Mariia Bulgakova uses colour, texture and a symbolic silhouette to provide her otherworldly character artwork a sense of danger
I thought up an idea for a new illustration of a female fantasy character who wields significant magical power in her hands. I wanted to express her strength and magic with textured brushstrokes, keeping clear of any sharp lines and infusing each stroke with a sense of weightlessness.
Initially, I thought of the character as levitating and wanted her to directly face the viewer, but as the piece evolved the idea transformed and I adjusted the character’s pose, particularly the position of her hands. I decided she’d be holding a magical orb, with the hands placed to form a triangle and flowing fabric surrounding her legs. By using this approach I was able to break up the monotony of the simple straight-on perspective, and made her overall silhouette resemble the shape of a dagger blade, as her hands and feet both come together to form separate hidden triangles.
Towards the end of the illustration, I also decided to add clouds beneath her feet, as if she were floating in the sky and commanding the space around her. Another fun little touch for this piece came with a bit of help from my followers, as they chose her name, Deyanira, which I think fits her character perfectly.
