In This Scene
On the black sand beach at the bottom of the cliffs on which stood the great castle of Aesirert, the sons of Peter the Marshal were all gathered to watch as Reikert the Marshal and Tristan Martel struggled to throw each other in the icy surf.
“Come on, Tristan,” Reikert grunted as he struggled to get Tristan’s arm in a lock, “just give up and get your ice bath over with.”
“Not until—RRRGH!” Tristan grunted back as he tried to pick up Reikert’s leg, “—I send you to the sea dragon!”
“Hey, Reikert!” Michael Agrippa called from the shore, “If you need some help, I can tell you where Tristan is ticklish!”
“Shut up!” Tristan snarled. “Or I’ll dunk you next!”
“Big talk from a little peasant,” Reikert snickered.
“The bigger they are, the harder they fall, you dumb ox,” Tristan shot back.
Hendrick Marshal rolled his eyes as his brother and foster brother tried to throw each other into the sea. He did not love wrestling, and thus was he was never very good. A part of him envied his brothers, but when he thought of how much he would have to practice to get better, his envy quickly subsided.
Lady Serena, Reikert’s wife, shivered in her plaid, watching breathlessly as Reikert and Tristan continued to throw each other around, neither gaining a distinct advantage. The cold, grey Isles of which she was now Lady were far from the warm red rocks of the coasts of Costa, and she wondered how in the world her husband and his foster brother could stand to be ankle-deep in the cold sea, stripped to the waist, for so long. She had no great love for violence and wanted the wrestling match called off, but she was the Lady of the Isles, an ancient warrior culture, and married to a man who traced his descent directly from of a hero of whom she had heard only legends. She had to appreciate and learn the rough customs of her new people. Besides, as she caught Reikert and Tristan smiling and laughing between their playful insults, she knew it would be most selfish of her to take away their fun for the sake of her delicate sensibilities, and she waited with bated breath for Reikert to throw Tristan into the water.
Behind the Scenes
So. Much. Work.
I like many drawings, I started this months ago, perhaps even a year, and was so overwhelmed trying to draw all five characters that I just couldn’t make myself finish until now.
Michael was particularly hard to draw, as I couldn’t quite get his chin and his coat right, and I ended up redrawing him significantly. Tristan and Reikert were probably the easiest to draw, a much to my surprise, but they were the genesis of the picture and the the clearest figures in my mind.
I am actually pleased with how the waves turned out. I used a couple shades of green and blue at about 75-80% opacity, and rougher brush for the foam. I’d like to keep learning water effects, but for now I’m very pleased.