FanArt_ink.Run

MTGinktober jogs to Day 11, "Run," starring Azusa, Lost but Seeking and Azami, Lady of Scrolls doing a little cross-country training in the forest!

The scenarios I was considering were either an election debate or rally speech style piece of some creature "running" against another or a jocky/athletic creature coaching a nerdy/out of shape creature in a cross-country running sort of situation. I almost went with Mirri training Opal-Eye, and still wonder if that would have sold the gag better. It was fun and exhausting getting Azami's facial expression down because I involuntarily make the same expression that I'm drawing, so I physically also got into that "winded" emotional space.

I chose Azusa for the athletic role since she's a green creature and out and about in the forest, and Azami for the out-of-shape role, since I figure she'd be more into sitting and reading than working out. So it felt reasonable that Azusa might have concern for Azami's health and invite her for a little weekend jog, and then Azami gets more challenge than she bargained for and regularly has to remind Azusa she's can't really keep up with her coach. Azusa is entirely optimistic and supportive during the session, she just honestly forgets it's hard for others to keep up with her normal pace (even though she does think she's taking it a little easier on Azami...)

Fun Facts: The tough decision point after casting this piece was the costuming. I didn't think using their actual costumes would work, or be as funny, so I decided to dress Azusa more naturally athletic, and Azami in a more preppy, ironically unprepared style, meanwhile still maintaining their classic hairstyles and hair ornaments. I tried to make Azami look slightly out of fashion, with those long '80s-style socks and a collared, private-school-style gym uniform, as if she can only muster workout clothes from when it was mandatory in her school days. Meanwhile Azusa has a track jacket and modern, sporty duds. I probably should have kept the sweatbands just to Azami, since that seems like the nerdier thing to do.

Easter Eggs: Azusa's green mana symbol is styled like the Addidas logo, but I had to admit defeat in not being able to come up with a corresponding word to go under it to completely sell the spoof. They are running in a Champions of Kamigawa-era Rob Alexander Forest. I inked the background primarily with my fudepen, which gave it a nice, washed-out, and overall softer feel to contrast the sharpness of the figures, though the paper is warped, hence some blurring in the scan where the paper just curls a bit from the scanner surface.

Not normal,

Reuxben