#corpse candle

Canwyll Corff

Corpse Candles (which is a translation of one of the Welsh terms) are lights that appear in cemeteries, along what are called Corpse Roads (paths used to take the dead to cemeteries in the UK and other parts of Europe, and really not used for anything else), and sometimes around homes. Legends state they travel the path of an upcoming funeral procession. If they appear near a home or person, it’s an indication of an upcoming death in that family (color is important to determining who will be taken).

A man named James Motley wrote a description of the Corpse Candles in 1848 that describes them similarly to St. Elmo’s Fire, which is a corona discharge around certain objects caused by plasma creation from the electrical fields of impending thunder storms. Other than that, we have no real idea what these might or might not be especially as Corpse Candles were frequently reported in open areas.

WIll-o-the-wisps, on the other hand, are almost always described around boggy, marshy, or swampy areas. In the majority of European folklore, they’re believed to be tricksters, who will mislead travelers.

Critique my first oc? Also, yes, this ref is old, but I’m too lazy to make a new one ffpbpfgbl.

Theres actually not a lot thats particularly in need of correction here! 

To start with, the markings on their hooves. I’m not sure if thats dirt or actual markings, but the dark yellow you’ve used clashes horribly with that lovely shade of blue. A dark yellow is best used as an accent to imply green in an overwhelmingly red composition. Now otherwise the only thing i can really say is that markings shouldnt be too close in value or else they look quite odd, and your blue and yellow are nearly the same shade, just different colors.

Strong contrasts are easier on the eyes than weak contrasts! I’d suggest perhaps using one of the colors from the cutie mark instead. 

On the shape of the markings, random squiggles dont look very good. If you make the curves deliberate and smooth instead of just throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks, you’ll find it looks a lot cleaner and less cluttered. 

When the shapes relate, it just feels better. Not to mention, its easier to replicate in drawings!

The last piece of advice I have is on the cutie mark. Rely more on negative space instead of lines, and I think you could play a lot more with the concept of a corpse candle and how to make it one cohesive piece! I drew something really quick to represent what I mean, and give you an idea of what I would suggest. 

Then again this is based heavily on personal preference, as is that I feel the cutie mark should be much larger. It helps with readability.

Thank you for your submission, I hope it helped!