Inktober 52 - 2021 29

I don't have any particular associations with Newts. It's a vaguely witchy thing in my mind, and there's a character owing his first name to the lizard, but I'm not part of the scene that can still engage with that franchise in constructive ways (donate to mermaids to upset a TERF). I decided to take it easy on this one and just draw a lizard or two.

References of Newts, turns out, are really cute. Despite their reptilian features, I think they always look like they have somewhere to go, which I do like. Small lizards from certain angles also always look at least content, because the curve imitates this sort of goofy smile that at least makes them seem really friendly.

This time I had a little trouble filling the page, because newts might be cute, but they're also a little flat - at least a little too flat to fill an A4 page. I also caught myself before removing all of my structure lines, so you can see a little bit of my newt-construction. It's not too overwhelming, honestly, considering the newt is mostly just a tube, and I just had to think about where the legs go. Anyway, since the one flat newt was too small, I added a little friend checking into his buddy. That way I can highlight that dopey smile I liked in the references.

Rudimentary line-art isn't too exciting on this one. I'm not sure whether newts do this lazy tongue thing that I've seen some of the pricklier lizards do on occasion, but it looks fun, so in it goes.

That upper edge felt a little empty, so that's what the leaf is doing there. It also gives me another excuse to add more shadows, though how well that went with the fine-liner is debatable.

I enjoyed putting doing the pattern on the newt in the foreground. It's not hard by any means, but thinking about where to put the spots so they look evenly distributed is fun, especially if I can decide to put down partial dots. I got a new marker, which is why I filled out the spots as well.

The warmth of a rock, lit by the sun

seeps into the skin, covered with scales,

through the toes, used to resting on

surfaces with far fewer details.