Chapter V: XXIII
No shading on this one (for now). The computer ate my homework again (crashed and mangled a project that was due today), and even with the backup I have to redo a lot of work. It’s slower the second time through, since I have to be careful not to skim now that I’m not looking at it with fresh eyes. ARGH.
But: hey kids, comic!
That’s Mrs. Domitian, of course.
I will hold this in all the more reverence for the disastrous manner in which it was born — an event at the expense of your project. I’m sorry to hear about redoing a lot of work — that’s awful! 🙁 I hope you are victorious over it!
As an aside — Mrs. Domitian, in panel 6, reminds me of a Renaissance Madonna, though I am having difficulty bringing to mind which (there were so many!). Not quite Da Vinci’s Madonna of the Rocks, but sort of. I don’t suppose that was intentional and you can drop a hint of any inspiration? It’s nagging at me a bit.
Here’s a (supposed) portrait of Domitia Longina. Not the one I originally used as a model for her, but I can’t find that particular image at the moment.
If some of my art ends up looking inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci, I wouldn’t be surprised. He was a major influence–I was obsessed with his art when I was a kid. In high school I would stay late and recreate his paintings in chalk high up on the classroom walls (and the teachers indulged me…). It’s all deeply ingrained in my brain, no doubt.
What a prodigious way to prepare for a career in art!
I’m quite fond of the Renaissance, so I would say you have excellent taste. I realize the Renaissance was heavily inspired by Greco-Roman art, so I suppose your work ought to resemble them both at times, if for no other reason than the subject matter. I often feel, though, that there is an undercurrent of uniquely High Renaissance style running through a lot of the composition and manner of your drawings– which, again, I think is a wonderful thing. Of course, I think your work is really uniquely your own, and of your own style — and I mean that — but reading of your early inspiration by the Renaissance masters in particular makes some things click for me, as a viewer/reader.
I take that analysis as an enormous compliment! 🙂
Um, can I get an explanation? Which children died there? And did they die in the explosion (typically circular logic then) or did they die before the explosion and thus the cities deserved it?
They blame the city for poisoning their children.
I should tweak the wording–I was in a rush when I was editing it down to fit the panel.
I’ll find links to the comics where we see this and add them in a bit (I’m still trying to finish the work that got partially eaten when my computer crashed 🙁 ).
Here are Domitia and others either with the children, talking about the illness, or in mourning:
I’ve gone a little off model on her face, I think.
I think she does look quite a bit different from when she first appeared, though I think some of this is reasonable, given that we are now seeing her in a private setting, presumably with less makeup and with un-fussed hair, and on top of that, we’re seeing some of the effects of grief, which tends to bring age and weight to anyone’s face.
Thank you for the explanation and links. It seems odd he’d be surprised to find her in mourning if they’d recently lost their children.
It IS odd. It’s just not normal at all. (ETA: Domitian is very, very odd.)
Ah, so it’s Domitian being Domitian then. Gotcha.
Yes-yes, we want Thursday sketchies, as well as a story update… and maybe a pony, or at least some Roman kitties!
So lemme get this straight: Domitian is being Tres-weird, he asks his guard for a dagger… now he’s all alone with Mrs. Domitian, talking about people who deserve death and throwing parties. I think Mrs. Domitian should make a quick dash for a more populated part of the domus.
After 8 or 9 years together she must think she knows how to judge his moods (happy, affectionate, ready-to-party, paranoid, sulky, running-around-without-a-tunic, sadistic, outright murderous). Maybe she keeps track on a chart.