Swallow

An illustrator. Shipper of grindeldore & vicbourne. Love Harry Potter & things related to classical / historical themes. Open for commissions:)

[swallow-the-bird]

An unfinished Mucha study 🖼️

Latest update 👩🏻‍🎨 29/6/2020: I’ve added more detail to the facial muscles, started sketching the wine glass, continued working on the clothes, and explored how to use brushstrokes to convey the texture of the fabric’s creases. Previous progress updates:

Real life has been busy, and I hadn’t picked up a brush for over a year—until the past few days, when I finally felt like creating again.

Only after painting the face did I remember that I could have recorded a timelapse 😂 I’ll share more if I make progress.

I chose Mucha, an artist I’ve loved for a long time, as a gentle way back in. I’m not trying to make an exact copy; I mainly wanted to study the choices behind his work, learn from his visual language, and get my hands moving again. It also reminded me why drawing makes me so happy. 🥹❤️

I don’t know if I’ll finish this one, but I hope I can slowly find my rhythm—and the habit of creating—again.

Previous progress updates 🎨

June 23, 2026

Some adjustments were made to the facial details to make them stand out more, and the colours were slightly tweaked. The details in the previous version were too soft.

June 24, 2026

Today’s progress: I'm working on the details of the accessories. It's always a good idea to check the colour relationships in monochrome. The monochrome version looks quite nice, too, but I'll stick with my colour practice. :)

June 26, 2026

Adjusted the decorative disc on the back, as well as the figure’s proportions and colour scheme; refined the details of the leaves; and began sketching the clothing.

June 27, 2026

27 June 2026🖼️ I’ve further refined and adjusted the relationship and details between the hair and the face, continued to refine the details of the leaves, and worked on the clothing in greater depth. Having focused mainly on black-and-white line art in recent years, I’d almost forgotten just how much I love the thick, oil-painting-style texture 🥹❤️

[swallow-the-bird]

June 29, 2026

I’ve added more detail to the facial muscles, started sketching the wine glass, continued working on the clothes, and explored how to use brushstrokes to convey the texture of the fabric’s creases.

30 June 2026

I’ve refined the facial details once again to make the face look a little slimmer; I’ve continued working on the clothing.

[swallow-the-bird]

An unfinished Mucha study 🖼️ Latest update on June 30, 26

👩🏻‍🎨 30/6/2020 :I’ve added more detail to the facial muscles, started sketching the wine glass, continued working on the clothes, and explored how to use brushstrokes to convey the texture of the fabric’s creases. Previous progress updates:

Real life has been busy, and I hadn’t picked up a brush for over a year—until the past few days, when I finally felt like creating again.

Only after painting the face did I remember that I could have recorded a timelapse 😂 I’ll share more if I make progress.

I chose Mucha, an artist I’ve loved for a long time, as a gentle way back in. I’m not trying to make an exact copy; I mainly wanted to study the choices behind his work, learn from his visual language, and get my hands moving again. It also reminded me why drawing makes me so happy. 🥹❤️

I don’t know if I’ll finish this one, but I hope I can slowly find my rhythm—and the habit of creating—again.

Previous progress updates 🎨

June 23, 2026

Some adjustments were made to the facial details to make them stand out more, and the colours were slightly tweaked. The details in the previous version were too soft.

June 24, 2026

Today’s progress: I'm working on the details of the accessories. It's always a good idea to check the colour relationships in monochrome. The monochrome version looks quite nice, too, but I'll stick with my colour practice. :)

June 26, 2026

Adjusted the decorative disc on the back, as well as the figure’s proportions and colour scheme; refined the details of the leaves; and began sketching the clothing.

June 27, 2026

27 June 2026🖼️ I’ve further refined and adjusted the relationship and details between the hair and the face, continued to refine the details of the leaves, and worked on the clothing in greater depth. Having focused mainly on black-and-white line art in recent years, I’d almost forgotten just how much I love the thick, oil-painting-style texture 🥹❤️

[k-s-morgan]

One of the worst nights during the entire war for my city. My specific district is under the endless, violent attack. Some people are dead. Feeling numb.

