What can I say about this one? A lot, actually. It took me quite a long time to complete, and there are still things that I would love to go back and retouch at some point, but I need a break from it for a while. There is a lot of emotion behind this one. It’s a beloved character of my own creation, one that I have been writing about and RPing as for years. She plays a key part in my own storylines, and has gained recognition in the RPG community I am heavily involved in. This dragoness will remain nameless here, however, because the name that would apply to her in this image is one I do not yet know. ((She has many, many names)) The real reason she is so significant to me, however, is that she is the mother of one of my main characters, Dazvinik. I dedicate this piece to my own mom. She has been my best friend for as long as I can ever remember, and she has shown endless amounts of support to me and my passions. She has listened to hours upon hours of my ranting about plots going on in my RPGs, and she has helped me work through my story ideas. Other than me, she is the person who has the closest bond to any and all of my characters. She has taken the time to listen, to understand, and to know both them and myself. I cannot truly express my gratitude for that. Ironically, she was there to help critique this piece as I was working on it, but I did not tell her until today, the day I finished it, that it is for her. *is sneaky that way* So here’s my small way of saying thank you, for all the time that she has spent with me, the infinite support given to my art, writing, and beyond, and most of all, for allowing me to be who I am without attempting to force any molds or constraints upon me. Artistically speaking, this piece was a sort of breakthrough for me. It was one of those images that was incredibly fun to do at times, and downright hellish other times. There were times when I wanted to rush things, push aside little mistakes, or neglect to sharpen things up the way I really wanted to. However, I forced myself not to do so. I really took my time and tried to get everything ‘right’. Still, there are a few things I feel I neglected a bit… But overall I am pleased. I am glad I spent every second I did on it, though. I think it was all worth it in the end. Time spent: 70+ hours Program Used: Photoshop CS 2 Tools: Wacom Intuos tablet Completed August 26, 2006 Character, image, etc. is © T. N. Barner. All rights reserved.