Know Your Fate

Edit: (24th March, 2014) It's been several hours since I saw this got a DD and I'm still out of words to say. While this is an older piece, it remains one of my very favorite and most cherished works. Thank you so much for this, I couldn't be happier! And thank you for all the lovely comments and favs, I'll make sure to reply to everyone <3
I think I'm done crying now


Contest prize for MalteseLizzieMcGee for placing second on the Traditional Category on my contest.

Liz's request was made of pure awesomeness: stylized clouds (like these luminatii.deviantart.com/art/O… , I didn't want to copy the artist's style, so I added my own twist while somewhat keeping the basic shape idea), an animal to represent some kind of deity, leaves, blossom and... playing cards!
She told me to look at some Okami artwork if I needed any inspiration. I simply love that game, so I knew it would be my main source of inspiration since the start.

Talk about moving out of my comfort zone, I love Liz for asking me to do this This is "the work of firsts":
First time dyeing paper, drawing a crane, trying a style like this and drawing playing cards XD
The only thing familiar to me on this work were the colored pencils.

I immediately associated the playing cards with card reading and thus with fate (hence the tittle). I don't know much about it, so I just searched for the basic meanings and threw some cards there.
And so, the crane became some sort of god associated with destiny and such.

Anyway, hope you like it, Liz! I'm sorry for taking so long and thank you for being so understanding (:

February 2011
Colored pencils and black, red and white ink pens on watercolor paper dyed with tea.

References used:
www.birdcapemay.org/gallery/ma… cdn.lightgalleries.net/4bd5ec0… images4.fotop.net/albums2/pipp… 2.bp.blogspot.com/_Qc6aMdLT994… www.birdskorea.org/Images/imag… and fav.me/d3652gb