Aubade Atelier

Aubade Empress' Evil Diabolical Art Blog ✧ Aubade (or 'Crim') ✧ 23 | she/her | 🇵🇭 | Bi-Pan ✧ mainly draws OC art and daydreams about cool stories

[aubadeatelier]

Somehow forgot to post this in here! But here is the latest full piece I worked on

[aubadeatelier]

I got the chance to participate in the amazing DGM Iconic Moments Zine @dgm-fanprojects with 3 doodles I made! I hope you all enjoy not just my artwork, but the wonderful artworks of all my fellow contributors!

Happy 21st Anniversary D.Gray-man!

[aubadeatelier]

It feels kinda crazy being able to make a better version of my old oc x canon art of these two🥺

Being able to draw Nea much better than before makes me way too happy

Also Mellicent's design has changed quite a bit from when I first drew her!

(also this isn't my late MonthlyNea art-- I'm still cooking!)

[aubadeatelier]

Reposting this because I fixed Maria Clara's arm and the Baybayin on her spear! Woo!

[aubadeatelier]

This year 2024, a bunch of people in the DGM fandom gathered for a secret santa event-- or a Secret Lero Gift event rather! I made one for cylinderhat/ms_anya. They're on Twitter! please show their amazing art some love!

I was given the prompt of Mana organizing a play and making everyone participate and this somehow turned into playing a little bit of dress up with the characters. (Yes, that is an interpretation of a 'younger' Cross in a dress. And yes, it was fun to design!)

Happy Holidays everyone and may the year ahead be promising and wonderful!

[aubadeatelier]

Hi i love your maria clara oc so much will it be ok to draw her along w my maria clara oc too (she goes by Clarita) ahhh!!!!!!!!!!!!! So sos so happy I LOVE MARIA CLARA SO MUCHHH IM SO HAPPY TO FIND ANOTHER ONE

AHHHHH Thank you!! ALSO ANOTHER ONE!? LET'S GOOOO

And feel free to draw her! I actually was planning to post a correction version because I forgot one line in the Baybayin of her weapon and wanted to fix her arm

But her design is still all the same! So go for it and I am so excited to see what you cook up

also do link me or send me some art of Clarita, too! I'd love to draw her with my Maria Clara oc as well

(God, someone check on Simoun, man is going to have a stroke seeing not just one-- but two Maria Claras!)

[aubadeatelier]

No one-- and I mean, absolutely no one tell Simoun that Maria Clara is running around the City getting repeatedly killed and revived alongside the rest of her co-workers.

Limbus Company OC based-off Maria Clara from Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo

Design Notes in Spoilers

Maria Clara's weapon is called "Makahiya" and is written in Baybayin script. It is named after three things:

> the Filipino plant of the same name that closes its leaves when touched

> the fact it themes/references one of the English title translations of Noli Me Tangere "Touch-me-not"

> the Filipino concept of 'hiya' or 'shame', something deeply tied to ideas of dignity, honor, and can be deeply tied to ideas of Catholic guilt to some degree

Makahiya's form is inspired by a processional cross and is tied to Maria Clara's past. I was originally planning giving her a bolo/machete-type weapon or a fan, but decided a spear seemed more in-line with this idea of her avoiding touch and contact.

I would have loved to give Maria Clara long pretty hair, but I thought short hair is more reflective of her character at the moment. She also has her hair cut short during a period of deep regret and repentance and shame. (It's also sort of meant to mirror the practice of some irl nuns in cutting their own hair as a show of dedication.)

I positioned her coat off her shoulders to try and get the 'Maria Clara' outfit look.

Drawing the background hit me with unexpected angst

In terms of her personality, this Maria Clara starts out fairly quiet and tries to remain subdued. Yet as the story goes along and she gets along with Dante and the rest of the Sinners, she starts to banter and enjoy herself-- except, when she realizes she's enjoying herself, she forces herself to stop.

Maria Clara is all about self-torment and self-punishment. She sees herself as a broken and impure woman, because of what she did to the man she loves, Crisostomo Ibarra (yes, the letter incident where she gives the letters that get used to incriminate him to keep the secret of her true parentage) and the trauma she faced when Salvi sought to take advantage of her. She blames herself for everything and is driven to the point of thinking every misfortune, every bit of pain and suffering is deserved.

Unlike in the original stories, Maria Clara does not die or continue to suffer as a nun-- She tries to continue suffering in silence, but she snaps. She can't take anymore of Salvi's advances and kills him. Following this, she runs.

Maria Clara's Canto is all about her finally facing the shame that holds her back + realizing she can never meet nor keep the expectations of being the ideal of a pure, passive, and saintly woman-- and in truth, it's never what she truly wanted.

