Elemental Unicorns pt.2

Water Unicorn
Medium: digital painting

Then everything changed when the fire unicorns attacked.
 

Fire Unicorn
Medium: digital painting

Chinese Unicorn

Qilin
Medium: traditional bamboo brush and ink on rice paper

From the all-knowing Wikipedia: The qilin ([tɕʰǐ.lǐn]; Chinese: 麒麟), or kirin, is a mythical hooved chimerical creature known in Chinese and other East Asian cultures, said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a sage or illustrious ruler.

It's like a Chinese unicorn, guys!

Fire Alicorn

Fire Alicorn
Medium: digital painting

MLP OC

Unicornarama
Medium: digital painting

I finally drew my little winged fire unicorn character in the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic style! I designed the original character to represent myself online so as not to show my face in profile pictures, etc., so it's made to represent things I like and things that represent me.

The original character is a winged unicorn/alicorn (because it wasn't meant to fit into the MLP universe), but for this drawing, I just made her a simple unicorn because I don't want to presume that I'm somehow better than everyone else, that I've reached a higher plain of understanding, etc. I chose a Unicorn rather than an Earth Pony or a Pegasus because both Earth Ponies and Pegasi are associated with physical abilities, such as great strength, stamina, speed, etc., none of which that I have. Fluttershy is an exception to that rule, but I didn't want to make myself an exception. I'm definitely a thinker, and any physical talents I have are small-scale coordination, like art, not full-body coordination. I think a Unicorn works best for that!

The colors are simply my favorite colors (pink and orange), so no real self-analyzing there. I kept the fire mane and tail from the original design even though regular MLP ponies don't have special manes and tails. It was the key part of the original deign, so I kept it. I guess if I didn't paint it as fire, it would just be regular hair, but in those colors. The fire represents how I'm passionate - sometimes too passionate - about issues I care about. There are a few things in life that I'm "on fire" for!

The cutie mark represents several things. Obviously the heart symbolizes love, because everything I believe comes from a place of love, even though some people might have difficulty seeing that, especially if they're already opposed to what I believe before we even begin. For example, I oppose animal cruelty because I love. I believe all people should consider adoption first because I love. The starburst around the heart represents purity, so in this case, pure love. I believe love (including romantic love) can be pure and should not rely on physical intimacy to sustain it. Physical intimacy is a wonderful way to express love, but I do not believe it should be a crutch for love. The sparkles represent clarity. I believe in keeping a clear mind at all times for all things. Logic and rationality are very important to me, and while everything I believe is rooted in love, I view the world through a lens of rationality. Essentially, the cutie mark symbolizes truth and love.

The Fall of Lucifer

Defeated Foe
Medium: digital painting

Depicting the fall of Lucifer, this painting seeks to portray Lucifer as very real, but that  he is a defeated foe. For all his talk, he's nothing more than a created being completely under God's control. His halo, which was used in traditional Christian artwork to portray purity and innocence, is shattering, and his wings are being burned black. In the background, another angel has already made the choice to be burned and is being chased out of Heaven.

A fair amount of research went into this painting. According to Ezekial 28:14, Lucifer is, or was, a cherub (singular of cherubim, and not to be confused with the secular Putti, nude infants with wings). Fortunately for me, cherubim are one of the few angelic creatures that the Bible actually gives us a description of, however vague and confusing it may be. Ezekial 1:4-28 and Ezekial 10 describe cherubim as having four wings and four faces - human, bull, lion, and eagle (interestingly enough, avian, bovine, human, and feline features appear frequently in pagan religious artwork, leading to the theory that many pagan gods may actually have been fallen cherubim, perhaps Satan himself. Seeing as he wanted to be like God, it stands to reason that he would want people to worship him as a god.) It's not said what their bodies look like, but Ezekial does describe them as having human hands. They are described as having calf's feet, and, while his feet are in shadow, I do paint him with cloven feet. It's speculated that the satyr image of devils originated with the calf foot description. Ezekial also describes them as sometimes being accompanied by concentric wheels which are "full of eyes," and that the spirits of the cherubim are within the wheels (perhaps some sort of angelic external hard drive?), but as it's uncertain if the Ophanum, as they are called, are part of the cherubim or simply another creature that typically accompanies them. In Luke 2:18, Lucifer is described as falling from Heaven "like lightning," which I incorporated as God's judgment taking the form of lightning.

