Art

Faces, Feelings, and Fan-Art // an art dump

by Sarah Baran

I haven’t thrown art at you since August. I wanna throw art. Can I throw art?

I’m gonna throw art.

(To be totally honest, I can’t remember if I’ve shared any of these or not, and most of them are posted on my Instagram anyway. So if you’ve already seen these, my apologies. You don’t have to look.)

(And I should warn you, commissions are going to be a common theme in this post, so get used to it.)

I started this last April. I finished it in November. The question is, did it actually take me the better part of a year to complete it, or was that the vile influence of procrastination once again making itself a nuisance in my creative life?

I’ll never tell.

My sister asked me to paint this for her wedding with the general idea that she would take it with her after she was married.

Is it still gathering dust in my bedroom? Yes. Yes it is.

This was my first official commission, which aaaalmost makes the difficulties I had with it excusable. Almost.

(In case you’re wondering, her skin-tone has a red hue, which makes it somewhere opposite to green on the color wheel. And in case you’re still wondering, opposite colors don’t mix. They cancel each other out and either turn grey, black, or muddy.)

(The point of me telling you this is so that you’ll appreciate how hard it was to make the green tones on her arms blend properly into her skin tone without looking like a swampy disaster.)

A draw-this-in-your-own-style challenge put on by a friend. Hers was better.

We’re going to ignore how many pages I had open in my browser with references for that hair-style.

(Eighteen. That’s how many.)

This guy was a commission for Kassie Angle and the main character of her recently published book, which you should definitely go take a look at.

It’s like blackout poetry but instead of desecrating one book page, I desecrated five!

*as the book-puritans burn me at the stake*

My friend Hannah wrote a book and I got to paint her main characters, and let me tell ya, if I could’ve actually captured the raw amount of sass and murder running in their veins, you would be blinded by the power of it. These kids are a literary treasure.

“I DON’T PAINT LANDSCAPES,” I screamed as I painted a landscape.

Another commission. The deliciously piratey aesthetic is killing me.

Apparently I’m dabbling in wedding portraits now because my friends are just too adorable.

Some commissions for a middle-grade story. The ghost kid is my favorite.

  • Cyrus Smith
  • Thomas Fawkes

More faces. Because that’s all I can seem to do.

Don’t know who that weirdo is. Looks like a nerd.

More commissions!

And what’s this? Mooore commissions!

MOOOOOOOOORE COMMISSIONS!!!

I’m sorry, I just think that fictional kings are better than real ones. Especially if they’re brothers. And British. And fell through a piece of furniture into an ice-age and somehow became monarchs there because I guess that’s how foreign politics in magical lands work.

  • Sley
  • Sley on the inside
  • Emolas
  • Emolas on the inside
  • Liriel
  • Liriel on the inside
  • Lotch

These are the four main characters of my novel-in-progress, Aeterna. Notice how each of them are drastically different on the inside compared to the outside. Except Lotch. Who is a clueless bean regardless of circumstance.

(I also want to mention that I haven’t drawn Sley without his hat in so long that I had to dig up art from several years ago to remember what his hair looks like.)

Oh to be a happy-go-lucky pair of shadows.

It’s been two years but my heart is still broken.

Aaaaaaaand that’s that! You’ve officially had art thrown at you. Good job. And don’t forget that commissions are open and you can find more information about that here!

(I love having a blog. You can shamelessly self-advertise and people aren’t allowed to get mad.)

Anyway.

See you around!

~Sarah

41 thoughts on “Faces, Feelings, and Fan-Art // an art dump”

  1. WHAT.

    THESE ALL LOOK SO GOOD.

    *screams at the How to Train Your Dragon one which is utter perfection*

    I love the Narnia one as well (sooooooo epic) and Lotch. I can’t stop staring at them. 😂

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  3. I ADORE IT.
    I ADORE IT ALL.
    I ADOOOOOORE IT!!!!!
    You get the point. I am seriously a puddle or adoration.
    The first commission shown is gorgeousssss! ❤
    *shrieks* WOULD THAT BE HARLEY? *dies* My soul died with that book.
    I loooove that Narnia one! I recently rewatched the first and second movie. Childhood memories right there. ❤

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    2. …hey guys, I’m not sure, but I think she adores it.

      THAT WOULD BE HARLEY. *dies with you* I wept. (Also, I’ve just now realized that I forgot to include a link to Kassie’s website with that one. 🤔 Dumb me.)

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  4. I CAN’T SPEAK THESE ARE TOO AMAZING
    YOU DREW THOMAS FAWKES AHHHH
    AND EDMUND AND PETER
    AND THAT HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON ONE AHHHH (I’ve literally been trying to draw that exact same picture for a bit *coughs TRYING TO coughs* and my mind is blown with how you did it)

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  7. “And fell through a piece of furniture into an ice-age and somehow became monarchs there because I guess that’s how foreign politics in magical lands work.”

    That’s the most hilarious description of Narnia I’ve ever seen.

