Dust Beloved

Hi, I'm Iris/Jeng and I enjoy creating illustrations. Though silent, the towns and galaxies are filled with sweet voices and stories - ones I'd love to savour and tell. I personify Periodic Table's elements, elementary particlesand Cambridge colleges.

[dustbeloved]

Richeh-inspired crystal rock candy + sea salt drink!

She's too cute aa. I love her crystal ribbon magic, and the soft blue colour scheme reminds me of the viral sea salt drinks. I was thinking of Richeh & her big bro when drawing the twin rock candy lolly 🥹

The drawing started with a traditional sketch, but I realize I'm more used to showing crystalline texture through digital painting, so here I am! But as before... here's a coloured pencil doodle of... Angricheh!! :3 (And Riliphin of courseee :') )

(Awwww I can't wait for the next season to see more of them D:)

[dustbeloved]

Hydrogen & Helium, Lumiere family [海辰、赫莉安·卢米埃尔]

Hydrogen a humble, gentle teacher to young elements. He also works on theoretical physics research. His daughter, Helium, often listens in during her dad's lessons. Hydrogen found messy doodles of Feynman diagrams in her notes.

Here's some context behind the drawing. Finally it's done after working on this for some weeks! Also doubles as a practice for composition~

And here's the lineart!

[dustbeloved]

For my OC's story, Rain Light :D

Ray is a lil boy growing up in Reinlos, a magical village built among towering trees. His parents were humble magic researchers.

He is gifted in magic theories, but not considered promising because he refuses to hunt cute monsters around the village. He befriends slimes and luminescent birds. He tuned his magic frequency such that casting magic around the small creatures won't scare them.

This pic is Ray and Alyss further into the story. Ray and his older brother, Keith, were brought to a city which covet Reinlos' barrier magic expertise.

Alyss had contributed to mana suppression research for years, when the city and people were kinder. She was now in charge over the younger mages. However, as mages were mistrusted by the institution, even the guards can treat them spitefully at will.

Alyss saw Ray cornered. She remembered the time she also was threatened. Convinced that things couldn't change for the better, she lowered her gaze and left in silent.

The next day Alyss found Ray. "I'm sorry... for all this." For my inability to act, and the way my city treated you.

[dustbeloved]

Tetia from Witch Hat Atelier: Cotton candy hot chocolate! :D

I couldn't resist doodling this after Episode 5! The cloud magic reminds me of cotton candy. I remember seeing cotton candy hot drink in a cafe - the steam from hot choc will make the cotton candy condense into drops like rain, which is here represented by sakura petals.

Here's the concept doodle (which also includes Coco's mint choc ice cream XD) Can't wait for the next episode tomorrow~~ :D

The dragon is made of white chocolate, I imagine it came from those flat-ish mould. The 4 marshmallows in the hot drink are pink, blue, light green & purple.. sounds familiar?

[dustbeloved]

I doodled Coco from Witch Hat Atelier! (With mint chocolate ice cream :D)

The anime is so sweet, breathtaking and healing ♥

Recently there's a mint choc fashion trend, and I thought, if I draw the dark parts of Coco's apprentice robe with a brown tinge, it'll resemble mint choc.

The snack is inspired by episode 3's Dadah Range, though my sketchbook is too small for floating structures. >//<

Below is a short vid with my thought + drawing process. (The Mandarin caption means roughly the same as the above description! ^)

[dustbeloved]

A concept art for my OC's story, RainLight! :D 🐟 Alyss Ischell

A mage in a town harbouring growing suspicion and resentment towards magic users. Her hair pin is shaped as a fish, but the way she wears it appears like an "x" to others. Her father is a swordsmith. Alyss shows passion towards fire magic since young, helping her dad to kindle and maintain the fires a the forge. She had been serving a swordsman for years. Despite growing regulation on mages, Alyss' care for her father, her loyalty and the swordsman's compassion bid her to stay. Her dress is inspired by betta fish. Her surname, Ischell, also sounds slightly similar to the Greek word for fish.

And here's the art process :D!