Welsh Dragon

Great Red Dragon
Medium: digital painting

Native to Wales, Great Red Dragons are your classic, scaly, fire-breathing beasts. They always come in shades of red, from fire engine red to deep brick red. They are very large. Their dense scales and the heavy plating on their necks, underbellies, and legs give them incredible protection. They are very capable fliers.

Great Red Dragons are voracious eaters and prey mostly on large animals such as cattle, but have been known to prey on humans occasionally. They seem to enjoy playing with their food, similar to cats, so every now and then a person goes missing, usually a young woman, and it's assumed the local dragon has kidnapped her to "play with." Great Red Dragons also enjoy collecting shiny objects. They live in mountain caves and like to decorate their caves with all of their shiny trophies.

Great Red Dragons mate only once every hundred years or so, laying between one to three eggs.

Jumping Pony Animation

Jumping Fire Unicorn

Medium: pixel art

Fire Unicorn

Fire Unicorn

Medium: digital painting

Omigursh! It's a little baby fire unicorn! Yay!

Fallen Angel Dragon

Demon Dragon
Medium: digital painting

A subspecies of the Angel Dragon, the Demon Dragon is a spiritual dragon with no specific size. They can cover the sky or sit on your shoulder. They only appear the those they choose. They have never been observed eating, nor have hatchlings of this species ever been seen.

Their ancestry is apparent in that they have retained some of the feathers of their Angel forbears. It's unknown when Demon Dragons separated from Angel Dragons, but their war with their ancestors has played out throughout all of human history. While Angels are more powerful warriors, Demons prefer subtlety and deception rather than a direct fight.

These dragons work through deception and manipulation, whispering lies to their victims to gain their trust. It's uncertain exactly what their agenda is, but it's clear that they hope to disrupt the Angel Dragons' purifying work. Demon Dragons have been known to corrupt entire cities, provoking the Angel Dragons to destroy the cities. In such cases, sometimes blame is placed on the wrong dragon; the Angel is seen as the tyrant and the Demon is seen as the innocent, when in fact both dragons knew that the humans in question had a choice, but chose to follow the Demon Dragon and thus ensured their own demise. Needless to say, Angels and Demons have and probably will be at war with each other until one or both species is stamped out.

Angel Dragon

Angel Dragon
Medium: digital painting

Very little is known about Angel Dragons. One of the few species of spiritual or magical dragons, Angel Dragons are named after the messengers and warriors of God in Jewish and Christian theology. Like all spiritual dragons, they have no specific size. They have the ability to alter their corporeal size at will (they can cover the sky or fit in your pocket), as well as to appear to only those they wish to appear to. There is no evidence that they breed. No eggs or young Angel Dragons have ever been seen. They do not eat, at least not food that physical creatures have the ability to see.

Angel Dragons are both loved and feared. They have a fierce sense of justice and purity. Although known for their patience and benevolence, they are without a doubt the most powerful type of dragon when provoked. They will purge the unclean, and have been known to level entire cities that have become corrupted. They are merciful, however, and will single out the innocent and allow them to live. Their bright blue flames (called Holy Fire) are the hottest known fire in the world. They have the ability to light themselves on fire, but their scales and feathered wings are flame-resistant, thus they burn without burning. This, coupled with their dazzling white scales, can make them nearly impossible to look at when in full glory. Some Angels Dragons have been seen that have as many as three pairs of wings. Angel Dragons are threatened in power only by their arch-enemies, the Demon Dragons.

No Angel Dragon has ever died of old age.

Fire Dragon

Pyro Dragon
Medium: digital painting

With tempers as fiery as their scales, Pyro Dragons live only in the hottest areas of the world. Many are found around volcanoes, both tropical and desert. These dragons are known for being easily enraged, and when angry, they don't hesitate to unleash their flame. They produce flame from glands in the mouth which secrete flammable chemicals. These glands are constantly working, supplying Pyros with seemingly infinite firepower. They are large dragons, about the size of elephants. Their hard scales provide excellent armor. The fleshy growths on their necks, backs, and tails have a dual purpose: Pyros use them to steer while flying, as well as to test temperatures.

Pyros are very sensitive to cold. It's said to be one of their few weaknesses. If the temperature around them gets too cold, they are known to ignite the ground around them and to bathe rocks in flame to create heat. If Pyros loose too much heat to their surroundings, they become lethargic and will eventually fall into a deep sleep, sometimes for centuries. Many cultures have legends that tell of slumbering Pyros beneath volcanoes.

