This little illustration here is an interior piece from the recent Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual. It is a classic Harpy, no more, no less. And yet, I am told, it represent a unique quality in being the only ever full nude female figure in Dungeons And Dragons. Not much of an achievement, you might say, and yet something I cherish and hold as an accomplishment. Mostly because I have been censored before and has been told to remove or erase breast all the time. But in this case I am especially proud, since the issue never came up.
I read the monster manual text and noticed that the monster was described as being a female elf torn by love, asking the gods for help. When she didn’t get her lover, she cursed the Gods and in return was transformed into this being. The burning love was thus transformed into and unsatisfied hunger for flesh.
That was the feeling i was going for. Especially in the facial expression I tried to capture the mood of someone being extremely unhappy, not screaming or acting out, but sitting in a pose that shows she is totally engulfed in the hunger, have been so for a long time, and has given up. The hands are down, lying flat, and the head is turned upwards looking towards the gods who made her into this.
I guess that in succeeding in conveying this mood and feeling, the whole issue of her being naked was never raised. No one ever saw her as a sexual being. I think the nakedness enhances the image of this being a mood piece.
The picture was created first as a pencil sketch. I added some colours on for my own sake and got the Sketch approved. I added the colours digitally on top of the sketch trying to work transparent to let the pencil show. Almost as if I was doing a watercolour: But as I started painting the colours became less and less transparent. In the background I kept it loose to make the bleed into the page work better in layout.
Excellent work Jesper. The feeling this piece has is really good. Any news on when your artbook will be out?
Unfortunately I think you have been misinformed. The 1st edition advanced dungeons and dragons Harpy from the 1977 Monster Manual depicted full breasts including nipples but did have an avian bottom w/ feathers. The Succubus did not depict nipples but was clearly fully nude, in the same manner as your painting here – look up Succubus Dungeons and Dragons on the English Wikipedia site. Whoever said this was the first fully nude depiction was mistaken. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succubus_%28Dungeons_%26_Dragons%29
PS – I think the art is great – only piping up because I know a thing or two about TSR art from my collecting days 😉
Great emotion in her face. Really great work.
I totally agree w/ William – the emotion in her face is fabulous. Awesome Harpy.
This is a really nice piece. The nudity makes sense. I can't imagine what a Harpy would wear anyway.
Great emotion in her face. Really great work.
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شركة بسمة الرياض افضل وارخص شركة نقل عفش بالرياض على الفور فاذا كنت فى اى مكان فى الرياض وتعانى من نقل العفش المكتبى والعفش المنزلى فاذا كنت تعانى من كل ما هو غير مالوف وتبحث عن افضل النتائج فى اعمال النقل فعليك ان تعلم ان طريق النقل لم يكن له الا مكان واحد وهو شركة نقل عفش نظرا لما تعتمد عليه من خدمات من اجل ان يتم الوصول الى افضل النتائج المميزة فمن اهم ما تقوم بيه شركات نقل العفش بالرياض هو الاهتمام والاعتماد على افضل السيارات المميزة المتواجده فى الاسواق والتى تساعد فى القيام باعمال النقل الى اى مكان فى الرياض دون ان يتم تعرض العفش الى اى تغيرات بالاضافة الى اننا نعتمد على العماله والكوادر البشرية المميزة المتواجده فى الاسواق والتى تساعد فى القيام باعمال الفك والتركيب والحصول على افضل الخدمات وافضل النتائج دون ان يتم التعرض الى اى شىء غير مالوف وجوده فى العفش الان .
تعتمد شركة بسمة الرياض افضل شركات نقل العفش على افضل الخدمات المميزة من القيام باعمال النقل خارج الرياض مع توفير كافه الاجراءات الجمركية التى تساعد فى اعمال النقل بالخاج والاهتمام بالتعرف على وسيله المواصلات المستخدمه برا او جوا او بحرا والاهتمام بكل ذلك يكن من خلال عدد من الوكلاء فى الخارج والتى تساعد فى القيام باعمال النقل للعفش الان على اعلى مستوى فلا تتردد فى التواصل مع بسمة الرياض الان .
was looking for something to practice dnd drawings and found yours! Really like your drawing. 🙂
By the way can i post my pencil sketch of your drawing with the original link to your post on my facebook?