Birthday Funtimes and Sense of Duty

[amphigoury]

Went down to the pub after work with the boys. They thought'd be hilarious to get me a Muff Dive Shot seeing as it was my birthday and all.  When I bent my head down to pick up the shot, I chipped my front tooth on the shot glass! That kinda shit is cool when your, like, 18 and all - but I'm getting too old to be explaining to my dentist that I've chipped my tooth doing birthday shots! 

In other birthday related news - My horoscope today said that "This year presents a great opportunity to start those projects that require patience". Thought that was funny because I've just wrapped up the concept/storyboard phase of a 50 panel Merlin comic that's going to take up a good portion of my springtime!

Which leads me to another story - last night I grabbed the 16 pages of storyboards I have for this 50 panel project, intent on scanning them to my computer to start laying down some basic sketches. I put page 1 on the scanner bed, and my scanner kicks the bucket! 



In other news - New art!



Merlin takes a crossbow bolt for Arthur.




Back when I was researching "The Bear Trap", I came across a few other scenes from Due South that could crossover. I knew I wanted to use this one from season 1's "The Wild Bunch".

I originally had it taking place in the jail cell like on the show, but as Dief's silence is forced, Merlin's is not. I couldn't imagine him NOT responding to Arthur pouring his heart out - so I whumped him good! I'm such a sucker for character peril. LOL!



Got lots of practice doing blood with this one. Arthur's expression in the last panel gets me every time.

Drawn and Coloured in Photoshop
Comic'd in Comic Life

Comments

[i-slash-thee.livejournal.com]

Sorry about the teeth, I did that too when I was twelve (but I was only drinking water... from a whiskey bottle? wtf? o.O)

On to the art.. You never cease to amaze me. I love it, I love it, I heart h/c and I love this Arthur and this comments a love!orgy in disguise but whatever, I LOVE THIS! :P

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

And now that you're older, are you drinking whiskey from a water bottle?

Thanks for the love!orgy in disguise! Glad you liked this piece!

[i-slash-thee.livejournal.com]

Good idea XD Will try that one later :D

[waltzing-mice.livejournal.com]

OH so lovely...such emotion in Arthur. LOVE IS SO.

Wish they'd put something like this in canon.

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Thanks a lot! You're right - canon needs some of this!

[alba17.livejournal.com]

This is great. Oh, Arthur! And Merlin...is he going to survive? The drawing of Merlin's face is particularly nice. Great job.

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

I like to think that Merlin will survive this one....

Thanks for the comment! Glad you liked it!

[angel-gospel.livejournal.com]

This is lovely. It just breaks my heart. I hope Merlin can hear Arthur and will tease him about this later, lol. Very beautiful.

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much for the comment! Glad you enjoyed this piece.

[itzcoatl.livejournal.com]

Loved this! I particularly loved the "*sigh* You did want to be my manservant, didn't you" scene in the centre. And the backgrounds work really well behind the figures.

I wish you could make a whole "new" episode like this...it would be stupendous. (Not practically do-able because of the HUGE!!!!! amount of work involved, but I can imagine it... *G*)

Edit! I didn't read your text above the pictures. Oh my!!! That Merlin comic sounds amazing, I can't wait!!! Brilliant!

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Thanks a bunch! I agree with you about the 4th panel - I'm happy with how it turned out. I had to go through a couple of re-writes on the dialogue, but it paid off.

I got a good chuckle out of your comment. I'll be sure to get my ass in gear on that comic now! LOL!

Thanks again!

[thecheekydragon.livejournal.com]

I love the Arthur/Merlin - Fraser/Dief parallel here (kindred Due South fan). I can so imagine a scene like this playing out between the boys. Wonderfully brilliant! ♥

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Aw yeah - Due South fans represent! I got a few other DS->Merlin scenes plotted out that I'd like to try and pull off this year.

Glad you liked this piece!! Thanks for the comment!

[lilithrain.livejournal.com]

Oh man, is there any more to this because this is awesome? Sorry to hear about your scanner snuffing it though.

Blessed Be
Lilith.

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Sadly, this piece is a one-shot. Glad you liked it!

[fapingmulan.livejournal.com]

Looks amazing well done

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much!

[fapingmulan.livejournal.com]

you're welcome

[altocello.livejournal.com]

I love everything about this! Can I say that I love your backgrounds, in addition to all the other wonderful amazing things you have in front of them?

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! Glad you like it!

[kaizoku.livejournal.com]

This is so awesome and heartwrenching. Love the blood on Arthur's face and Merlin looks scarily corpsified.