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  9. Aww…You’re adorable too!

    (And I think your first commission, as with most of them, is amazing. You make me want to meet her — I think I’d like her.)

    And the Narnia one!…*sighs* I had a crush on Edmund once, then I had one on Peter, and then I wasn’t allowed to have crushes. *shrugs* Oh well, guess I’ll just have to say I like it because of the artwork. 😉 XD

    My other favorite is the shadow one. I LOVE that one!

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  10. AAAAHH THESE ARE GORGEOUS!!! I adore the one of Eowyn. The contrast is so fittingly dramatic. And Hiccup and Toothless!! How!! Is it so Awesome!! 😀

    Also the one you did for me was and still is and always will be PERFECTION. But now I realize how hard it was to mix those colors…which makes me appreciate it even more. 🤗

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  11. I LOVE THESE! Honestly I just love your art!! The first commission (for Kassie Angle) looks kinda like Nolan (Ashtown), and I love your Cyrus and Thomas. Have you ever thought of drawing Parvin/Jude/Solomon?

    (yes I read fanart posts to find all the obscure fandoms) (because they make the happiest, since less people know about them but more people should)

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  12. *jaw is sitting on the floor and so cannot speak*

    Okay okay I’ll pick up my jaw for a minute because ALL THE BEAUTIFUL FACES

    HOW DO YOU GET THE EXPRESSIONS SO

    PERFECT

    *drops jaw again*

    Eustace, and Gandalf, and Jack Sparrow, and yourself, and your characters inside and out (*shrieks* so great), and HICUPP AND TOOTHLESS AHHHH

    Cannot fathom. I also adore that Italian-looking town landscape thing, and the pinky-cloudy-blackout-poetry-ish thing. And many other things (not least of which is the Peter & Edmund one, but I already told you that. I LOVE IT THOUGH).

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  13. They’re all so beautiful…

    And excuse me while I squeal every time you post Charlie on your website… I’m obviously biased but you did SUCH A GOOD JOB ☺️ Thank you, Sarah!

    Also, “Eustace Scrubbier is the best thing I’ve ever drawn” killed me. Your tags are the best 😂

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  15. CYRUS CYRUS CYRUS CYRUS CYRUS *SCREAMS IN ADORATION*
    Sarah. I am begging you. Please for the love of all good fan art and my sanity do Nolan. Or Rupert. PLEASE?!?!?!?!?!?!

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      1. OH OH OH OH OH *HYPERVENTILATES* IT’S HIM IT’S NOLAN AND HOLY FREAKING DAY IN THE MORNING… SARAH YOU EVEN DREW HIS FREAKING SHOULDERS AND ARMS ACCURATELY. LIKE. THE HECK… HOW… I LOVE HIM *COUGHCOUGH* I MEAN IT. RIGHT. THE DRAWING. I AM DEFINITELY NOT OBSESSED WITH A MOODY TRANSMORTAL WHO MAKES TOASTED CHEESE BREAD IN HIS BASEMENT HIDEOUT. *scurries away to assure this picture of Nolan that I would take care of him forever*

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  18. AAHHHHH!!!!!!!! Mando! Jack Sparrow! THOMAS FAWKES!!!!! All of these are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!! And, man, kudos to you on mixing those paint colors! There have been SO many times where I start mixing colors with 100% pure confidence and less than 10 minutes later, those oh so beautiful colors look like a mud pit mixed with dirty slush. But when it DOES work out (like your gorgeous picture did) it feels like you’ve just conquered the world!!! XD

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  20. Yesyesyes, I love getting art thrown at me! Especially yours! I liked only just EVERY SINGLE PIECE in this post, but the Toothless and Hiccup one might be my favorite. It is a masterpiece.

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  24. *screeches in Quenya*
    EOWYN
    AND EUSTACE
    AND GANDALF
    AND PETER AND EDMUND
    AND JACK SPARROW
    AND THE HAPPY SHADOWS
    AND THE LITTLE LANDSCAPE PAINTING THAT LOOKS LIKE A STREET I WOULD TOTALLY LOVE TO WALK ON
    AKLJSAKLJSDLKJALKJLSKAJLAJS
    I really need to send in a commission huh BUT I CANT PICK WHICH CHARACTER OF MINE TO DO AAAAAAAAHHHHH

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  25. Your. Art. Is. AMAZING! It sounds really nice to be able to draw super good as well as write, because you know exactly what your characters look like. I, unfortunately, am only a writer. My drawings look like… an 8 year old drew a blob. Your blog is so fun! I love it!
    why do elves have such good hearing? They have sharp ears.
    TTFN
    Bree

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  26. Pingback: Happy Valentine’s Day! ~ I’m just here to share the love – Lionhearted Art

  27. My goodness, the first one just had me gaping for a full two minutes. Blonde hair is so intimidating to draw, but you ACED it! I love all of them (Fawwkkeeessss) but that first one is my favorite. You are so talented!

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