seb quite tough to draw - I'm not all that great with canine faces as it is, let alone the particular quirks of a fox face, and so much of Seb's personality is conveyed in his expression. Consequently it did take quite some time to draw, and there remain the usual multitude of errors in anatomy and symmetry that I usually have.

On the whole, the colouring wasn't so bad - I only uploaded the drawing on Thursday afternoon, so the turnaround has been relatively rapid. I wanted to challenge myself a bit with a slightly different style of lighting, positioned primarily behind the character but remaining relatively dark overall to give it quite an intimate feel. Frankly the most boring and annoying part of the whole exercise was when I realised fairly late on that I'd intended it to be a pinstripe suit, and then had to mess around for way longer than anticipated trying to get my tablet to respond with the lines I wanted.

The background was admittedly something of an afterthought and was consequently rushed, but I didn't think it was too important. I wanted to give it the look of a gentleman's club or some similar location Seb might be found at, though the ultimate implication of the picture is that Seb has returned home and is settling in.

As many may be aware, this is actually the first time that I've drawn Seb's bare feet - something which I dare say has been a source of much impatience and frustration for many! I had decided some time ago that I wanted his pads to be grey, even if it might be a bit unusual. And yes, I know red socks might seem a bit of a garish colour combo with this outfit... but damn, there's something about Seb and red socks that I just really, really like.



Other hobbies and the ongoing jobhunt have taken precedence over my artwork lately, so I haven't gotten as much completed by now as I thought I would. Even so, I do plan on having some more work done over the next couple of weeks, hopefully fairly early in May.


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Much of one's character and authority can be defined by one's clothing. Seb always adorns himself in attire befitting of his status. But even for the Duke, there must come a time when the tiring body returns to self and the bare, natural form is slowly revealed...




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RRRex

You have heard of Lackadaisy, right? If not, here's the artist's take on refining facial expressions.

I would have been perfectly fine with Unmoving Plaid.

These days, the term "gentleman's club" is one of the more obscure euphemisms for "strip club." Red couch, minimal ambient lighting... does this mean what I think it means?

The only question I had was "red fur, or black?" I should have done the research beforehand, now your dedication to the coloration of the European red fox is crystal clear.

As they very well should! Do whatever it takes to stay sane, and don't rely on the Internet alone for sending resumes and applications.

Wow, definitely your classiest pic yet. I don't think the red socks go over the top, considering they match his fur. Awesome work!

Very nicely done, RRR! Your ability to draw that moist, fleshy sheen on pads remains unrivalled as far as I can tell.

And personally, I didn't think 'strip club' when I read your 'gentleman's club' description - the classy context seems pretty clear!

Nope, never heard of Lackadaisy. Interesting stuff there though.



Well if that's how you want to think of it then it's up to you! But no, I didn't mean 'gentleman's club' as in Spearmint Rhino!

There might be a bit of Transatlantic difference of interpretation here - while we are aware of gentleman's club as such a euphemism here in the UK, most people here would still think of it in reference to the sort of traditional exclusive establishments upper class British men used to go to. Fewer lap-dancing poles, more snooker cues.





If I'm honest, I'm not aware of what colours different breeds of fox might have and which is which. I just coloured him in a way that I liked. But if it's European then that works out well given I consider Seb to be British to the core.



Anyway, thanks Sprotchymon - and I'm doing my best to keep sane!





Thanks Dino. I like to think those socks rather suit him.




Heh - well I'm glad. But then again, you being British too, I suppose that explains it.



Thanks!