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Merlin's already a pale guy, so taking blood-loss into consideration, I had to really kick it up a notch, heh. And once you get blood on your hands, you'd start leaving marks EVERYWHERE! (Whoa! Not personal experience with blood there, but I've had issues with paint-covered hands! LOL) So I have Arthur with marks from wiping hands on knees, hands to face, and a little one on Merlin's shoulder.

Glad you enjoyed this one! Thanks again for the comment!

[rodneyscat.livejournal.com]

What a fantastic way to take that scene of Fraser talking to Dief (love, love, love the way Due South managed to genuinely be moving through all it's quirkiness) and turn it into this. The words and the mood fit so perfectly with this change of setting and characters. I love Arthur taking this opportunity to be all honest and vulnerable now Merlin is unconscious. Also I have such a thing for Arthur taking care of Merlin. Oh, Merlin so pale and frowny, and Arthur not noticing or caring that he gets Merlin's blood all over himself.

Love that last image of Arthur, while he says that, looking like he's trying to convince himself, fringe floppy, blood on his cheek and a troubled look in his eyes.

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the wonderful comment! Not too much I can add here, you've pretty much nailed it: Arthur's vulnerability and honesty when no one's around, his questioning of Merlin's involuntary servitude, the hope that Merlin staying is a product of friendship and not duty....
All I can add is that I had a great time creating this piece, and I'm elated by your comment!
Thanks again!

[disprove.livejournal.com]

Oh my, I'd looove to see the entire story for this scene. Love the artwork and especially the dialogue.

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'll post a request for fic over at merlin_ficart and see if we get any takers. Because I'd also like to know how it ends! (and begins lol)

Thanks for the comment!

[thisissirius.livejournal.com]

oh god, i love your art and it always makes me want to write so much fic ;_;

I LOVE YOOOOOOOOOOOOOU. this is amazing.

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

That's the idea! Hee hee!

Seriously, I have tons of plot bunnies in my head, but lack the ability to write- so drawing them out is the only way to stay sane. I need writers to finish what I start though or else I keep everyone on edge with cliffy one-shots, LOL!

[thisissirius.livejournal.com]

UM. may i write something for this? EVEN IF IT IS TERRIBLE?

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Please, please do! I love when my art begets fic!

[myashke.livejournal.com]

This is *gorgeous* and clever and I adore the details, especially. Can't wait to read an accompanying fic (*crosses fingers*). There'd better be some comfort involved! ;)

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm sure there will be. But depending on where the author takes it, will it be comforting recovery, or comforting grief? I can't wait to find out.

I'm glad you enjoyed this piece! Thanks for the comment!

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

great drawings. So very sad but you did a wonderful job with it.

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

[jissai1988.livejournal.com]

Thank you for welcoming me. Now that im drawing, my fanfiction muse "madness" seems to have run off somewhere. have you seen him?

how on earth were you able to convey so much emotion into one page?!

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Your muse has run off? Well I'm sure one day madness will return.

[jissai1988.livejournal.com]

holy crack! that is awesome! XD

[sheswatching.livejournal.com]

God, that last panel just about broke me. Basically, I wish you could come here and draw me a wall-sized drawing of Arthur's face. <3333

[jissai1988.livejournal.com]

Ah, for the fic im going to need to know why...he had an arrow in him?

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

I wanna know why too! You tell me! LOL!
Although, knowing Merlin, he probably did something stupidly heroic and got in between the bolt and it's intended target. (Or maybe he WAS the intended target, oooooo) Or maybe he just tripped and fell on one of Arthur's bolts like a klutz, but seeing as Arthur is rambling about Merlin's sense of duty, probably not, lol.

I'm a stickler on only one point: It was a crossbow bolt. That's it! The rest of the story is all yours!

[hardticket.livejournal.com]

Apparently now I have to watch Due South. Don't know why I have never done so as I adore Paul Gross.

This was stunning and I love how Arthur is all earnest and unsure.

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Yes! You must go watch now! lol!

[conser.livejournal.com]

This is gorgeous and and Arthur's emotions want to make me hug him. Merlin's wounds, on the other hand, make me want Arthur to get heeeelp for him! I'm off to read your fic, wherein I'm sure Arthur knows Merlin will be all right.

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

"I'm off to read your fic"

Thanks! Glad you liked the art! I don't know what fic you're reading though, lol.

[conser.livejournal.com]

I'd assumed 'The Bear Trap' was a fic that this illustrated, lol. More great art!

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

Well it wasn't a complete loss! You found more art! ^__^

[fuzzytomato02.livejournal.com]

THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND IT MADE ME ALL TEARY :D absolutely loved it. :D

[amphigoury.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for the comment! ^___^