[ID: the same image as above, without text and with a watermark over it. End ID.]
I commissioned @tiny-breadcrumbs last year for this piece. A discord friend recommended her and I'm so glad! The process was easy and delightful, from first contact and sharing references to receiving the piece. This was a 10 out of 10 commissioning experience!
I made an inspiration board on Milanote to gather all my ideas. Here's a taste of the references on there, with the actors I chose as face claims:
[ID: Su Xiyan inspiration board. a collage of pictures of Liu Tao, a handsome Chinese woman, in a variety of modern photographs and stills from period costume dramas. On the left are references for her uniform. End ID]
[ID: Tianlang-Jun inspiration board. a collage of pictures of Yan Yikuan, a Chinese man with a wide smile and thick brows, both a modern photo and stills from period costume dramas. On the right are two images of layered hanfu where each layer has a bright color and pattern with the lapel folded back. End ID.]
We spent a month or so bouncing ideas and narrowing down the vision. I got sketch updates periodically (like choosing the pose and later the color rough for the piece to make any final changes) and talking through my ideas helped crystallize my vision. Some of the outfit details I used in the fic came from our conversations about Tianlang-Jun's hair accessory spending habits and concept for the Huan Hua uniform. I love the dichotomy of her uniform being structured and rigid compared to his loose mismatched layers.
[ID: a page of sketches from mid-way through the commission process. Multiple sketches of Tianlang-Jun's hair accessories, some options for Su Xiyan, the two of them cuddling in serious art, her pushing his kissie face away in chibi form, and a full body sketch of them (plus a snake in a dropped fruit basket). In the full body, Tianlang-Jun has a heart-shaped hair doink and a blushie face. End ID.]
I love this page of concept sketches!! tiny-breadcrumbs does great detail work. I liked seeing these options for their hair, like the sword hairpin we didn't ultimately use and all the little decorated braids. Seeing the first iteration of their outfits was really cool, too.
[ID: the painting framed in a black frame, with matching mauve and navy matboard around it. End ID.]
This is an actual painting! And it's in my house now!!! It's so gorgeous in person.
Again, I highly recommend commissioning tiny-breadcrumbs! I felt fully involved in the process throughout, and I'm ecstatic with the final painting!!
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