siderealscion:
Alina, the protagonist from Shadow and Bone by...
Alina, the protagonist from Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, because i really wanted to take a crack at designing a grisha kefta.
i tried to start with actual research, (though googling “kefta” just summons pictures of food?) with little success; kaftans just looked like oversized dresses but straight up russian coats were too imposing for something as supposedly graceful and elegant as what grisha wear. so mostly i just said “fuck it” and made it up, resulting in a look that is probably just a little too western, particularly with the lapels/ collar. but so be it. those things in the front below the waistline with embriodery on the bottom are supposed to be pleats; my design has a couple pleats in the back too that you can’t see from this angle; i figured they’d allow for a little extra movement without a bulky skirt-like bottom.
(i also figured that the keftas worn on the battlefield are different than the ones worn day-to-day in the palace; anything with enough insulation for winter warfare in pseudo-russia has got to be too stifling for indoors, and probably gorgeously fur-lined- I considered adding fur to the edges of Alina’s, but opted not to.)
the snow is really halfassed but hey, i drew a background for once, so i herby award myself points for effort.
i drew the Darkling too (saved as douchecanoe.psd) because hey, why not; i’ll post him later.
Her expression is so lovely and hopeful. It’s kind of killing me.
(btw, I think the kefta turned out beautifully. fwiw, I have some inspiration and references here and here.)
