Yoyoyunna of the Narakesh – Fantasy Photomanipulation

Yoyunna of the Narakesh by *JayelDraco on deviantART

Where the wildest rivers rage against the lushest banks through The Nuridian Woods™, there you may spy the Narekesh™ weaving their magic of wood and water. The Narakesh are a mindful guard, cunning and able. Be you reverent to the land or swift on your feet. – children-of-gaia.com

_____ABOUT__________________________________________________________________________________

Faethropology – feyTHrəˈpäləjē –Noun

1. The study of Faekind, in particular.
2. The comparative study of Fae societies and cultures and their development.

This piece is a Faethropological study portrait of a young adult member of the Narakesh Tribe.

The loose garb she wears is of finely woven Churin Silk, which The Narekesh typically prefer as it resonates with both wood and water, the two elements upon which most of their magic is based. Churin Silk is produced by the Churinakeshadda Worm as a means to create arboreal atriums where the Churinakeshadda farm the various strains of fungus that they subsist on. The strands are fine, strong, and flexible making them ideal for lightweight durable fabric.

Her adornments around her ears and forehead are made of gold, chosen for its conductive properties. They not only signify ones individual merit within the tribe, but also aid in energy work.

The staff she wields is made of the trunk of a Tanchee sapling grown and tended specifically for the purpose of being her staff, a powerful and versatile tool. It can be used to channel magic as well as aid in negotiating tricky terrain. When a member of The Narakesh has taken their first steps a ceremony is held wherein their Tanchee is planted. Throughout their childhood, the Tanchee is tended by a sponsor, usually a family member, close friend, or mate of one or both of their parents. When the Narakesh is a teenager they are expected to tend their Tanchee on their own. Finally, when the Narakesh have completed in their rites of passage into adulthood, there is a ceremony held where their Tanchee is harvested and fashioned into their staff typically by an elder of the tribe.

The dark solid striping tattoos contouring her body are of ink derived from the first Nuts produced by her Tanchee. They signify the completion of her rites of passage into adulthood. They identify her as both a warrior and a member of the Narakesh Matriarchy.

Her glowing runic tattoos around her face and neck are bioluminescent fungal implants of a particular strain called the Gaianakesheen, which when submerged does not grow or reproduce. Instead, its anaerobic metabolism is devoted to it’s biolumenescent function. This factor makes the Gaianakesheen ideal for implantation. These glowing runic markings are imbued to the Narakesh when they first choose their name at the start of their rights of passage as a teenager.

_____CREDITS________________________________________________________________________________

Model: Yoyoyun – MM #2779492 [link]
Photography, Photomanipulation & Layout: *JayelDraco
Jayel Draco © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Stock credits:

Water Splash PNG SET 3by =FrostBo
Water Splash Effect SET 2 PNGby =FrostBo
Plant 2 PNGby *Sammykaye1sStamps
vinesby ~EricaMarieArt
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Here is a link to the photographic breakdown of primary layers used for this image:

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Problem: Composite fluid caustics don’t always gel.

Solution: When attempting to composite fluids in motion (ie: splashing water) the caustics (reflected and refracted lighting) won’t always match up especially when the stock images weren’t shot under the same conditions. Often the best way to composite fluids in motion is via screen, add, or dodge layers, however you may notice that some are brighter than others making their composite too opaque or not opaque enough. One may be tempted to adjust by lowering the layer opacity, however this often leads to greyed out out layers that just don’t look right. Rather than adjusting the problem layers opacity to make them mesh with the rest of your “splashy layers”, adjust their individual levels or curves to get each “splashy layer” to a medium balance. This will allow you to work with various snippets from separate sources without a disjointed end result.

Example: You can see in this piece that I have played with quite a few “Splashy layers”. Also, I have matched the splashy layers in tone and opacity to her robe. A few of these layers were lit quite differently from one another and stood out harshly when composited as screen layers. By playing with the levels and getting all of the splash layers to match the lowest common denominator of lighting, I was able to create a slow build up of the water effect using many layers adding to each other.

I hope this helps you on your creative journey.

_____RESPECT________________________________________________________________________________
As always, I will greatly appreciate your questions comments and critiques
but please RESPECT THE MODEL or the whole internet will know you are not cool. . .