[dustbeloved]

I doodled Pramanix alter from Arknights! She's finally coming to global :') can't wait!

She's so prettyyy and fun to draw awwww

Hope she can come home soon

[dustbeloved]

80 Mercury / Hg / 梅克俐

Happy Chinese New Year's Eve!! It's a good season for me to draw the Elements in hanfu :D

The colour of cinnabar corresponds to the red plum blossom, which is a symbol of steadfastness amidst adversity. Mercury's low melting point also reminds me of cold weather.

Wishing you the courage to dream, and strength to remain true to yourself no matter how the world changes.

液态金属让我联想到了雪景的寒冷，而红梅映衬了朱砂的红。 如同滴落的汞会因为表面张力呈球形，不依附于容器——清冷、理性与克制，也赋予他严寒中仰首的骄傲。 这张画背后的祝福，是坚守初心，是追梦途中不畏孤单的自信。

And as we step into a new year - may your days be filled with joy and peace. May there be many happy returns. ♥

[dustbeloved]

A doodle of Frieren & Fern chilling together to celebrate season 2!

"In a field of blue-moon weed" / 你与蝴蝶驻足花海

蝴蝶、书本、苍月草。回忆中、思念的、眼前拥有的。都在静好岁月中，悄然绽放。

The anime is so heartwarming. It reminds me to cherish small moments - fragile, quiet, imperfect and beautiful :'D

Above is the lineart version, done using inking pen that's slightly soluble. When coloring, it shifts the hue by a little - a conscious choice which brings extra fun & adventure.

I also used a silver pen for details - the original copy shows reflection at some angles. :3

[prokopetz]

Launching a new social media platform where, in addition to upvoting or downvoting a post, you can also topvote, bottomvote, strangevote, or charmvote it. Each of these extra options does affect the Algorithm, but exactly how is not publicly documented, leaving users to puzzle it out via trial and error.

[dustbeloved]

Quarkvote!! :D

[dustbeloved]

49 Indium / 茵迪

A smart & curious semiconductor engineer who enjoys digging up theories behind workflows. Being soft-spoken and friendly, she gets along well with Gallium & Germanium. Especially respects Tin, a caring & cool senior who introduced her to her current project. Also admires Silicon as someone knowledgeable and approachable. Her cloak is indium tin oxide, used to made capacitive touch screens. She can choose messages to display, e.g. "<3" "Thank you!", or even "Halp I don't understand :x" Gallium is trying to make her display messages like "Let's go home early" or "Don't want to work". No success just yet.

_____ Trying out a sketch page is so much fun :D (but also time consuming) Maybe... it'd be good practice to draw more full body pics...! Trying to balance between the need to work, my hand's health and the urge to draw, but I will do my best haha :'D

[dustbeloved]

36 Krypton / 克蕾缇 "Saying goodbye...?"

The SI definition of metre was historically defined using a spectral line of Kr-86. Now it's defined through speed of light and second (Cs standard). I imagine she bowed out graciously, joining quieter researches instead when she realized that her spectral line is no longer essential.

Krypton was also used in neon signs, giving pale white/blue glow when electrified. A combination of noble gases or coatings can give various colours in neon signs. However, the current commercially relevant gases are only neon and argon.

“我泯然众人。我一无所有。但我渴望的，一直都是平凡的幸福。” “其实……不是的。我感到自己在褪色……若不再发光，就只剩几近透明的苍白了。”

Here, Krypton is standing near a small shop's neon sign. The shop and street may soon be demolished. Through photography, she'll cherish the disappearing view of the old street.

[dustbeloved]

To the children in war. Phosphorus & Nitrogen.

I realized I haven't posted these pics here. I drew them in February last year. I'm deeply sorrowful that they're still relevant.

But the land is still in darkness, And we’ve fled from what is right; We have failed the silent children Who will never see the light. Stuart Townend, "How Long"

[dustbeloved]

Takopi No Genzai

The anime which made me cry through the past weekend :') I'm especially touched by the scene where Takopi grieved silently with Shizuka for an indefinite amount of time. The silent tears. The hugs. The wandering nights and shared bread. Love often seems frail amidst the world's cruelty - but it's meaningful.