The final boss she fights is some amalgamation of people in her old community-- Salvi, Damaso, her parents, her old friends, even Ibarra.

I think if she reunites with Ibarra (or meets Simoun) and there's this opportunity for them to be together again, Maria Clara ends up rejecting it. She tells Ibarra she is not the ideal woman he made in is mind. Their memories are fond, but they've become different people.

[aubadeatelier]

@skrimblo AHHHHH THANK YOU!! I’m so glad people think she’s pretty

WAIT A MIN ARE YOU THE PERSON WHO MADE THOSE COOL ELIAS AND SIMOUN LIMBUS OCS!?? OH MY GOD

[aubadeatelier]

IMPORTANT NOTE: I made a fixed version of this here! No one-- and I mean, absolutely no one tell Simoun that Maria Clara is running around the City getting repeatedly killed and revived alongside the rest of her co-workers.

Limbus Company OC based-off Maria Clara from Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo

Design Notes in Spoilers

Maria Clara's weapon is called "Makahiya" and is written in Baybayin script. It is named after three things:

> the Filipino plant of the same name that closes its leaves when touched

> the fact it themes/references one of the English title translations of Noli Me Tangere "Touch-me-not"

> the Filipino concept of 'hiya' or 'shame', something deeply tied to ideas of dignity, honor, and can be deeply tied to ideas of Catholic guilt to some degree

Makahiya's form is inspired by a processional cross and is tied to Maria Clara's past. I was originally planning giving her a bolo/machete-type weapon or a fan, but decided a spear seemed more in-line with this idea of her avoiding touch and contact.

I would have loved to give Maria Clara long pretty hair, but I thought short hair is more reflective of her character at the moment. She also has her hair cut short during a period of deep regret and repentance and shame. (It's also sort of meant to mirror the practice of some irl nuns in cutting their own hair as a show of dedication.)

I positioned her coat off her shoulders to try and get the 'Maria Clara' outfit look.

Drawing the background hit me with unexpected angst

In terms of her personality, this Maria Clara starts out fairly quiet and tries to remain subdued. Yet as the story goes along and she gets along with Dante and the rest of the Sinners, she starts to banter and enjoy herself-- except, when she realizes she's enjoying herself, she forces herself to stop.

Maria Clara is all about self-torment and self-punishment. She sees herself as a broken and impure woman, because of what she did to the man she loves, Crisostomo Ibarra (yes, the letter incident where she gives the letters that get used to incriminate him to keep the secret of her true parentage) and the trauma she faced when Salvi sought to take advantage of her. She blames herself for everything and is driven to the point of thinking every misfortune, every bit of pain and suffering is deserved.

Unlike in the original stories, Maria Clara does not die or continue to suffer as a nun-- She tries to continue suffering in silence, but she snaps. She can't take anymore of Salvi's advances and kills him. Following this, she runs.

Maria Clara's Canto is all about her finally facing the shame that holds her back + realizing she can never meet nor keep the expectations of being the ideal of a pure, passive, and saintly woman-- and in truth, it's never what she truly wanted.

The final boss she fights is some amalgamation of people in her old community-- Salvi, Damaso, her parents, her old friends, even Ibarra.

I think if she reunites with Ibarra (or meets Simoun) and there's this opportunity for them to be together again, Maria Clara ends up rejecting it. She tells Ibarra she is not the ideal woman he made in is mind. Their memories are fond, but they've become different people.

[goldensunset]

'do you think you're superior for not using AI in your work' thank you for asking! yes i do

[elwenyere]

[aubadeatelier]

I enjoyed cooking this Monthly Nea entry for this month! I do have a second one, but I'm still trying to fix it up a bit more.

I am not exactly sure we should trust this man with a company though--

[aubadeatelier]

Happy Monthly Nea! 2 out of 2 for August 14!

As the saying goes "Be cringe and be free!". I decided to make a self-indulgent piece with my D.Gray-man OC this time. I just absolutely gave in once I started sketching and I think it turned out rather nice!

[aubadeatelier]

Happy Monthly Nea! Here is 1 out of 2 of my August 14 pieces (if you haven't seen my first post on June 14, I'm making 2 pieces each month to make up for the 6 months I missed of Monthly Nea)

This one is a little strange, but I swear I have a good explanation-- So, basically a good friend of mine (@thefinalsnart) made a cool DGM au that takes place in the 70s and is inspired by Buffy and has vampires, witches, werewolves, and ghouls alike. And in it, I said Nea would be some strong vampire prince from the Victorian Era that wears funky patterned shirts and is an absolute menace to anyone, including those that hunts monsters and the supernatural.

