BIG BANG ARTWORK FOR REFRACTED

[dephigravity]

Title: Artwork for Refracted
Author: dugindeep
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Rating: R (for brief teenage nudity) [NSFW]
Warning: Obvious [SPOILERS] for the fic. Very image heavy post!
Medium: Photoshop CS6, Corel Painter 12
Artist Notes: For spn_j2_bigbang



Reblog links:
Main post
NSFW pic
Jared sketch

**Thanks to:

To my art beta, quickreaver. Not only were you able to help me to be a better artist-- from typography tips to always pushing me to push harder and experiment outside of my comfort zones-- but you have also become such a wonderful friend and confidant. Thank you for all that you have done to help me grow. I can never truthfully thank you enough!

To fiercelynormal. Thank you for helping look things over and offer advice, and your continued cheerleading and friendship. ♥

To dugindeep. Thank you so much for writing such a beautiful and touching story. As I have told you before, it deeply resonated with me and my own personal experience, far more than any other story I have ever read. I am truly blessed to have been able to work with you once again. It was destiny!

And finally to wendy, thank you so much for organizing this event once again; you are a treasure.








Jared knows exactly what he needs to do: earn a 4.0 grade point average, lead the basketball team to the state championship, nab a spot on the Homecoming Court, and be the best son two Catholic parents could ask for. He should know, this sort of stuff has been his life for the last 17 years, but this is when everything changes.

Befriending Jensen Ackles, who everyone knows of but doesn’t really know, opens Jared’s eyes to an array of possibilities he’d never considered. With Jensen in his life, Jared finds the courage to be his own person, recognize his real feelings, and make his own decisions when it comes to school, friends, and love.

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Banners





textless version

For this year's banner, I drew inspiration from the stained glass windows found in many Christian-- particularly Catholic-- churches. However, I didn't want to do an embedded image, such as Christ or the cross, within the glass itself. So I decided to do a simple pattern with more focus on the frame and arches. I also wanted to incorporate the homosexuality element, so I chose to do a rainbow for the actual glass coloring.

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Sex On Fire



(click for larger version without steam)

So for this piece, I started out wanting to just draw Jensen's wet naked ass-- because who doesn't want to see that? But then as I was thinking harder about it, I also wanted to show Jared's reaction to seeing it, since that is what the whole scene is about. I originally was DEAD SET against using comic panels, because I was imagining more of a movie poster type image, but as I was talking things over with quickreaver I soon realized that it would work better to have images of each part of Jensen that Jared is noticing in this new way; and for that, panels worked best. And even though it is hard to see, I may have given Jensen a navel piercing, because why the hell not? :P

Side note: holy crap I have never appreciated comic book artists more than after finishing this one.

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It's a Sin


(click for larger version)

I really wanted a picture of Jared with a rosary to show his faith, because it is central to his character throughout the story. I also wanted to showcase his struggle with him coming to terms with himself, so I chose to have him crying while praying. For the background, I used the same lineart that I used for the banner, but with a simple orange coloring to compliment the blue of his shirt.

*additional lighting effects by quickreaver

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Jensen Ackles and the Rainbow Connection


(click for larger version)

In the fic, Jensen is the complete opposite of Jared when it comes to his sexuality. Where Jared is struggling to come to terms with his homosexuality, Jensen has completely embraced that aspect of himself. So when it came time to do a Jensen pic, I went the complete opposite route-- ie bright and cheery with rainbows! *jazz hands*

For those wondering why I always say I overthink things, here is a perfect example. Sorry, Twitter, but Amy and I ended up deciding on pink after all. :P

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True Colors


(click for larger version)

WIP GIF

For this piece, I really wanted to draw Jared as Jensen sees him-- hence the title. In the fic, Jared is always the center of attention, always positive, always happy, always perfect... or at least on the surface. But when around he's around Jensen, he drops his guard and shows his true face, namely more insecure, pained, sadder, and more nuanced. So I wanted Jared's expression to show that. All that other stuff is just a show he puts on, to be the perfect guy, the perfect student, the perfect son.

I don't do this style of drawing often, mainly because of the time and effort that goes into it. But where Jensen is an artist, I really wanted his drawing of Jared to be the most intricate piece I did, so I forced myself to be patient with this one.

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Kiss Me Slowly


(click for larger version)

WIP GIF

I couldn't very well pick a high school AU and not do a kissing scene, now could I?

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Jensen Ackles' Epic Gay Barometer



Blame this one on dugindeep!

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Divider



Based this off my actual set of pride rings.
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Headers





Like last year, I wanted to do header images. With these, I forced myself to experiment with some different brushes, and even learned how to make a chain link brush.

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Jensen's Sketchbook and Sketch Dump











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Navigation








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Icons





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That's a wrap! Thank you for looking at my art, and don't forget to check out the fic!