Hello stranger, welcome to my blog, let me introduce myself. I'm that red-rolling-pin-lookin'-thing in the corner there...
⋆.˚ ⚡︎ .⭒˚ Le BLOG ˚⭒. ⚡︎ ˚.⋆
⚡︎ TRANSPARENCY NOTICE ⚡︎
This blog is rated M, for 'maybe mature content'. (Imagery around NSFW, Drugs, Body horror, etc you get it, can appear.) I do not reccomend minors interacting with my work, all posts will be flagged accordingly, however, I am a creative adult who creates for adults. (I realise this sounds funny considering my avatar but i'm just being honest lmao)
I enjoy gritty Victorian realism / Gothic genre and exploration and commentary on the period. Naturally, with a touch of the fantastical but this still means exploring very visceral topics that might not be everyone's 'cup of tea', exactly.
So, if you prefer not to be confronted with 'Victorian values' or discussions / imagery around such emotionally sensitive topics, then maybe skip this one. (No hard feelings!)
Content might be slow to come out, I'm not exactly known for quantity....unfortunately ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I like to think I'm approachable and if you have any questions about anything mentioned here, or even if you want to tell me a fun fact about idk, crustaceans? Well, don't hesitate to put in an ask or DM.
See ya around.
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This entire OC got made because I wanted a gorgon/satyr OC. (Reskinned Tiefling in mechanics)
But basically, Marsyas is a patroness in training; she's also chained to her demon patroness and, in turn, hands out contracts to mortals in a bid for power. Until she graduates to Archdevil. BASICALLY Avernus is a pyramid scheme??????
Anyways: these illrigger/warlock type lesser devils are the only legal representation mortal souls can get when they either beef with their fiend patrons or celestials.
She's on the case; you'd better call Marsyas, that is, if you want to get out of fiendish court unharmed. Maybe you'll have to sign a contract in the process, but what could one more contractual debt hurt?
Background is the blurred painting Pandemonium by John Martin, because nothing says corporate hell better than that.
''Mr Utterson the lawyer was a man of rugged countenance, that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long dusty, dreary and yet somehow lovable''
Gabriel J. Utterson QC is London's most beloved elite Solicitor and ex-Barrister, at home in most London circles; his company is coveted for his dry wit, which he can dish out from behind a glass of his favourite gin and his inclination to help rather than reprove the misdeeds of his contemporaries. For Utterson is the man about town with a rational view on things, not easily caught up in excitement and the high pressure of city life. No matter what sort of down-going man would knock at the doors of Utterson's firm, there is never a shade of change to be found in his demeanour, which is undefeatably monotone and unexcitable.
Utterson is a devoted friend to those he has known the longest and to his kinsmen, and he prides himself on his stoic personality. By all accounts, he is not too dissimilar from his pet hound Jericho, a lethargic, loyal beast until it catches a scent, and turns into a relentless pursuer. But this popular image of him belies Utterson's true personality.
Gabriel is, by nature, a sharp man, with a now-stamped-out inclination toward natural flair and theatricality, and an appreciation for the arts that's simmered into distant acknowledgement. Much like another and more secretive, desperate and long shunned part of his identity, which finds purpose in being at the constant beck and call of his long-time friend, Dr Henry Jekyll, who is more than interested in the secret lives of London's elite. Gabriel hopes perhaps for a little more familiarity with Jekyll, a desire which he won't ever be able to shake unless he stops looking through purple-tinted glasses at all the Doctor does.
Scroll down for details on the costume design!
Character & Costume design
Utterson is a 49-year-old Englishman who's had an extremely successful career so far. I really wanted him to look his age and not shy away from this settled, professional Victorian look; his personality is also a big part of how I designed his outfit.
In my colour coding, brown is the colour of 'common' and normality. It's no surprise then that this is Utterson's main colour.
His suit is inspired by the 'sack-suit'. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a sack suit, but it does give him a very boxy and straight look.
