Once Wild

My friend introduced me to the fabulous comic "Winters in Lavelle" and I quickly fell in love with it. One aspect especially caught my eye: the epically amazing duo of Rio and Xan. As most best friend outlaws go, they are devious and sarcastic with a strong bond that speaks of companionship and concern for each other that transcends a common alliance. They might as well be brothers although something a bit more speaks under the surface from Xan, the Deer-man. Nevertheless, their pasts interest me to no end and I hope to continue to discover more and more about them as the comic continues.

Now, I'm not one to do fan art often, especially with so many of my own characters to write and draw out, but the Gard culture and Xan's overall personality had me struck with the muse. I love, love, love tribal-esque stuff (see anything to do with Vermundr) and my general want to know Xan's backstory led to this piece.

Titled "Once Wild", it is an illustration of that pivotal moment when Xan realized that he was losing the humanity that made him a Deer-man and was simply turning into a beast like the others eventually became, monsters of the forest. Thus, he shed himself of that fate to become an outcast or pariah of the Gard. Ergo, the symbolism of shedding the deer mask and camouflage that hid his true self.

Perhaps the epiphany was self garnered or mayhaps one silver tongued rogue had something to do with it. I personally hope it is the latter.

Of course, this is all interpretation and a bunch of my own theatrics. xD I just really love Xan, what with his violent reactions and blunt sentences, he is all around perfect. They are all around perfect. 8B Ahem, anyways, on to the credit!

Creator: ~keshii
Comic: [link]


Medium: French Gray Prismacolors and Micron Ink
Time: 7 hours