The Shalott Telegraph

Lady of Shalott | born 1993 | Writing & Art | Weaving Dreams and Epic Fates I Will Never Live

[shalott-telegraph]

The Shalott Telegraph

Over here, you will find what I am working on, be it writing or visual arts.

Born in 1993, I do not recommend this blog for minors. You have been warned; if you ignore me anyway, that is your responsibility.

I have a very strong stance against AI: everything I create is my own, without the need of these low-effort "tools" - be it writing or drawing.

Currently, I'm juggling life and work, doing art on my free time. That means, I cannot take requests at the moment.

If you have any sketches ideas, feel free to send an ask. I can't promise I'll work on them, though.

What do I like doing?

I enjoy character studies and figuring out a few hypothesis here and there, as well as sketches and art studies.

Since what I'm currently working on is regarding some very evil aligned characters, I've decided to write them with my own OCs instead of reader.

Solely because I will be putting them through some very unsavory situations - therefore, these are more like character studies, with my own characters in the mix, and I will tag everything accordingly.

If you read it, it's your responsibility - I am not responsible for you liking it or not. Please, be civil about it (if you aren't, I'm not responding - I'm too old for internet drama).

Also, I should note, I do not participate in fandom. There's a reason why I'm the Lady of Shalott: locked in my tower, away from the whole world, with my own stories. It's the first time I'm sharing them and I do not know fandom dynamic.

I'm not trying to be rude, but do understand: people have different levels of enjoyment and interpretations of stories. If mine doesn't please you, it's fine; you're welcome to forget my blog exists - and block it, if it's to your liking.

What I don't like doing?

I think the only thing I can think of right now is oversexualization of everything.

I don't mind sexy, but I do mind overt, mindless porn. Personal preferences.

Also, anything involving minors. Creeps are not allowed.

Lastly, any ships that aren't with my OCs, reader or canon. I want to live outside ship wars (again I'm too old for that).

Disclaimers

In real life, I work with legal matters and criminal cases aren't a shock to me - so I will bring some of my very own experience to what I'm creating.

That means: heavy subjects will appear. That is why I don't recommend it for minors or anyone who can be triggered by those subjects. I will, though, tag everything properly.

Masterlist

Tags: #shalott library

𝔐𝔞𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔱

Art Gallery

Tags: #shalott gallery

(to be set up, eventually)

All in all, I hope you enjoy your stay. The only other places you will find me are bsky and ao3.

𝒴𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔰 𝔪𝔬𝔰𝔱 𝔰𝔦𝔫𝔠𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔩𝑦,

~ 𝔏𝔞𝔡𝑦 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔬𝔱𝔱

[shalott-telegraph]

Sketches and Studies - Wesker 6

no one can convince me he didn't wear sleeveless turtlenecks for training

[shalott-telegraph]

Sketches and Studies - Zeno 6 (+ OC Alecto)

the last sketches I worked on with Zeno, with a few moments from my Deal With the Devil story. very much self indulgent, and trying to practice some tricky angles

still trying to figure out their height/size difference, considering Zeno is also the size of a lamp post

(posting today so I can add as an illust bonus chapter on my ao3)

[shalott-telegraph]

I wanted to mention I just lost someone I love deeply; therefore my art, writing and creativity in general might be inconsistent for a while.

Maybe my output will increase dramatically, maybe I will get stuck and won't be able to create anything - I still don't know how I'll get through it.

I do want to keep myself busy, but I think I'm going to struggle a little. That said, if you have any sketch ideas, feel free to send me an ask. I can't promise I will do them, but it might help - take a look at my pinned post on what I do/don't do to see if it's appropriate.

Also, any other character studies are welcome. So far, I have only sketched RE characters, but I am interested in many other games/movies/series - Devil May Cry, Cyberpunk 2077, Metal Gear Revengeance, Hades, Star Wars, The Witcher, Tomb Raider, Lord of the Rings, Dark Souls and many others.

If you're in doubt, ask. I promise I do not bite. I generally like everything with beautiful design and worldbuilding, and I am willing to study from things I don't usually know about.

Sketches of characters being casual, like I usually do, I'd only do of something that I know of and know the character's personalities - makes the drawings feel more alive, in my opinion.

So far, that's what I wanted to talk about. I will keep posting, I just don't know how much - but I will keep myself busy.