The material is tweed with a purple wool weave, which is expensive; despite his dreary style, it's clear he spends money on good clothes. The purple symbolises how sinisterly intertwined Jekyll is in Utterson's life.
His glasses are another example of this: tortoiseshell-style, he's clearly affluent.
Utterson's cane is topped with a hound; it's the most ornate thing in his design. This is because Utterson has a hobby for collecting canes! He will frequently swap out his canes and browse shops for new ones he likes; it's something that remains of his more relaxed personality.
Obviously, his being a dog owner and the dog cane isn't random; Utterson has a doggish, subservient personality.
Jericho, his bloodhound, is Utterson's pride and joy and a constant companion during his walks with Enfield. The name is a reference to Dr Jekyll and Mr Seek, which partly inspired me when crafting elements of Utterson's story.
van Helsing WIP because otherwise i will go insane thanks.
I started this drawing a while back (such as i feel like i have to go back and redo things), it's meant to capture the moment Abraham van Helsing receives word from his ex-student John S. Seward, about Lucy Westenra's condition and it's absolutely packed....PACKED, i tell you, with references and eastereggs. I think it's a shame to have him hidden in my gallery while i keep procrastinating finishing him so here he is.
Can you spot or take a guess at some of the symbolism and references? Answers straight from insanity down below :)
Wallpaper is from a 19th century Dutch wallpaper catalogue.
Smoke coming from the pipe is skull shaped.
Smol Queen Victoria portrait on the stamp.
Cross pendant is the cross of an honored knight in the knightly order Balije van Utrecht (I wanted to do something cool with this but then later i realised that i made a grave error because that's a protestant order and my man here is a catholic, so that'll be dropped from his design in favour of a new 'club' that fits the story better)
he smokes a chinese longpipe, tobacco only, ;) believe it or not this is actually a freaking soft Hetalia reference to aph Netherlands as well.
There's a traditional Indonesian tapestry framed as a painting depicting a scene of Wayang (Javanese puppet theatre) made by a Saartje Jacobs, his wife (she is indo) This is a reference to Dutch Colonialism.
Little framed picture is going to be his family in miniature.
Mink and Mina - Mina the mink, she makes me think of a mink.
Lithurgical comb on the shelf to brush those long lucious locks for ritual.
A carton of silver bullets on the table and a wolf skull in the small cabinet.
Runes on the table, which he's probably deciphering.
Delfts blue vase depicting an oriental style with garlic flowers inside.
I'm glad he's out there now... message to my fellow artprocrastinators, post that WIP you have chained up in your basement.
A couple of months ago now, I, through my own volition, got victimized by best selling book of the 1890's, Richard Marsh's 'THE BEETLE' I was under the asumption--- foolishly, that this was a work of political intrigue, gothicism and strange forces messing with London. What i got was a very unintentionally humorous discount Dracula, with insane characters and surprising Victorian slang (yes, it’s canon: a character calls someone’s house a “crib”).
Let's just say i had a good time. Down below I discuss some of my thoughts on the novel and my design.
Read more on the design and other thoughts!
One character i was partcularly taken with is the book's namesake! heavily summarised 'The Beetle', is a shapeshifting scarab type creature/person out for revenge due to bad past liasons with a famous british politician of the time....! what drama.
Unfortunately Marsh's predjudice does show strongly in his writing, this book and several of the other books he has written feature heavily the theme of 'foreign invasion' and the dangerous seductive and primitive nature of 'the other' particularly those in what at the time was called the 'oriental region'. (it's alarming how many times he wrote the same book if just judging by the abstract, makes me feel like he has a thing for this lol...)
Marsh clearly harbors the obviously racist views of his time and some may find the book difficult to read because of this. Beetle is treated without much nuance: the discriptions in the book are a clear give away the writing leans heavily into stereotype, which is a shame, March actively forgoes interesting plotlines and twists by leaning in to his dogma. I wish he had touched on so much more than just 'egypt thingy bad.' The potential was there.