[swallow-the-bird]

I saw your stained glass art commission for Coeur Eclatant. It's incredible and it's made me want to read the story. Do you know where I can find it? Is it on AO3, FFN, some other site?

Glad to know that my art work intrigued you😉

It's a lovely Chinese fan story on Lofter, a big Chinese fandom community platform. My client has posted the first half of the story there, and you can use Google Translate or AI to translate it into English if you like. See if you can see the content:

LOFTER（乐乎） - 让兴趣，更有趣

I know she has already finished the whole story and added it to her fan book collection. I think she will unlock the second half online later.

[swallow-the-bird]

“We held hands, one hundred years ago, and one hundred years later.”

This is another part of the comic that remains unfinished.

In my mind, when Gellert laughed at Voldemort, shouting “I welcome death!”, it was as if he was back in that summer, a hundred years ago, when he held Albus’s hand and made the blood pact.

A hundred years later, those hands are still intertwined—in the moment green light flashes on the tower, and at the same instant, tears fall from a pair of blue eyes, sliding down the tip of a nose.

For the Greater Good.

[swallow-the-bird]

“Ah, the golden bird perched on the summer branch.”

A part of a previously paused comic—Inspired by the poem “As a Sparrow” by Charles Bukowski , a friend suggested turning it into a comic.

This drawing serves as the introduction, but I’m not sure if I’ll finish the whole thing (the poem is quite long and abstract), so it’s been on hold for a while!

Wish me luck in completing it later to capture the full poem 🥹

[swallow-the-bird]

Quartet: Death, Love, Magic, and Fairy Tale

Love is the greatest magic.

Death is the last fairy tale.

This is my promotional artwork for the Grindeldore event, Quartet, which explores the themes of death, love, magic, and fairy tales.

May their story be told this way, even if history never remembers their love.

[swallow-the-bird]

Snape & The Little Mermaid 🧜‍♂️

Finally, I can unveil my commissioned Snarry artwork, which was actually completed earlier this year!

This piece is an illustration for a delightful fairy tale “COEUR ECLATANT” written by my client, who requested a stained glass window style with an artistic touch of Art Nouveau, specifically inspired by Mucha’s style.

The experience has been truly enjoyable, as Mucha has always been one of my favorite artists, and Art Nouveau is one of my most beloved art periods. Not to mention, I’ve been a Snarry fan for a long time.

In this enchanting little story, Snarry the Hunter is a seemingly pragmatic character who struggles to acknowledge his deep affection for the little mermaid, Harry. In contrast, Harry is a frank and sincere mermaid, full of curiosity about life on land and completely unreserved in his unconditional love for the first—and only—human he has ever saved (although Snape cruelly denies ever needing help at the time! 🤣).

This is a tale of love between two characters who know so little yet so much about love. I’m still eagerly waiting for my client to reveal the ending!

My client has also created several related products based on this piece, which I’m excited to share with you all:

🔹An Acrylic Stand resembling a stained glass window (currently in its semi-final form)

🔹 An Acrylic Card (Also in its semi-final form)

I hope you all enjoy this piece as much as I do!

[swallow-the-bird]

“Ah, those golden days that fell like summer leaves.”

A discarded draft, but following the principle of not wasting what I’ve drawn 🥹

Besides, I quite like this color scheme—who hasn’t been a dashing youth at some point?

[swallow-the-bird]

“You look ahead, while I gaze upon you.”

Here’s a part of a Grindeldore comic I’ve been commissioned to work on.

Also, proof that I’m still alive after disappearing from online for a long time! 🤣

PS

Speaking of which, why emphasize that Dumbledore is looking forword?

It actually comes from his final words to Harry at King's Cross Station—one of the most touching dialogues in Harry Potter for me:

"Where would it take me?"

"On."

[swallow-the-bird]

Hey!!! I know life is busy but i hope you are alright ❤️❤️ lots of love, friend

Hello friend! Thank you so much for asking❤️❤️ Don't worry, I'm fine so far! Just super busy with moving. Will post again when some of my work can be publicly shared 🥰

Hope all is well with you too! Enjoy the spring time! XXX

[swallow-the-bird]

Now I can look at you.