These dragons, like many other species, also enjoy collecting shiny objects. Males will often decorate their lairs with treasures stolen from nearby humans in order to attract a female. Some humans have been able to appease a Pyro dragon by offering them gold, silver, or precious jewels. Pyro dragons generally live in pairs of one male and one female. They breed every few years, laying a single egg. The parent dragons build a nest of stones around the egg and bathe the stones in fire. Thus the egg itself is not directly exposed to the flames, but is still kept at a very high temperature. Like crocodiles, the temperature of the egg determines the gender of the baby inside. A hot temperature ensures a male dragon, and a cooler temperature ensures a female.

Dragon vs. Unicorn

Battle

Medium: digital painting

A dragon and a unicorn fight to the death! Who will win? Personally, I think that unicorn's got something hidden up his sleeve.

Fire Horse

Fire

Medium: digital painting

The fire horse from my Elemental Horses series!

Scholastic Art Contest Golden Key Winner

Fox Fire
Medium: digital painting

An entry for the Scholastic Art. Write. Now. contest.

UPDATE: This piece won regionals (Golden Key) and is going on to nationals!

Elemental Lions

Ice
Medium: digital painting

Flame
Medium: digital painting

Fox Fire

Fox Fire
Medium: digital painting

I was listening to Let it Defy Gravity and at 2:35, this image popped into my head. I don't know what it has to do with the song, but it was fun so I painted it. In all honesty, I think it was the sound of the music that inspired this, not the lyrics.

Nekomata

Kirara
Medium: digital painting (Photoshop)

The nekomata Kirara, because flaming big cats are awesome. Nekomata, sometimes called Split-Tail cats, are a type of cat youkai from Japanese mythology.

Kirara character is copytight Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.

The Elvenking

King Thranduil
Medium: Photoshop paint

Every time you leave your campfire burning and it sets a forest on fire, an elf cries. Think of the elves! Protect our forest friends. Only you can prevent wildfires.

Sorry about that. Smokey the Bear popped into my mind when I finally finished this.




The Lord of the Rings and all its relations has always been my favorite story, and I've just realized that I've done precious little Tolkien-related art. I think it may be because I'm afraid I won't do the story or the characters justice. But then I thought, "Peter Jackson changed Thranduil enough. What does it matter if I accidentally change him some more?"

This is J. R. R. Tolkien's character Thranduil, the king of the Mirkwood elves. While the book will always hold a special place in my heart, I do like all three of the movies Jackson has put out. I like almost everything that he added into the story and I like how he brought Legolas into The Hobbit, even though he didn't play a part in the book. I'm sorry if die-hard Tolkien fans are about to become physically ill for hearing such blasphemy, but I like those movies. I also like Tauriel's presence as well. I'm not a huge fan of the romance between her and Kili (that smacked of a decision they made while that one guy was in the bathroom, and was so obviously thrown in just to feed the Kili fangirls), but I did like her presence. Let's be honest, if she hadn't been in it, there would have been no females in that entire movie except for the little girl in Bard's house who screamed at the orc. It kind of needed at least one female.

And then there's Thranduil. Jackson completely changed him, and I thought for sure I wouldn't like it, but I did. (Just so we’re all on the same page: I like Thranduil’s character, but I’m not a Thranduil fangirl.) I like both Tolkien and Jackson's versions. In this picture I tried to combine the two. I wanted to show the softer, "less wise" Thranduil of the book, and the hard-core, emotionally scarred Thranduil of the movie.


I mean, come on! He's an elf, which is awesome, and he's a king, which is awesome, so he's awesome + awesome, and… and…

What does that even equal?

"King Thranduil" detail
Medium: Photoshop paint

A close-up of the eyes, because eyes are fascinating and fun to paint. I painted them in a moving car. I should be proud of myself.

Elemental Flame

Fire
Medium: Photoshop paint

This girl is on FIRE!

Oh gosh, where did that come from? I don't even like that song. "Looks like a girl, but she's aflame..." Well, if it's not a girl, what is it? A bug-eyed alien?

Anyhow, this is the elemental flame lioness to go along with my elemental ice lion. He was lonely and wanted a mate. I think he got more than he bargained for. Ice Lion can be found here: http://kristengracehall.blogspot.com/2014/04/sparklelion.html

"Green"

The Green Dragon
Medium: Colored pencil