_{"Let others blind or burn. I listen... until the earth itself speaks."}

Hey Splinterlands summoners! 🌍 This week I bring you a figure as enigmatic as she is powerful, hailing from the Frigid Coasts: a humanoid white owl with eyes that see beyond the surface. Meet Tashikka, the Owlkin Geodesist - a mage who doesn't just transform the battlefield... she studies it. She listens to tremors beneath the earth and understands ancient magic hidden in the terrain.

Inspired by her lore and unique design, I portrayed her as serene yet attentive, calm yet charged with arcane power.

❄️ EARTH MAGIC AMONG FROZEN FEATHERS

She might not be the flashiest in combat, but don't underestimate her. Her Execute ability is lethal: if enemies are left with 2 HP or less after her magic attack, she strikes again! With 2 armor, 2 HP, and 1 magic attack, she's no tank... but she is a scalpel. Precision, not force. Wisdom, not rage.

I wanted this reflected in the illustration: Her magic doesn't shout. It whispers. Waits. Focuses extraordinarily. And when she strikes, she transforms the earth itself.

🧠 TOOLS USED:

Photoshop (as always, my digital salvation).
Brushes: my trusty brush pack, with a few new ones featuring glitter effects
Soundtrack: Dragonforce (because what's better for drawing a magical world like Splinterlands than epic music?)
Resolution: 1500 x 2000 px

_{(Thanx to @splinterlands for endless inspiration! Read Owlkin Geodesist
's lore here)}

⏰ CREATIVE PROCESS

✏️ Phase 1: Sketch & Lineart

I started with a vertical and firm pose, with her claw extended as if waiting for her magic to charge to 100%, and her head slightly tilted to suggest deep concentration. I wanted her to appear fully connected to her magical attack. The linework took some time, as I aimed to refine the pose and ensure that the character’s key elements were clearly defined from the start—so I wouldn’t need to improvise mid-painting.

🎨 Phase 2: Base Colors

I applied flat colors to all the elements, but as you can see, I didn’t fill in the entire shape of the character—only the parts that would stand out the most, since those were the ones that would go through the long detailing process.

🌗 Phase 3: Feather Detailing

I focused on her feathers, since they would be the main focal point for the viewer. I spent about an hour detailing them, even resorting to a bit of photobashing with real bird feather photos to achieve an almost perfect result. Another standout element here was the metal helmet—I achieved its texture using a soft brush and strongly contrasting color tones.

🌟 Phase 4: Magic Time!

You know I love saving the magic for last, so I finally got to work on the lower right corner of the artwork—the part that had remained empty until now. I focused on giving the magic orb a strong glow using Multiply, Overlay, and Hard Light blending modes.

I took the easy route for the rest of the character that I hadn’t painted yet, simply filling it in with a shadow that defines her silhouette, taking advantage of the fact that all the focus is on the magic orb. As a final touch, I wanted the background to emulate a cold, snowy environment, so I even painted a couple of snowflakes.

✨ And that’s it… another mage joins my Splinterlands fanart collection! Enjoy the GIF (Fair warning: the file's a bit heavy, so patience appreciated! 😉

This artwork was created for the #SocialMediaChallenge. If my illustration gets someone new interested in this world of magic and strategy and they end up joining the game, please let me know—I'd be thrilled to know my art helped bring in more players! 🦉✨