Shall We Dance?

[Image ID] A digital painting of a male character with short brown hair, and a female character with long blue hair. Her long gloves are blue and her dress is blue and gold. His long, sleeveless jacket is brown with copper edging and decorative spider-web inspired details. They are in a ballroom with a warmly lit grand staircase behind them. He is holding her left hand in his right and is smiling at her. [description end]

This painting was featured in:

•  Peterborough Art Society's Summer Exhibition in June 2024.

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The light from the chandeliers illuminated the ballroom in a soft yellow glow. Other attendees moved left and right in unfathomable patterns as they sought out people to speak to or dance with.

Kiyoshi reappeared from the crowd of guests he’d disappeared into earlier and walked over to join Kyan in the quieter area near the entrance stairs. “Shall we dance?” he prompted with a smile as he held out his hand towards her.

Unable to find the correct words for the situation, Kyan responded with a subtle nod and placed her hand in his. As the music increased in tempo they moved into a dancing position and joined the crowd of pairs already twirling the floor.

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Various settings for my novel project – Candle of Ice – are inspired by Victorian high society, and for this piece I decided to really reflect that theme.

It was also interesting to depict my characters in a more ‘formal’ setting, as I’ve tended to draw them in casual situations rather than something with as much ettiquete as a ball.

The timelapse (speedpaint) of the painting process can be found below, or on my YouTube channel:

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Time taken: 6 hours

Computer Type: Windows

Program: FireAlpaca

Drawing Tablet: Gaomon M106K

Characters: Kyan and Kiyoshi, from my fantasy novel project – Candle Of Ice

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