Dear god. I managed to pull this off.

Originally, I was going to CG it normally...y'know, clean up the sketch, and color under it, leaving the dark outlines on top. However, I decided that...since I love Braeden (the sad sad elf man) so much, I'd try something new. Like, use the outline for reference, but wind up not using it in the end, a la crushed-melon.

So really...the only "outline" there is is the skin, mouth, eyes...the rest of it is pure color. (That I carefully smudged and blurred into the desired shape, and shaded to give depth) The original lines are not there at all. I absolutely LOVE the shirt and belt thing...the armor on his right arm (your left, viewers) and his necklace. Oh, and of course, the hair. The hair gets extra credit because I smudged wisps everywhere to give him a slightly wind-blown look.

The background...ehh. Photoshop brushes, nothing much.

And now, the story! Why Braeden, the Elf Man, is sad.

Braeden, as you know, is an Elf (le duh). Elves are immortal (another le duh). However, he falls in love with a Felhom. (Basically, a cat girl.) Felhoms, unfortunately, are not immortal. So he is an angst muffin because his beloved has long died. The poor thing would've probably committed suicide if they hadn't had children. (They're the most adorable things ever...fuzz balls with long ears. I have to draw them someday. )

And why isn't Braeden blonde with light eyes? Simple. In the fantasy world Raym and I created, there is a big social structure in Elfdom. The fairer you are, the more noble you are. Thus, Braeden is at the bottom of the social chain. Yeah. Sucks to be him. :/ But I love him anyways. *squishes him*