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GoldeenHerself — King of the Mountain
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Published: 2009-07-24 03:21:10 +0000 UTC; Views: 3217; Favourites: 159; Downloads: 133
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If the Lion is the King of the Animals, and the Eagle is the King of the Skies, then what does that make the Gryphon?If a cat can look at a king, and an eagle can look into the sun, what can a griffin see?
If the lion is the supreme hunter of the land, and the eagle of the sky, then what domain does the gryphon rule?
Whatever the answers, I think it is safe to say: a griffin is not a creature to cross.
A quick watercolor, exploring a variant on the traditional gryphon: I have had problems with gryffins (and not just the damn spelling choices), and I realized it was because I have always had a very fixed idea of what a griphon is: that is, the front quarters of a bird of prey and the hindquarters of a feline. And this is a difficult combination for me to reconcile, so recently I have taken to playing a little looser with what you could call a gryphon: in this case, it is the top half of an eagle and the bottom half of a lion and the tail of an archaeopteryx… or something. But. It is still a griffin, however you spell it.
Whatever. Enjoy.
Watercolors on hot press watercolor paper. Art © myself, some rights reserved:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. If you repost or reuse any of this material, please credit Agent-Elrond (and/or Grace Ogawa) and provide a link back to her deviantART homepage (agent-elrond.deviantart.com). Permissions beyond the scope of this license can be obtained at Agent-Elrond.deviantART.com . Thank you, and enjoy!
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Comments: 34
Whose to say there's only one kind of griffin? I like that line of thinking.
I like the wing, and the fur, and the beak and eyes and the watercolor mountains
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The green forest is amazing. I like the blue one, too.
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I think that, as with dragons, all that depends on which type of gryphon we are talking about.
As for the quickness: one thing I love about watercolors is that they are a very quick medium: you just lay them on and then "boom" they're there! They dry fast, so it's easy to layer, because you can't re-work them once they're dry they force you not to spend too much time noodling around in one place.
Also, I am practicing painting quickly with them because I want to do a comic that is colored with watercolors, and speed is very important there.
Thank you very much!
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The gryphon is not a king at all, for it has no such need. Like the eagle and lion, they do as is required of them to survive. Furthermore, the gryphon's often sentient nature elevates it above the simpleton desire for absolute power. Granted, they are not perfect and to error is just as gryphon as any other. Still, reparations of past transgressions are forthcoming, if not delayed for contemplation. Their extensive life spans and societal roots that precede most other cognitive creatures grants them wisdom and understanding to do as they need and desire without nearly the destructive consequences of other species. Perhaps king is an apt term to ascribe them; but to they just just are, and that is enough.
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You seem quite knowledgeable on the subject of griffins!
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I watched a lot of nature documentaries on them.
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David Attenborough is great that way!
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how do you get such clean edges. I can never get them to do that XD.
excelent piece by the way. ill come back a little later for critiqing. I has to get to bed. Ive been working for 6 hours now XD.
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The clean edges… hmm… careful brush-strokes? Also, making sure that the paper is the right wetness, which is not completely dry, but not sopping wet either: a little water on the paper makes the paints flow from the brush better, but too much will make them bleed. It's a delicate balance.
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thats prolly it. the water on the page. mine is completely dry. alas I am an amature at watercolor lol. Ill take in the advice and apply it. thanks much. be back later to critique XD.
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Very nicely done ^_^ I do enjoy the fact that with ever amazing piece you post we also get a snippet of prose that leaves us wanting more. Keep up the good luck Rondie ^_^
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A word of wisdom: Don't piss off a Gryphon.
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True dat.
Thanks!
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The wing just looks a bit flat, is all. This is amazing.
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That poor wing is going to have quite the inferiority complex after all this, I fear.
But thanks so much, glad you like!
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You always manage to dazzle.
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I love the color scheme! I have a soft spot for birds and other feathery things :3
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...This is a good point. *ponders*
Griffins are fun to mess around with. 'Specially when you start getting into reverse gryphons, and half gryphons, and all sorts of fun mixes. 83
Also, flskdjflsd you watercolor so goooooood~
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Just a warning, I have a feeling that my comments will degenerate into that last line about...70% of the time I look at your work.
Possibly more often.
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Can't say I mind terribly.
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I think it looks absolutely marvelous, you combined the animals very nicely! 
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Thanks very much, I'm so glad you like it!
Though I must defend that wing on the grounds that I referenced it from an actual eagle.
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Oh well that's fine then, just seemed odd to me! 
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