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Present Princess, Future Queen

Another drawing with Kiara. I wanted to draw something simple that captures the character's vibe :)

#the lion king #the lion king 2 #lion king 2

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Vista feat. goose

A gift drawing I made for my friend @tumbleweed-chaser for her birthday. Her character Vista feat. goose :)

I got the idea for this drawing in autumn, which is why there are autumn motifs on this illustration.

#Other people's OCs

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"Can I trust in my own heart? Or am I just one part of some big plan?"

A new drawing with Kiara! The colors in this scene are so lovely, I wanted to draw something with them :)

#the lion king #the lion king 2 #lion king 2 #artists on tumblr

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"Two Worlds"

This illustration was supposed to be for The Lion King 2 25th anniversary, but it's been almost two months since then. This is very late for the anniversary of course, but it was already started, and this was another opportunity to show my appreciation for Simba's Pride. I love this movie's story, its nuanced portrayal of the main conflict, and of course, the amazing, multifaceted characters!

This illustration was made in a half-drawn, half-painted style that I've never tried before. I think the result looks good overall! The process was quite difficult, though, because Photoshop kept lagging and glitching. I had to redo some parts of the work because of that, and the coloring part had to be done in FireAlpaca.

I have also made a time-lapse video of the process! You can find it here:

Two Worlds (The Lion King 2 Anniversary Fanart Illustration) - Speedpaint (time-lapse)

The video editing process was also not easy, it was compiled from many small video fragments, and was rendered in parts. Some parts of the process are missing, mainly because of technical difficulties, but the video is already long enough. I've added time codes, and there are also some notes within the video on some parts of the process. The colors in the beginning of the video changed during the video editing and rendering process, not exactly sure why.

I think this video is an a lot more comprehensive time-lapse than my previous video, though!

#the lion king #the lion king 2 #lion king 2 #artists on tumblr

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Best Friends AU: Flower Crowns for Everyone

A sequel to my previous Flower Crowns drawing, an illustration for my Lion King 2 AU, “Best Friends”. Nala watching over the kids is also relevant to this AU story.

Other illustrations for this AU:

Best Friends (AU)

“Give up, Pridelander!“

Best Friends AU: Tug Of War

Best Friends AU: Tree Climbing Contest

Best Friends AU: Mud Fight

Best Friends AU: Look!

Best Friends AU: Hide and Seek

Best Friends AU: Training

Best Friends AU: Summer Adventures

Best Friends AU: Birthday Boy

Best Friends AU: Cool story, bro!

Best Friends AU: Flower Crowns

#the lion king #the lion king 2 #lion king 2 #the lion king au

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Best Friends AU: Flower Crowns

"Uhh, thanks, Kiara, but these things are not for me..."

"Oh, they're not only for you! Rafiki's made two more for your brothers!"

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New illustration for my Lion King 2 AU, “Best Friends”! Not sure about the colors, I'm on laptop now, and it displays colors somewhat differently.

Other illustrations for this AU:

Best Friends (AU)

“Give up, Pridelander!“

Best Friends AU: Tug Of War

Best Friends AU: Tree Climbing Contest

Best Friends AU: Mud Fight

Best Friends AU: Look!

Best Friends AU: Hide and Seek

Best Friends AU: Training

Best Friends AU: Summer Adventures

Best Friends AU: Birthday Boy

Best Friends AU: Cool story, bro!

#the lion king #the lion king 2 #lion king 2 #the lion king au

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“The Shaman of the Outlands”

Nuka, the Dork Dark Shaman :)

Okay, to be serious, this idea is also connected to my oldest and most thoroughly considered Lion King 2 theory, that throughout the whole movie, Nuka expected Kovu to betray the Outsiders. The theory itself is in the caption for this drawing, and there is also an addition here. Interestingly enough, Nuka seems to be quite perceptive, at least when it comes to his family and hopes. Besides the main point of the theory, there is also a curious detail that Nuka's role in the movie involves a lot of foreshadowing, like the part of "My Lullaby" where he basically predicted his own death. His good intuition, no doubt the result of Zira's unpredictable treatment of him, also seems to be the reason why he shows certain skill as a tactician/strategist, which can be seen in the ambush scene. This could have been a great asset for the Outsiders, if Zira actually bothered to listen to him. So, this is what this AU is about.

