Daily Creativity: Rory as a Union Soldier – Union Dragon

Tek and I visited Gettysburg before going down to Balticon. I highly recommend this trip, it has changed so much since the last time I really explored there, twenty years ago. The roads are paved, there is this auto tour you can buy (in CD form now but there is an app in Beta) and they built some overlooks. All while preserving the integrity of the historical site.

We learned a lot we didn’t know. Even having studied the Civil War I missed a lot of things that I learned on this visit. I was inspired to paint Rory as a union soldier. Artillery of course. I’m thinking the war might have been won faster with Dragons on the Union side, but it would have been a very different war.

I started painting this at Balticon, doing some work on the few moments I wasn’t on a panel or getting my 5-2-1. I finished it when I got home. So yes this does break the rules of Daily Creativity as it took more than one day to finish, but in the time total it wasn’t more than I would spend in a day, I think. I am pleased with how it came out and had Tek check my work with the depiction of the enfield riffle Rory is holding. I painted some dirt on his uniform and fur, and tried to make it look dirty. Faded blues too. I’m really happy with how this piece came out. I may be the only person who wanted to see Rory as a soldier, but it marks this trip for me.

watercolors and ink on pressed paper.