In his final moment, he saw not only those emerald eyes but also the young Severus from years past: at eleven, he held his first true friend, brimmed with fantasies and hopes for the future, and still believed in the magic of miracles—that they would embark on their journey to Hogwarts together.

Twenty-seven years later, at thirty-eight, he shed his last tear at Hogwarts. At long last, he could gaze back at the boy of yesteryear with peace.

“Now I can look at you.”

PS This is a drawing for a Snapecentric activity to celebrate Snape's birthday.

Regarding the sacrifices and final choices Snape made, I’ve always believed that they cannot be fully encompassed by mere love for Lily. Rather, they represent the ultimate answer drawn from a lifetime of experiences.

What is termed as repentance is a conviction, unshakable and uncompromising, refined from past mistakes—a faint echo of the vague hopes for this world that once rooted quietly in a young boy’s heart, strong enough to lead him to a martyr’s fate.

I would also like to think that Professor Snape has finally found freedom and peace. He will always remain one of my favourite characters in Harry Potter!

[swallow-the-bird]

Complementing the concept behind this drawing:

I believe that the doe, Lily, and the young Severus symbolize Snape’s once hazy yet pure hope for the world, an innocent fervor.

They perhaps also represent those things in life that hold value, such as conscience, conviction, and a stubbornness that veers close to justice and yearns for the light—even if the conventional notions of justice don’t align with Snape, who is certainly not a man of black and white.

What I aimed to convey is this concept: the kind of realization that finally allows him to face himself squarely, to find peace with his guilt, and to achieve reconciliation.

I also think his fixation, his longing and endless reminiscence of Lily, largely stems from her also being a symbol of sorts, representing the beautiful times of childhood and youth, unmarred and unbroken by the harsh realities of life.

[swallow-the-bird]

Now I can look at you.

In his final moment, he saw not only those emerald eyes but also the young Severus from years past: at eleven, he held his first true friend, brimmed with fantasies and hopes for the future, and still believed in the magic of miracles—that they would embark on their journey to Hogwarts together.

Twenty-seven years later, at thirty-eight, he shed his last tear at Hogwarts. At long last, he could gaze back at the boy of yesteryear with peace.

“Now I can look at you.”

PS This is a drawing for a Snapecentric activity to celebrate Snape's birthday.

Regarding the sacrifices and final choices Snape made, I’ve always believed that they cannot be fully encompassed by mere love for Lily. Rather, they represent the ultimate answer drawn from a lifetime of experiences.

What is termed as repentance is a conviction, unshakable and uncompromising, refined from past mistakes—a faint echo of the vague hopes for this world that once rooted quietly in a young boy’s heart, strong enough to lead him to a martyr’s fate.

I would also like to think that Professor Snape has finally found freedom and peace. He will always remain one of my favourite characters in Harry Potter!

[swallow-the-bird]

“What have you seen in death?”

May death reveal not your end but your heart’s desire; may we converge at a time when the leaves were green and dreams were young.

For the Greater Good.

PS Long time no see! A late happy new year to you all!😘

[swallow-the-bird]

Working on a Snarry commission again.

Client request: Could you create a Snape in the style of Mucha, with a touch of the original’s realistic essence?

My response: Oh! Absolutely, I’ll give it a try! (Big fan of Mucha ❤️)

I’m quite pleased with how the work is progressing so far. Fingers crossed that the final piece unfolds as smoothly as planned.

More Snarry art is on the way! I’ll share it as soon as I’m permitted.

Update:

I can finally unveil the finished version🤩👇🏻

Swallow

Snape & The Little Mermaid 🧜‍♂️ Finally, I can unveil my commissioned Snarry artwork, which was actually completed earlier this year! This

[swallow-the-bird]

Just a quick note:

I’ve received some very interesting questions about Grindeldore and Riddle, but I’m too busy these days to think over them and organize my thoughts to answer. (I guess it’s also expected to receive a loooong answer from a chatterbox like me, XD)

I’m leaving this note here just to say I’m not ignoring those questions. Thank you to whoever asked them. :)

[swallow-the-bird]

May i ask where you're from? If you don't mind sharing of course ❤️❤️

Oh I don’t mind at all! I’m from Hong Kong. Actually I've also shared this before, but it was a long time ago.

I'm just curious why you wanted to know XD