Storm Front

This commission for QuickXyk follows in sequence from the Coyote Cantina. The rascal coyote from the tavern was evidently fingered in the act, and 'Jr.', the gambling fox, is sending some of the family muscle out to teach the rogue a lesson. But when it comes to lessons, this coyote is the class troublemaker. It was fun imagining how the story could expand from here as I colored - I can't see things getting calmer. The wardrobe on the coyote, although a hybrid outfit like most others, was inspired a bit by 'Yojimbo' of the old Kurosawa film - one of the few black and white movies I've ever sat through and thoroughly enjoyed. Although the action came out fine, I wound up being very pleased with the atmosphere in this one - it's supposed to be just as a storm front is coming in, with the sunlight lingering against a dark sky, and a few stray drops dotting the dusty surfaces. This is one of the few times where, after adding a few details, I've suddenly felt like I could smell the setting. I want to try for more of that down the road - it was experiments in commissions like this that I think is really going to help the art in Volume 3 plateau beyond the previous Dreamkeeper books. QuickXyk’s coyote character and other artwork can be found at [link]