My alien friend is coming along bit by bit. Through the magic of Photoshop, she is evolving form a rough sketch into a living, breathing being. Here is where I finished in the last post…
And here is the next step…
I got rid of the beaver tail from the earlier version, raised her… uh… chassis a little, and put the tail down below. I darkened the outline and started adding some preliminary shading to the wings. I haven’t decided yet if I am going to add color or leave it in grayscale. We will just have to wait and see.
If I do add color, what color do you think she should be? I don’t remember describing a color when she made her appearance in the novel, so we can go in any direction we want. Purple? Green? Polka dots or stripes?
Pouring My Art Out 
In order to answer your question about color, we would need to know more about the planet she lives on. Obviously if she has 90 hatchlings she would want to have some kind of camouflage to protect her while they are incubating.
I think, as an interstellar species, they have evolved beyond that need. Also, many birds use bright colors despite the risk of being noticed by predators.
How about starting with purple at her feet, the gradually going up the spectrum to red. Not like a rainbow, more blended — I don’t even know if you can do that on photoshop, She seems to me to interesting for a plain color, so whatever color you use, I would suggest raising values as you move toward the top, which would be the most intense. She’s great!
I like the way you think. It makes more sense than a tie dye pattern.
I’m thinking a nice houndstooth pattern, but that’s just me.
That would be hard to do…
🙂 Yes, but wouldn’t it be a dapper lil’ alien?
That it would. Why not plaid?
Tartan, or Buffalo Check?
Highland McDougal!!!
A pure like it! Och! That’s guid!
Tis a hoot to be oot and aboot!
Ah, you Canadians . . . with your flaming beavers, or whatever rodent that was . . .
The flaming rodents are what casue the Northern lights!
I always wondered . . . I haven’t seen them since I was a young girl. It’s on my bucket list to see them again. Would you suggest bringing treats to lure them out?
Or a fire extinguisher..
Or a fire extinguisher…
Ah! Yes, thanks!
It pays to be prepared.
Like a Boy Scout, only I’m a girl. An old girl, but a girl just the same. So I’m planning my trip to see the Northern Lights with a fire extinguisher, beaver treats, and a sit upon (that’s a Girl Scout term) all loaded into my houndstooth backpack. Probably bring a toothpick, rubber band, piece of wire, and a leftover piece of foil. Never know what kind of McGyver tricks I could pull off along the way . . . All the while muttering, “Be prepared. Be prepared . . “
Two daughters, both Girl Scouts… wife, girl scout leader, me, cub scouts, boy scouts, sea scouts. I have been put upon by a sit upon. Bring A-1 sauce… burnt beaver is a bit gamey.
Hoozah!
Precisely.
Did she lose one of the arms between the sketches? I thought there were four.
I removed it because the other one was so bad… good eye, but pay attention, this is some good learny stuff.