𝒴𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔰 𝔪𝔬𝔰𝔱 𝔰𝔦𝔫𝔠𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔩𝑦,

~ 𝔏𝔞𝔡𝑦 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔬𝔱𝔱

[shalott-telegraph]

Sketches and Studies - Jake and Wesker

meet the ✨Wesker stance✨

having them side by side is a great opportunity to talk about all the character design and shape choices I've been talking about.

aside from the stance and obvious mannerisms (and the all black clothing), you can see how Wesker's design bleeds into Jake's while still not overpowering Jake's own character.

as I mentioned on Wesker's study, he's mostly squares, triangles and sharp/pointy edges all over - indicating how dangerous, intelligent and imposing he is - but Jake has an important difference: he's got the squares and triangles, yes, but all his edges are soft and very, very rounded - he is dangerous and imposing, but there's a softness and reliability in him.

(more details down the cut)

their face shapes are very similar, with the difference that Wesker's is sharp and pointy at edges while Jake's got round and soft finishes. their eyes, almost the same - though, interestingly, Wesker's are more neutral, while Jake's are angrier. same happens with lips and nose: their noses are thin, but Jake's a lot softer and rounder while Wesker's made mostly of triangles, and Jake's lips are a lot fuller and rounder. there's also, of course, high cheekbones.

their body shape is basically the same, with the difference being, you guessed it, the finishing touches: with Wesker, you go for sharp, boxy shapes, while with Jake you go for rounder edges that make him somewhat softer.

both got pointy ears though

the result? Wesker looks distant, harsh, imposing and unapproachable, while Jake looks tough, harsh, angry but reliable and somehow approachable. Wesker looks like no emotion runs through him, always being level-headed, neutral and logical with his decisions; while Jake looks like the dark, hot-headed type, that would absolutely have your back and fist-fight 500 enemies to save you if you were one of his people.

and all because of a little difference in how shapes were incorporated to their final designs ( • ᴗ - ) ✧

I do love both are feral with their unbuttoned shirts

[shalott-telegraph]

Sketches and Studies - Jake 1

and I'm replaying RE6

sketches dedicated to the devs who programmed him. I had 0 ammo with my life on red, he ran and stood right in front of me, pulled out his sniper rifle and killed everything in a five mile radius

Jake has a very special place in my heart and the most beautiful eyes, like his father

[shalott-telegraph]

Regarding Character design, are you able to do an evolution of a character's design from each iteration? I want to see how Wesker has evolved but I think Chris would be a cooler study since he grows bigger with age (and Steroids)

after a while, here we are with some studies on the man himself, Chris Redfield 💚 (I've been replaying RE5, so the timing on this ask was nothing but perfect)

I also skipped RE6 because I thought he was very similar to RE5 Chris though, body-wise, a little smaller and somewhat more realistic.

I'll always remind everyone: though it doesn't look like because it's very well done, RE has always been very stylized, becoming realistic only after RE7. RE 4, 5 and 6 all have stylized proportions, and you can see that by the size of character's hands and heads (small heads, big hands - just like DMC 1, 2, 3 and 4).

on that note: that's why he looks "smaller" on RE8. RE5 is stylized, RE8 is realistic - 5 is more of an anime buff guy, 8 is an anatomically realistic buff guy.

with Chris, I think he had the curse of being too generic on RE1 - and that goes both for his facial features and body. as I point out, he is very proportional: there is nothing that stands out as a prominent feature; no large shoulders + small waist, no arms too long or too short, no eyes too big or too small, no huge chin or forehead... Chris is perfectly balanced as all things should be.

only in RE5 his features got more distinct by exaggerating them only a bit: round, full apple-like cheeks, strong jaw, sharp nose, the big round muscles... but his key features remain the same.

I reserved a space just for his eyes precisely because I like how they evolved. pay attention at how they get slimmer and how his brows get lower with time (RE5 is my personal favorite, the kindest ones in my opinion).

I also loved to see how his body changed: it didn't; he just put on weight and muscles. the very basics of his body - the perfectly balanced proportions, shoulders matching hips and waist, legs and arms being overall the same width... it's always been there. they just got bigger with muscle, but the proportions are exactly the same, since RE1.

this is why studying anatomy is so important: you can change a character's physique without changing their core; so they will always remain recognizable.

I also forgot to do the profile study, so I quickly added to the body study sheet. but just like everything else, no exaggerated features.

everything with Chris makes him kind and reliable: from the overall balanced proportions and look, to the main choice of square and round shapes; since all his "edges" are softened by rounding them up (directly opposite to Wesker, whose lines are all sharp and pointy). this makes him approachable, dependable, heroic and even kind. exactly what Chris has always been throughout the series 💚

but I do despise his hair in RE8. I understand the military concept, but by the G O D S it is HORRIFYING. (personal taste, though)

thank you very much for sending this ask, I thoroughly enjoyed working on it! I worked on a study on Wesker, but I didn't do one of his RE5 face model. I might do a comparison of his RE1 and RE5 look in the future, though (his slightly aging from 1 to 5 was very well done too).