It's honestly fun to draw Nea in something other than his classic coat as much as I love it!

[aubadeatelier]

Monthly Nea!

I decided to join in the fun! I'll be trying to do two Nea every month to make up for the months I missed.

Please enjoy a sad Nea and a more happy summertime Nea! (He has a twin pop, Mana has the other half probably.)

[aubadeatelier]

With my first time in ArtFight coming, I decided to make a newer version of this piece since I will be putting Mellicent Hayes as one of my characters!

As I did with the original, I will include a summary under the spoiler for those who want the information without having to read my handwriting.

Immaculate Thuribulum is an Equipment-Type Anti-Akuma weapon which takes the form of a pomander and a thurible/censer. The innocence's accommodator is Mellicent Hayes. Later in the storyline, this innocence evolves into a Crystal Type at a point in-between the Hearst Orphanage Arc and the Artificial Exorcist Arc.

Pomanders are containers holding herbs, spices, and other items with pleasant fragrances. Old beliefs say that disease and other kinds of misfortune come from 'bad' or foul smells. As a result, it became popular to keep around items to ensure an individual would be surrounded by 'good' smells.

Thuribles/censers are containers used to hold incense. Religious beliefs all around the world believed the smoke of incense purified and blessed the surroundings, people, and items touched by them. Thuribles in specific are swung by a chain.

[COMPARTMENTS] Immaculate Thuribulum starts out with 6 compartments to hold assortments of plants and other pleasant smelling items. When every compartment is filled, this gives Mellicent 6 total special use charges. Once out of charges, Mellicent must reload the compartments and undergo a cooldown period until she can regain the charges. An alternative is for Mellicent to use her energy to make up for the charge. This is costly as it requires substantial energy which can cause the accommodator to pass out.

[SPECIAL USES] There are two special uses of Immaculate Thuribulum. In order to engage any of these uses, a compartment's contents must be burned up.

Purging Pellets [Pomander Form only] A pellet is created from the contents of the compartment. This pellet cures Akuma poison as long as the infected individual ingests the pellet in time. The pellet also gives a 30 minute resistance to reinfection.

Purifying Plume [Thurible Form only] Smoke emerges and flows, fueled by the contents of the compartment. This smoke irritates Akuma and Noah. Akuma weaker than the accommodator suffer from paralysis. The smoke also serves as a counter to Akuma gas, protecting those in the area from its negative effects. Allies (ex. other Exorcists) receive a boost in both stamina and resistance when near or in the smoke. (Extra Note. The radius or the duration of the plume can be extended through the usage of more compartments.)

[CRYSTAL TYPE Immaculate Thuribulum] Eventually, during a mission with Allen Walker, Mellicent manages to reach beyond her limits and her innocence transforms into a Crystal Type. With this change comes new significant additions to her skill set.

Sanctity Veil When activated, Immaculate Thuribulum automatically produces smoke which turn into a veil that crowns Mellicent. This veil stays in place on its own. It is far more potent than the smoke of Purifying Plume. It has the added advantage of distorting the perception of adversaries, making it difficult for them to perceive Mellicent. The veil can also be extended and wrapped around allies to give them the same cloaking, but they must stay close enough to Mellicent and the veil to maintain it.

Rosarium Lacrimosa Aside from smoke, Immaculate Thuribulum can now release crimson beads which emerge from the tear-shaped openings in its form. These beads do not need vocal commands and can be moved through the will of Mellicent. The beads wrap around targets and eventually, constrict and crush enemies caught in them. As an added point of offensive capability, the beads burn Akuma and Noah.

[aubadeatelier]

I have way too much sketches and art of my DGM OC Mellicent Hayes and I probably should start posting them in here

Nothing like a sketch of Mellicent and Allen in the past at a party

[aubadeatelier]

Happy 20th Anniversary D. Gray-man!

On 31 May 2004, an amazing journey began with Allen Walker making his way to the European Branch of the Black Order as a new exorcist.

And now, it is 31 May 2024, 20 years of a still on-going journey. A lot has happened and changed and yet, he keeps walking.

Happy Birthday, D. Gray-man! And thank you for everything you've brought to me and so many others!

This post contains the pieces I did for the D. Gray-man 20th Anniversary Zine. 1 Party Doodle and 2 Redraw Project pages. Please enjoy! To see the whole zine, please access the zine through the link below to the project tumblr!

