Hey friends, it's been a while. Many thanks to @tragediegh, @artsyunderstudy and @monbons for their recent tags. Its always wonderful seeing what you've been working on (and getting to be feral about it in the hashtags). I'm excited to finally reciprocate with a Crowman update!
🪽Winged Wardrobe Wednesday🪽
There comes a time in every cursed Crowman's life where he must ask himself 'wtf do I wear now I have wings?' Unfortunately, being the artist who created this problem, I have to come up with the answers.
So for the last few weeks I've been giving my Crowman the paper doll treatment, and now it's time to share the results with you (under the cut).
The Hangover
When the Crowman (henceforth CM) is first cursed, he wakes in the tattered remains of his former party outfit. His once flouncy shirt is torn and stained, his stockings are rumpled and no longer stay up, and his shoes are completely missing. It marks his break with the society he grew up in. His wings have completely torn through his jacket and waistcoat, leaving him with little more than rags on his back.
Make do and mend
To preserve his dignity in the forest, CM has to fashion himself an outfit from what little he has to hand. He starts off with a thin blanket (I swear I came up with this long before Victor in Arcane made wearing blankets all the rage, but it's got a similar vibe I'm not mad about) which he uses to create this cheeky halterneck-toga emsemble, using his old silk scarf as a belt. I might have him wrap his feet in fabric strips from his old trousers, but he'll quickly realise its impractical and go barefoot. Later he'll also use the remains of his shirt for boiled bandages.
Bonus: In this sketch you also get to see me working out how on earth to draw wings. In all the other sketches in this post I focused solely on the costuming, so his wings and facial features are rough or non existant. I did this sketch last and realised I probably shouldn't put off drawing wings any longer since I'm literally basing an entire graphic novel on a guy with them. (Why did I do this to myself?)
Mysterious Horror
Arburgh meets CM in the introduction to the story, in the middle of the woods at night. This is what Arburgh first sees; a lumpy shadow in the trees, hardly distinguishable as man or beast. Arburgh immediaetly recalls all the horrifying tales he's heard about the cursed horror living in the forest. On seeing CM in full, Arburgh is terrified.
I wanted to reveal CM in stages, so the reader can take in different aspects of his curse gradually. Initially the focus is on his mystique, his links to the horrifying tales told about him. As he lifts his hood you'll see his beak and his hands (I gave him ombre black finger tips because why wouldn't I). Later, he'll reveal his massive wings across a double page spread I'm really looking forward to drawing.
Assassin vibes
Spoiler: CM is not an assassin. But the final evolution of his costune has that vibe. Why? Practicality! By the time Arbrugh meets him, CM has been living in the forest for at least a year. In that time he's worked out how to better garb himself while keeping himself warm, his wings free, and allowing full movement of all his limbs. Dark colours ensure an element of camoflage, while also infering his acceptance of being more crow-like in appearance. His sleeves are detachable, meaning he can go without in warm weather. The ends of his trousers are wound with leg wraps to keep them from flapping about when he's flying. He no longer uses his silk scarf as a belt. He has completely parted with humanity.
More coming soon!
I have a lot more to share re costumes, so stay tuned for more sketches and notes over the next few weeks. I'm aiming to give you a fashion show for Cygnus next week.
In the meantime, what would your blorbos wear if they had wings? (Simon Snow community I know you're well practiced with this.) Tell me in the comments XD
No pressure tagging as an invitation to share anything you're working on (but only if you'd like to) and to say a big 'hello I've missed you' to everyone, regardless of whether you share or not ✨
@rowynnellis @hattedhedgehog @eremeldanin I’m also adding you guys because I'm trying to be brave and share more with people I know IRL😬😬😬 Love you xx
Ps- I've updated my tags with some new moots. Hello new friends! If you'd rather not be tagged, or if you'd prefer to only be tagged on specific fandom/oc stuff stuff, lemme know (no judgement or offence taken at all I promise)
