The shading on the creature and the water effects are to die for! I have to say, you are totally becoming my favorite MTG Artist.

Aw, thanks so much!

Bah god it's gorgeous!

Wow, that's so unique and beautiful, my god! *o *

For when you want to be inspired in all aspects, technical, painting and atmosphere! Simply greatness to behold!

The level of love and dedication you put into your artwork is astounding, you will forever be an inspiration to me and so many others caraid!

That’s so kind of you to say, thank you!

you did an amazing job!

love the coloring so much

I'd say she is either very powerful or very bold, to follow the kelpie. Or just never heard all the dark legends surrounding it.

Or very naive haha. I don’t think these kelpies are the dangerous type though ;).

This kelpie is so striking. And I love, love, love the stylings that resemble the kelpie sea dragons with their long flowing fluttery bits.

Thank you! I believe I did reference some leafy sea dragons for this too! ^^

There we go on the name, was blanking, yet the leafy sea dragons. I do love them.

What is the name of those natural rock formations you're depicting on Stixhaven? Those natural magic arches.

They are called star arches! From the guide:

"Gravity-defying arch shapes crop up all over this plane, looking like mystical shrines or monuments. They're made from spokes of natural materials that float in an arch shape, with a precise inner curve and a rough and irregular outer arch. They can stand straight or lie at an angle; they can be small or enormous, whole or broken, grown over or mysteriously clean. Their irregular spokes evoke the radiating lines of a shining celestial star.

The star arches are a mystery left over from the Dawning Age, when the plane was young and none of the humanoid races yet walked the earth. In most cases, the arches simply sit there, floating inexplicably, silent, immovable, and inert. But many have said that they've seen an arch appear to them at a critical juncture in their lives, helping them understand a lesson or answer a burning question in their mind. Some believe that each arch marks a place of great magic, such as the site of the birth of a great mage or the location of a time-lost spell. Others believe that they're connected with the Archaics in some way—some claim they've seen an arch come to life with powerful magic in their presence."

source: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articl.....ven-2021-04-01

Neat! Thank you very much!

But what if I told you the legs and snout were actually blue raspberry jolly ranchers?

Hahaha, kidding. It looks good. I feel the drawing lacks a certain depth – the shading on the kelpie feels too light (though that might be because it is glowing slightly), the pose for the human lacks is very neutral and stiff, and the arch in the background and the sky almost feel cell shaded with how shallow the lighting was done on it.

But then I zoomed in. I’m glad I did. The many shades you used in the sky and far arch aren’t distinguishable until you zoom in.

I still think the shading on the kelpie is odd (shouldn’t the neck’s right side, the side facing us, be darker because it’s away from the sun? OH WAIT STRIXHAVEN HAS TWO SUNS, THAT’S ACTUALLY AWESOME! Incredible detail!) and the human’s pose is definitely stiff. It’s far, far better than what I could ever hope to draw.

Wow, I’m glad I decided to write this comment. I noticed so much more about the piece by doing so.

Ok, wait, Caraid, did you do the lighting in this piece the way you did because Arcavios has two suns? If so then you’re brilliant.

The human is indeed rather too stiff. Please keep in mind for any magic work I post that these pieces were finished a year ago, and I scrutinize my own work heavily and ask for feedback in my own circles, so I will generally already be aware of mistakes and have already learned from and corrected them for future pieces where possible.

As for the kelpie looking "unnaturally" lit, that was in fact done on purpose; it's a magical being that emits its own faint light (notice the soft blues on the rocks and ground around it), and I wanted to push the ethereal feeling of it. The suns are both set. This would be right after they have dipped below the horizon, so there is still light concentrated towards one end of the sky, but for the most part the sky itself is the only ambient light source.

I'm glad you enjoyed the piece upon closer inspection!

Ok! I apologize if I was too far out of line; I meant what I said to be interpreted as respectfully as possible.

The design of the Kelpie is SOOOOOO cool and creative! It's one of the most unique depictions of a Kelpie I've ever seen and I absolutely adore it. The kelp/lionfish/sea angel-like inspiration on the "mane" really shines through!

When I spied this I was like. "That has to be a magic card". And wouldn't you know it, it is. I'm rather excited for strixhaven. Nice work.

... between the salt water, and the sea strand ...