✦ D. Gray-man 20th Anniversary Zine ✦

Please make sure to take a look at the whole zine! I had the greatest honor to work with more than 100+ amazing artists across the world. It would mean a lot to me and all those who worked on this zine to have our work seen together as one!

(PS. I asked a funny little question in the Party Doodle section of the zine!)

[Beyond this point are my pieces and some fun facts!]

Party Doodle || A Celebration from 35 Years Ago featuring from bottom left, Mana D. Campbell, Nea D. Campbell, ???, Cross Marian, and Timcampy. ✦ I originally made this celebration doodle with the intention of just drawing Nea, ???, and Timcampy. But upon popular demand and the power of friendship (shoutout to Hana Hazel, Kanin, and Sabhamun), I ended up adding Cross Marian and Mana! And honestly, the additions were a great idea and really make the piece feel more lively and fun! (Also we need more Campbell brothers content damn it. I wanna see them happy!) ✦ Also, if any of your are up-to-date at this point, you know Chapter 251 coming out shook so many things including this piece that was already done when it released. But! I think it's fun to keep it as is as a relic of the pre-251 era. (Who knows? Maybe I'll make a fixed version!)

Redraw Project Page 01 || Chapter 04. Page 119. ✦ The first redraw page I received for assignment! I ended up liking the page, because it felt to me an integral establishing page for the series' themes. I may have gotten a little overboard with how I wanted to interpret the page, but I thought originally I would not be doing a second page and thus, wanted to put a lot of effort. In D. Gray-man, Akuma are created when a person makes a deal with the Millennium Earl. More often than not, the person has no idea what this deal entails, only that they can bring their loved one back from the dead if they agree to it. But what happens when the person is aware or knows not to accept the Earl's deal? And we receive a heart-wrenching, but understandable answer. To have the knowledge of the Earl's tricks does not automatically save a person. The Earl preys on the vulnerable. He appears and makes his offer to those in the deepest pits of despair and grief. That is how he got Leo. He was just a kid who lost his mother. He may have known more about the Earl and Akuma, because of his friendship with Jean, but when you are grieving kid-- what do you do when someone promises you they'll bring back your mother who was taken from you so suddenly? It is difficult to say no. ✦ The books that frame the piece are meant to convey this emphasis of knowledge and study-- the days Jean and Leo spent reading through Jean's father's books and notes about the Earl and Akuma with intention to patrol their town and keep people safe. Ultimately, a book page is the last panel, showing a representation of Leo and the Earl at a grave as Leo becomes an example of a person who takes the Earl's deal and whose body is taken by an Akuma. ✦ The blue tones of Jean and the Akuma were on purpose made to contrast the warmer tones of Jean and Leo's days together. ✦ It was crazy getting to draw an Akuma's face. It was a challenge to try and draw kids, but I ended getting through it pretty well. ✦ There are a few silly easter eggs in the open books. I put a small anniversary message in one. And in the other, I tried to sketch Cornelia and the Campbell Estate with the lyrics of the 14th's song. A nod to some content in the later parts of the series.

Redraw Project Page 02 || Chapter 01. Page 38. ✦ Originally, the plan was I only would do 1 redraw page and 1 doodle, but we needed fill-ins and I took a shot at it! ✦ When I found out it was a page from Chapter 1, I was ecstatic! I had originally wanted to do one from the chapter, but they were high in demand which was more than understandable. ✦ Unlike my first redraw page, I decided to be a little more simplistic with the layout. This layout is not too far off from that of the Katsura Hoshino's, but I made a few changes such as certain angles, drawing characters closer to emphasize faces. ✦ I am not the strongest with backgrounds and drawing buildings, but I ended up enjoying the challenge of it all. Thankfully, a lot of other artists in the project tackled the building and referenced the original page, the pages and sketches of the building or interior by other project artists, and the anime to ready myself to tackle it! ✦ The spirals of the Akuma bullet gave me trouble at first, but then I ended up enjoying it as I figured it out. ✦ This page was overall a big joy to play with as it challenged me with backgrounds, certain effects, and word bubbles.

And with that, this concludes the tour of my work on the D. Gray-man 20th Anniversary Zine. I have so much to say about this series and what it means to me, but I will try not to make this post horridly longer.

D. Gray-man is the series that made me fall in love with storytelling and art. It showed me something that filled an emptiness I felt. It gave me joy and company at a time where I felt unsure who I was and felt like an outcast. My resolution after this project is to continuously grow better at my stories and art. I hope to make something as meaningful to myself and others as D. Gray-man is.

Happy 20th Anniversary D. Gray-man! I hope and pray for more wonderful chapters and for there to be a lovely conclusion someday. For now, let us keep walking together!