" Isn't it remarkable, Steven?
This world is full of so many possibilities.
Each living thing has an entirely unique experience:
The sights they see,
the sounds they hear,
The lives they live are...
So Complicated... and so Simple..."
-Rose Quartz, on "Lion 3: Straight to Video" (Steven Universe)
🌸 Glowing and Beautiful Days, Sweet Gems! (*≧▽≦)/ 🌸
Steven Universe is a series created by the amazing Rebecca Sugar and broadcasted by Cartoon Network, that has filled our souls with so many wonderful emotions, tears, reflections and laughter, both children and adults have been able to enjoy it on the last 4 years. With a vibrant and colorful drawing style, a lot of anime and classic movies’ references, and a cast of characters that are completely well-defined as we watch them grow, and mature, helping us to dive into the depths of an incredible story, to the point that we get happy with their victories and we also suffer with their failures.
Even the characters that we see as absolute villains at start (as Jasper, Yellow Diamond, Blue Diamond, Pink Diamond, etc.) show us many more hues at some point as the story blooms, and two branches open with this fact: we feel empathy for some of them even if we don’t agree with their actions, or we see an absolute 360° twist as it happened with Pink Diamond in the most recent chapter “A Single Pale Rose”, that confirmed one of the oldest theories on the SU fandom:
Rose Quartz, Crystal Gems’ Leader, is Pink Diamond.
And as it was expected, such revelation resulted in a storm inside the Fandom. Rose Quartz didn’t started a rebellion against who was colonizing Planet Earth, instead it was her alter ego. Much is said about whether her motives were selfish or not, but something is certain and undeniable: She fell in love with the Earth, its people, its sightings, and the simple wonderful fact of existing to be whoever you want to be, to the point she decided to take action and plan methods to stay and end the conquest (and eventual destruction) of the Planet.
I won’t go deep in details on how, this is gonna be a conversation for another tea party, my darlings; but I really want to invite you all to see the series, each chapter is only 15 minutes that sometimes feel like they're not enough. The plot may look a little simple and without much lore at the start, just as any other cartoon, but at one point it starts to develop into more and more until your heart is full of flowers, laugher, feelings and gems.
All this and so much more had me running in circles after watching all the chapters that I had missed during those months, and I simply fell in love with the character of Pink Diamond (beside the obvious: all her hues-contrasts with pink!) and I needed to illustrate her as soon as posible, so during one Drawing Day with @Tesmoforia, I got my hands on the colors and started to do so, with as much tool I could find as I wanted to take this opportunity to also try and use mixed technics instead of only watercolors >u<)/.
I hope you enjoy the Process!
On the last Post, I tried how gentle and wonderful is too work with watercolors, however in that occasion it had been a a magical Star Guardian CupCake, and this time it was a human figure: with so many more details as eyelashes, nose, lips, shadow layers to make some volume on the face, her gem and her hair, so I decided to use another tools that have been on my desk like for…forever, awaiting me to use them since I was at college:
Crayons, Glitter Pens and White India Ink!
So with all those tools, besides the kneaded eraser, HB pencil, and adorable teal brushes, I decided to start a rebellion against fear and unproductivity
I started to sketch with a HB pencil (my favorite baby ♥) looking for a composition that would convince me enough. I wanted to try something aesthetic and sweet, more symbolic than dynamic. Pink Diamond is touching her heart, full of acceptation and love for who she wants to become. To get in context: All Gems are born with a purpose, and she could be equally to a Princess (if not even a Queen) on this universe.
Instead, she doesn’t wish to accomplish what is expected by others for her and after so much battling between her real self and her what other expect self, she decides that she just wants to be whoever she wishes to, staying truth to herself, with as much honesty as it would be possible.
Her happiness is all hers, and so roses of affection start to Bloom on her heart, just as between her hair some flowers start to grow, as a representation of her dreams and ideals. She’s Rose Quartz, she loves the Earth, and she’s going to fight this war for it as much for herself.
Now we start with the fun part and without Ctrl+Z. Oh My Prrr God, Here, my mind was between: if I mess the drawing, I can take it away easily (and with less pain on my soul) instead if everything starts to be pretty and I mess the face which is one of the most important focal points. Thanks to the Stars, everything turned out well!
Absolute nerves! Time to use the secret weapon: Crayons! Everything was more intuitive on this part, as I was trying to imitate a little of what I do when I work with inks and add some tones with the pencil. Although, on this moment I couldn’t erase anything, so inside I was trembling on anxiety. What saved me was that I love contrasts on the same range of colors so much I couldn’t stop coloring!
I must confess a secret to you all, my dears: Those brushes you see are not watercolor brushes, they actually belong to a make-up brushes kit I bought online. I could never use them due sensitivity and issues with my eyes that developed after I already ordered them. As using make-up was practically forbidden, I found them a more special use now to the smallest brushes. They were marvelous to use, they are super soft and paint beautifully. Also they come with firm bristles that do not open when painting! I have placed the link to the Wish product just if you would like them. They are very cheap in comparison to other brushes and work perfectly (*＾▽＾)／
Glitter Pens to define the Lines! I remembered almost at the end that I have those beautiful pens and that I could continue experimenting by adding some of them to the Illustration. Colorful lines are able to provide a softer and more cute look to the drawings instead the usual black line-art when I have tried it on Digital settings; It was awesome to use this technic in traditional!
Blossom Rain, and some last touches! White India Ink was also another old treasure on my colorful chest of lost wonders and oblivion. I remember that it was actually a gift and I was glistening on pure excitement to use it sometime, but as it happened to many tool, the fear of failure blocks the creativity even if those are only some details. But now is time to defeat all those fears!
I’m actually very happy with how the skirt piece looks like when I add it, it was just what I wanted! ~ヾ(＾∇＾)
Ready and Full of Love to Give!
Maybe my own concept of Pink Diamond will crash with concept of other fans, maybe not, but I think this is completely valid. We all have different points of view, and I wanted to share mine with you all. I love the concept, and even if Rose Quartz was the alter ego of somebody, that doesn’t make her less real as it doesn’t erase all her actions and teachings along the story (the fruit of her own life, victories and failures alike), mostly during this current time that we are living: Be who you want to be, This world is full of so many possibilities. Each living thing has an entirely unique experience.
And it is up to us to do the best we can with our life. We can all achieve our goals, dreams, wishes and find our very own happiness. It is truth that maybe not all the path is going to be covered in roses and we are going to encounter a lot of stones, obstacles, pressures, disappointments and hopelessness. We are always going to do mistakes and failure at some things as we are not perfect, but this doesn’t make us less wonderful, my dears, as those things don’t stop becoming experience to accomplish our Victories in the future as we learn.
Do not lose your heart against adversity, pain or disappointment, it doesn’t matter how dark and oppressive it may seem. Remember that at the end:
💎 A Diamond is just Coal that endured extraordinary pressures!💎
🌸Glow and accomplish every goal and wish you want, little Gem, Happiness is at the reach of your hands so take it! 🌸
Thank you so much for Reading!
🌸 Read You Soon! 💖🌸
🌻🦋🌻
Credits:
♥ Text, Diamond Separators, Drawings and Process Photos: @Vanuzza