Hence why i like to feature the character in my own universe. The design I have drawn up for Beetle here depicts them as the form they take as 'the woman of songs', not the form Beetle appears in for most of the novel. Which i haven't seen anyone do yet. I took Dick's discriptions with a grain of salt and have hopefully brought them to life in a more nuanced way.
FEATURES
The book does not give a discription for the woman of songs, but it's reasonably assumed that she and Beetle are the same person. Therefore i presumed that her facial features should be a more youthful (and less stereotypically exagerated) version of Beetle's.
Beetle has a soft, rounded face with a prominent but gentle aquiline nose, full lips, and naturally curly hair styled in a loose updo distinct from Victorian fashions. Her skin is a rich ochre, and her striking amber-yellow eyes are shaped to subtly echo the Eye of Horus symbol. You can see on her hand crawling tiny scarabs, they are a part of her.
When creating her costume i imagined her in her WOS persona to be well situated, having access to wealth because of her affiliation with other characters in my story.
COSTUME
This is the garment of a prietstess and idol. The general silhoutte follows the standard trendy shape for the mid 1880s and is egyptian revival themed.
Segmentation; when drawing up initial ideas in my mind, i was reminded of another insect like woman; Coraline's Beldam. i carried it over to Beetle with her outfit divided distinctly into three sections.
Chitin plating and elytra; Scarabs have a chitin exoskeleton you can see the bolero mimics this plated look .
The elytra, these are the armoured bits that cover the insects wings, is seen in the draping of the skirt bustle. This actually worked extra well because this is honestly very reminiscent of ancient egyptian headdresses with falcon wings. Happy accidents.
Colour and materials; Real scarabs shimmer with structural pigments, giving them iridescent greens and golds which I tried to mimic with satin fabric. The skirt bustle is layered over cooler blue tones for depth. Underlayers are wool, the garment is worn in England.
Embelishment;
-The Scarab is literally present, if you look closely you can see a scarab lace shape at the base of the neck. Scarabs roll dung balls and in Egyptian Mythos, this was seen as sun imagery. In Beetle's case the sun is represented by a bold carnelian brooch. The lace even has the falcon's wings and was directly inspired by Tutankhamun's Lapis Scarab amulet.
-The bodice embroidery hints with an abstract rib cage design at the asociations of scarabs with death and rebirth.
- The cord you can see dangeling at the hips i added to suggest an even more exotic look.
- On the hem you can see what is a directly borrowed 19th century egyptian revival wallpaper pattern.
Beetle is a creation from the ancient world now unearthed by the forces of the modern era. In my story, her character explores themes of 19th century archaeological greed, colonial manipulation, the exploitation of local women by foreign men, human sacrifice in the ancient world and the influence of Egyptian Revivalism on cult worship during the period.
Her special abilities include hypnotism and shape-shifting. Beetle’s body is composed of countless tiny scarab like creatures; with the faintest flutter of their wings, she can assume another human form. Once transformed, her assumed identity functions similarly to a false hydra, concealing her true nature and influencing the memory and will power of those around her.
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in love w ur Hyde design omfg ✋😩also tysm for putting those sources at the end of ur post!! I appreciate the encouragement to learn more ab Victorian culture (v excited to see ur Jekyll design 👀 as well) have a good day!
Greetings friend anon,
Thank you so much for the compliment! ⋆˚𖥔
I'm really happy you liked my Hyde design and I’m extra glad the historical sources were appreciated too. I’m always inspired by history when I draw, so including that context is something I find very important and really enjoy. (and plan to keep doing).
Even though my work is fictional, I like to root it pretty closely in our historical canon, so I’m hoping to explore more of the late 19th century political climate, legal systems, occultism and major events in future posts. Lots of weird and fascinating stuff to dig into!