[shalott-telegraph]

Sketches and Studies - Wesker 5

I needed a good back anatomy practice and wanted to do my own sketch of his half-body RE1 render (the hip rotation is wrong, doesn't match his chest rotation, and I only noticed later 🫠)

and scientist Wesker just read something egregious and is reconsidering all of humanity's intelligence at this point in his life

[shalott-telegraph]

Sketches and Studies - Zeno 5 (+ OC Alecto)

Do apologize your local artist for indulging and drawing her own OC with Zeno. I felt like drawing something quiet and intimate, they were my chosen victims.

Alecto appears in the series of fics I'm writing; having an arc of falling from grace but finding softness in the most unlikely of places - and he finds his own softness too.

[shalott-telegraph]

still on my adventure of replaying Resident Evil 5, now getting through Mercenaries

when playing with Wesker, you can get hit in a certain way so his glasses will fall away/break and then he will be the whole rest of the stage without glasses.

I had never noticed before, thought to share with you.

(a secondary detail: I find it nice his weapons are his own handgun, a magnum and hand grenades - because he's ex-military, of course he would pack hand grenades for crowd control)

[shalott-telegraph]

Art Lessons/Guides Posts: What Would You Like To See?

I am putting together a few lessons/guides to help people who are currently beginners at art - since I think there are plenty resources on the internet right now, but sometimes it can be so much, it becomes horribly overwhelming and doesn't help; so I'm trying to condense what I know in one place to maybe help some people in their learning.

with that in mind, I was going to do one long post with quick tips, but realized maybe going in-depth in each topic will be more helpful.

I'm still trying to figure out where to start and which topics to talk about, so I think the best course of action is to ask you guys: what do you struggle the most? what would you want to know about first? what topics would you want to see and learn about?

I might not be able to help with everything, but I may have a thing or two to teach about some of them.

feel free to send me asks, comment over here, send me message pigeons or smoke signals. I'll do my best to keep up with them and it will help me organize my "teaching posts" of sorts.

----//----

disclaimer: I do not have formal (University/Art School) training; most of it I learned from my mother, my mentor, paid online courses from other professionals and by myself, having focused heavily on character concept/design. that's why I feel I can help out beginners; especially those who, like me, are starting to learn on their own and don't really have the money to spare to pay for a thousand courses or are having a hard time organizing all the information online to actually practice and learn

[shalott-telegraph]

Sketches and Studies - Wesker Face & Body (pre-remake)

since I worked on Zeno, here's a version for Wesker.

he is a little more complicated because the models back then weren't as realistic as models right now: some things, you have to fill-in the gaps with your own knowledge.

regarding his face, Wesker has a much sharper look, with lots of triangles and squares, and thin features (which bring out more of his sharpness).

regarding his body, it's complicated, like I've said before. due to limitations at the time, characters were naturally blocky and stiff - so my analysis was more on a sense of identifying his key features between models and making a list of what to have in mind to have a likeness of him.

turns out, the most distinct points are his very, very broad shoulders and inverted triangle shape; and long, lean legs, with calves being the same width as his thighs. even if he is very strong, he is most importantly lean (not bulky like Chris or Leon); and features like thinner wrists, ankles and waist accentuate that tall and lean figure. put it together with the broad shoulders, he looks quite imposing, powerful and agile (let's not forget, the man is the size of a lamp post)

something worth of note: I thought he was going to be mostly triangles, which is true in his face but not in his body. I'd say it's the model limitation at the time, but Zeno did inherit that blocky, squarish look (in his case, with rounder edges), and Vergil, from Devil May Cry, has the same thing going on.

personally, I think this is to convey power. the broad shoulders and squares/rectangles bring the sturdiness, strength and stability - but their triangles balance the reliability: they have too many sharp points to be considered trustworthy (unlike Zeno), so their shape translates to power and danger, immediately imposing with just a look.

then again, this is my interpretation of things.

thank you for suffering through my musings

[shalott-telegraph]

Sketches and Studies - Wesker Face & Body (remake)

decided to take a look on remake Wesker and, lo and behold, he's got all the classic markers that make him Wesker.

the most different features are on his face, although they are more similar to his RE5 model, I think (perhaps I have to work on a face study to that one too). on the remake model, his face has a lot more triangles, with several diamond shapes rather than squares.

interestingly, Zeno has a lot more of the squarish shapes of the older Wesker model, which I think works better as a middle ground. after this study, though, I came to enjoy remake Wesker a lot more (maybe my issue is the in-game lighting making him look too soft sometimes).

oh, I couldn't find good references to work on his eyes. maybe when I find them, I'll add another small study.