The silent tears. Hugs. Wandering nights and shared bread. Love often seems frail amidst the world's cruelty - but it matters that someone cares :')

[TW: the source anime explores dark, heavy themes, viewer discretion advised. For younger viewers coming across the anime - kindly consider coming back in a few years for a deeper appreciation of the themes explored. ]

May every child grow up in love, light and safety. May every child be embraced in tenderness.

[dustbeloved]

77 Iridium [依芮妲]

She writes poems and journals. Of meteors, ruins and clear skies. Of impermanence, destruction and hope. If someone saw her incomplete work, she'll calmly folds the paper away and deflects any questions about her poetry.

She wears a crown of iridium crystals grown to resemble olive branches.

Iridium is very rare in the Earth's crust but common in asteroids. It's also detected in volcanic eruption. Anomalously high concentration of iridium in sediments are used to identify mass extinction.

And she's named after rainbow for her strongly-coloured salts. Destruction and hope. Which reminds me of Noah's Ark. :'D

When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. [Genesis 8:11] [And God said,] ”I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. “ [Genesis 9:13]

Owing to the metal's high melting point and corrosion resistance, it's used in crucible to grow crystals. She's confident enough to be unbothered by others' perception. She remains calm under pressure, supporting and steadying her friends.

She may seem cold and aloof, but she remember small details from people dear to her. She'll send handwritten notes on anniversaries and important days.

As she immerses herself in literature, she lacks real-life experiences of relationships close enough to trouble and offend. She may appear slightly inexperience and naive in social settings, but didn't overthink it.

She often search for signs of new life amidst ruins as the theme of her poetry. Yet she longs for lasting peace in the world, though her understanding of authorities vying for power is slightly idealistic.

[dustbeloved]

To prevent the previous post from getting too long, here's the close up and time-lapse process of Germanium and Gallium, respectively.

These pics, alongside the series, are meaningful to me. I haven't been able to draw characters in a scene/background for some time - I was stuck with headshots, and I struggled to think of new stories.

Though I'm not sure how long it'd take, I enjoy outlining the plot and I'm excited to draw/write the next instalment. It might be a long journey (given my real-life commitments! :') ) but I hope you'll enjoy the ride, too. <3

Lastly... a pic of Indium before the glitch effect :D (Till we meet again!)

[dustbeloved]

[ Semiconductors Dystopian IF ]

It's a series that I'm suddenly excited to work on! I envision a series of pics that shows a make-believe game. (Maybe semiconductor work has done a number on me :'D )

After receiving a quest from Copper, the player teams up with Germanium to infiltrate an abandoned office. Semiconductor elements had been corrupted by a malicious digital system and attacked visitors indiscriminately. Germanium is believed to be the only one left uncorrupted. "My old friends... please... help me free them."

[Lv 1. Indium 茵迪] The room has multiple monitors playing the elements' daily lives in loops of varying lengths.

Trapped within a display monitor. She didn't seem hostile, but is protective of Germanium. When the player indicated that they're collaborating with Germanium, she stopped attacking. This first level isn't a real battle. Germanium leaned on the screen, a gesture which Indium returned; their palms touching.

It's a touch screen, so Indium must've felt her warmth.

When the display is disconnected, Indium disappeared with a gentle farewell, leaving behind a faintly glowing, crystalline core. [Use, one-time]

[Lv 2. Gallium 格林]

A 3D-printed chessboard sprawled across the room. Gallium leaned against the knight chess piece - flaunting his agile and unconventional thinking.

After defeating Gallium in chess, he disappeared in fragmented light and codes. The knight chess piece, half-melted, toppled over the chessboard where Gallium was.

Gallium's melting point is just above room temperature, so it's used in 3D printing. Yet, my worldbuilding, the elements don't have body temperature, so Gallium's touch won't melt his chess piece. On his pants the pattern reads "Teeny Ted", the world's smallest book carved on silicon using focused-gallium-ion beam.

Close up & process here :D