For those who don’t always have access to journals like The Journal of Victorian Culture (some articles are open-access though, worth checking!) I recommend looking into authors like Judith Flanders. She writes excellent, well-researched books on Victorian life and culture that are super readable and informative.
As for our special boy superstar Henry Jekyll he’ll be making an appearance soon 👀 I’ve got a full design ready for him, along with er...haha a bit of a backlog for a bunch of other gothlit characters. I hope you’ll enjoy my take on him when he shows up.
Take care, and thanks again for the lovely message!
Like prize-fighting (pugilism), were contests that saw one on one combat and the spilling of blood. While fighting was perceived as traditionally English and masculine, pugilism and other bloodsports were considered a blight against the pending civilisation of the world as pushed by Victorian 'moral entreperneurs', such as renowned philanthropist and London socialite Dr Henry Jekyll. Prize-fighting enabled rioting, social-disorder, betting and other debaucherous activities. By this time, 1885, the sport has mostly lost its edge, being sanitised into gloved boxing, for a more respectable audience in more respectable times.
However even if stereotypically considered enjoyment of the so called 'plebian classes', enjoyment of prize-fighting and other bloodsports cut across class lines more often than not in the shadowed underbelly of London's foggy districts, where demand remained high. Particularly for those with a taste for blood.
New to London's underground prize-fighting scene is a Mr Edward Hyde, a Mysterious young scottish brute who doesn't mince his words for anyone. Despite not possesing an impressive stature, Hyde punches hard and precise, creating rumours of his naming every bone that he breaks whilst even leaving most Goliaths struggling against him.
Hyde's reputation leaves him with an intersting nickname both inspired by his vibrant eyes and his alleged victory against eight different opponents in his first fight as well as his tendency to leave his bling on his fists; Blue Rings
He likes to see and be seen, basking in the infamy that comes with his 'hobby' and ocupation as an underground bare-knuckle boxer. Whispers and reputation often percede him in certain crowds and he's getting used to not needing to fear predatory roadmen whenever he prowls the alleys and streets to his favourite Soho haunts, wether it's Dick's or Chez Jules.
Want to learn more about the exact history i'm referencing? Check out the links below. (academic papers require access)
Woolnough, G. (2014). Blood Sports in Victorian Cumbria: Policing Cultural Change. Journal of Victorian Culture, 19(3), 278–294. https://doi.org/10.1080/13555502.2014.947190
Pugilistic prosecutions: prize fighting and the courts in nineteenth century Britain https://web.archive.org/web/20050925170147/http://www2.umist.ac.uk/sport/SPORTS%20HISTORY/BSSH/The%20Sports%20Historian/TSH%2021-2/Art3-Anderson.htm
Hello yes, I am part of the niche blond Victor Frankenstein superiority movement, which may very well be just me at this point.
He looks a bit stoic here which is totally how he wants you to see him, he’s dressed nicely but I think that’s probably Elisabeth’s doing lol, I think he insisted on the tie though, to her annoyance.
Also no that’s not a rash on his face but I’m also not gonna tell you what it is ha ha…yeah, it’s lichtenberg scarring..l- ok
I made this some time ago when I was trying out some new things. I cleaned it up a bit so why not post.
“She shone like the sun, that woman, who still bore the colors of mourning. Despite everything, hope still blazed in her eyes. And for a moment, Luriana felt the flames begin to catch in her soul.
If Elizabeth could withstand such loss and stand firm on the other side, what storms could she brave in turn?”
Elizabeth is the brain-child of the lovely @translucent-ego and you should go give her some love! This piece is inspired by an AU we created a few months ago. I’m experimenting with a more ‘painterly’ style for this piece so let me know what you think!
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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Remembering that time I editted the Veggie Tales’ Jekyll and Hyde melancholy main character song, against the I Need to Know instrumental. Because Gourd Jekyll and Henry Jekyll have similar energies.