(also, do tell me if you prefer this one to be a post on its own or if an added reblog like this to keep them all together works just fine)

[shalott-telegraph]

I'm replaying Resident Evil 5, and I think it's relevant to inform you all I have been attacked by a mob of infuriated chickens.

yes, I'm playing as Chris.

[shalott-telegraph]

Sketches and Studies - Gideon Face & Body

I was asked to do a study on Gideon's face/body shapes and features, and only managed to finish now. I hope it's helpful ♥

he is a lot sturdier, stronger and heavier than the previous ones, but just like Zeno, Gideon has a lot of softer, rounder edges - which I think it's very interesting of Requiem, that both of its villains are somewhat softer, inspiring not only danger but some trust too. maybe to make Grace's decision to go with them more intuitive.

it's nice to note, though, that the sharpest feature he has is his mouth.

regarding his body, I think with Gideon his clothes silhouette is the most important. understanding the body shape helps, of course, but his overall silhouette is rectangles over rectangles (mainly, his oversized pants and leather lab-coat of sorts).

just like I mentioned with Wesker, I think the height + rectangles make them look imposing - with Gideon, though, his sheer size and bulky body make him look heavy and sturdy; differently from Wesker.

also, snake skin patterns are themes over his whole body, not only his coat. and I like to call the mark from the middle of his lower lip down his torso the "autopsy incision" - an interesting horrible detail; the first thing I ever thought when I saw him was that he was brought back to life or already dead.

I'll eventually work on other characters as time goes by, from RE and others - hopefully it can give you guys some insight on character designs and drawing as a whole

[shalott-telegraph]

Sketches and Studies - Wesker 4

back to my daily "Wesker is the size of a lamp post" reminder. the type to lean over everything and anything because he has to.

the face angle on the 2nd one was hell and the profile one was just to fill up some space. I did not like it very much, but decided to leave it anyway - everyone makes mistakes (and unsatisfying sketches).

[shalott-telegraph]

Sketches and Studies - Wesker Face & Body (pre-remake)

since I worked on Zeno, here's a version for Wesker.

he is a little more complicated because the models back then weren't as realistic as models right now: some things, you have to fill-in the gaps with your own knowledge.

regarding his face, Wesker has a much sharper look, with lots of triangles and squares, and thin features (which bring out more of his sharpness).

regarding his body, it's complicated, like I've said before. due to limitations at the time, characters were naturally blocky and stiff - so my analysis was more on a sense of identifying his key features between models and making a list of what to have in mind to have a likeness of him.

turns out, the most distinct points are his very, very broad shoulders and inverted triangle shape; and long, lean legs, with calves being the same width as his thighs. even if he is very strong, he is most importantly lean (not bulky like Chris or Leon); and features like thinner wrists, ankles and waist accentuate that tall and lean figure. put it together with the broad shoulders, he looks quite imposing, powerful and agile (let's not forget, the man is the size of a lamp post)

something worth of note: I thought he was going to be mostly triangles, which is true in his face but not in his body. I'd say it's the model limitation at the time, but Zeno did inherit that blocky, squarish look (in his case, with rounder edges), and Vergil, from Devil May Cry, has the same thing going on.

personally, I think this is to convey power. the broad shoulders and squares/rectangles bring the sturdiness, strength and stability - but their triangles balance the reliability: they have too many sharp points to be considered trustworthy (unlike Zeno), so their shape translates to power and danger, immediately imposing with just a look.

then again, this is my interpretation of things.

thank you for suffering through my musings

[shalott-telegraph]

Sketches and Studies - Zeno Face & Body

I mentioned the face/body studies I did of him a while ago, so I'm finally posting them; it might help other artists or just be generally interesting.

my mentor taught me to break everything down in shapes to get someone's likeness, but we do have very different drawing styles - she's more stylized and I'm more realistic. even so, it's a valuable lesson for all styles, and I learned how to do these studies.

added some notes of what I think is important to keep in mind with his design - Zeno is very interesting because, as noted, he has a lot of square shapes, suggesting strength and reliability, and rounder ones, suggesting an edge of softness; both quite unlikely for villain/evil characters. his design is very, very interesting to me; quite intentionally contradictory, I think.

(someday I'll add Wesker's, and he is a lot sharper than Zeno; all his edges are very sharp and he lacks the roundness Zeno has, which I think is very noteworthy as a difference between them - Wesker is more of a "conventional" villain/evil character design, in my opinion)