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zmeess:

digital fanart of Essek Thelyss from Critical Role, done in a painterly style with wide brushstrokes. he is depicted as a young-looking slender drow, with lavender skin and short white hair, the curls falling over his forehead. he is wearing an outfit loosely inspired by Chinese hanfu. it consists of long and wide high-waisted pants made of shiny iridescent peachy orange silk, held up with a dark ribbon tied in two knots, the loose ends falling down the front; a similarly-colored wrapped-front shirt, with a white underlayer peeking from underneath; and a terracotta brown coat with a hood. his arms appearing out of the arm slits of the coat are covered in leg-of-mutton sleeves. Essek is standing against a loosely sketched grayish-periwinkle background of grasses and branches, lit with a warm rosy light as if from a rising sun. he is carrying a woven basket full of fresh peaches in his left hand, while his right arm is supporting a red and white cat against his chest. he is smiling fondly and looking down at the other two cats gathered around him, their tails held up and curled in excitement.ALT

some of you might remember that in my 2023 art summary the september piece was pixeled out due to being part of an unfinished project. this is the painting in question!

it’s one third of a series of Essek portraits, inspired by a conversation with @saturdaysky about the universe needing more Esseks wearing fun colors. black & purple is a timeless classic, but i like to think that Hot Boi can and does rock colors outside of what would be considered nude tones for him 🤭

hence,

part 1: peach! 🍑

one of my favorite colors, and one that was a fun challenge to make work with Essek’s lavender skin tone. as i was drawing i was thinking of Essek bringing a basket full of fresh peaches from his travels to his partner, and the kitties being the first to greet him as he arrived home 💜

tip jar!