Ebba: 1st Encounter (Warning: Blood in 3rd image) (Patreon)

What started as another mundane afternoon guarding the princess had quickly turned into a  perilous situation. Ebba had only been assigned as Princess Victoria's Personal Guard for a little over a week and she had started to wonder if the true purpose of her post was just to keep the princess company and deal with her constant teasing. 

She should have noticed the odd movements of the servants earlier. The way they didn't quite fit, how their posture had been too straight, their bows were unpracticed, and how they were a little too eager to get close to pick up that "accidentally" dropped teaspoon.

Fortunately, Ebba noticed the glint of dagger just in time to draw her sword and cut down the servant (assassin) closest to the princess. Not quick enough, however, to fully deflect the blade swinging in her direction. Even with a dodge back, Ebba felt the blade slice a small gash across her face.  Small, but probably dipped in poison. No time to worry about that now.  

Ebba narrowed her eyes at the remaining assassin, gripping her sword as warm blood trickled down her face from the gash.  This assassin was skilled but Ebba had trained her whole life for this.  She was the Royal Guard and sworn to protect this princess with her life.

------------------------------

I have been wanting to mess around a little bit with some more washed out colors, so this was just kind of a color experiment.  I quite like the washed out pastels in the shadows.  

Here is Ebba again.  I felt like it had been a little bit since drawing her.

Last minute I decided to do a little expression paint-over, which is pretty fun and not something I do very often but I think it adds a fun progression to a series of essentially the same image. 

 ------------------------------ 

Rewards for this piece will be in Art Pack 38:

• Full Res Art
• PSD with Layers
• Sketch
• Lineart

When will I receive rewards for this piece? These rewards are part of ART PACK 38 released in early August 2020. Sign up or change/stay on your pledge for August to get these rewards.