What would happen if Nuka decided to be more proactive and take matters into his own paws, pretending to have shaman powers and channel spirits to make Zira and Vitani finally listen to him? Would Zira and the other Outsiders actually start taking him seriously after it starts looking like his "powers" can be used to aid their effort to conquer the Pridelands? Perfect tactics developed based on what he can "sense"! This story begins when one day, Nuka deliberately hits his head on a tree branch and pretends to lose consciousness. When he wakes up, he brings Zira and Vitani unbelievable news: he had a vision of Scar, who told him that Kovu will soon betray the Outsiders. An enraged Zira hits Nuka, who pretends to lose consciousness once again. This time, upon waking up, he tells her more: if tomorrow, the day before being sent to the Pridelands, Kovu will say that he's worried about not being able to find Kiara in the flames, it's a sure sign that he'll betray them. Zira calls him ridiculous as Vitani laughs, but it stops being funny when the next day, Kovu says just that.

Vitani becomes concerned, while Zira insists it was just a coincidence. Vitani later talks to Nuka, and he "reveals" that he's always had some vague sense of "spiritual connection", and could tell that something was wrong about Kovu. "It's just your jealousy", says Vitani, but it's clear that she begins to have doubts. After Kovu departs for his mission, Nuka has another "vision", and tells Zira that Simba will accept Kovu into the pride, but won't let him sleep in the cave. Of course, that was to be expected, but it nevertheless looks suspicious when it happens just like Nuka said. Zira is still not convinced, but she can't deny that something is up with Nuka out of anyone making three correct guesses in a row. Next day, Nuka tells Zira that Kovu won't attack Simba in the morning, because Kiara will get in the way. What this wording means, who knows (certainly not Nuka), but once again, Zira's spies bring her the news: Kovu looked like he was about to attack Simba at the waterhole, but Kiara jumped out in front of him out of nowhere. Zira turns to Nuka, who can't believe his luck that his "prediction" turned out to be so literal (he only meant that Kovu likes Kiara and that would stop him!), and demands answers. Trying to regain his composure, Nuka says that he can sense these things, and Scar's spirit gives him clues. Remembering Rafiki and what they know about him, the Outsiders come to the conclusion that hitting his head on a branch "unlocked" Nuka's dormant shaman powers. Shamanism and predictions aren't really Zira's thing, but she can't deny that Rafiki's abilities are the real deal, and the Pridelands having what her pride lacks yet again was making her furious. If her pride had a shaman, that would even out the power imbalance at least a little bit... And there is no more perfect candidate for this role in her pride than Nuka, with his eccentric personality, and not really being good for anything else. She starts thinking about many other times when Nuka seemingly accidentally turned out to be right about something, or even instances where she'd swat at him, and he'd duck just at the right moment, like that one time in a tree.

Scar had chosen Kovu to be his successor, but perhaps that was because he had different plans for his biological son, thinks Zira. She had scoffed at the rumor that Simba could feel Mufasa's presence, thinking that these foolish pridelanders use this story to glorify and mystify their "wonderful" new king. But maybe there is some truth to it, and Nuka can really channel his father Scar? And if Kovu will really turn out to be a traitor like Nuka says, then better safe than sorry. So Zira appoints Nuka the pride's shaman, and Nuka, beside himself with joy, delves into his work in his new shaman residence. ----

Apparently this is also the first time I've drawn Nuka in the Elephant Graveyard, which is strange, because he's strongly associated with this location in the fandom, and his dialogue in the movie also implies that he's been there more than once, most likely starting as a cub, because the hyenas were still there. Of course, this place also "connects" Nuka and Scar. Nuka's staff is the same tree branch that he's hit his head on. For how long will he be able to keep up with the charade? Not sure yet, but it's a mystery why I didn't come up with the idea of a charlatan shaman Nuka earlier, it seems like such an intriguing AU idea now.

#the lion king #the lion king 2 #lion king 2 #nuka

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A gift drawing I made for my friend @tumbleweed-chaser for her birthday last month - Cletus from the game Deponia, and her character Vista. Love her design!

This drawing was also a bit of an experiment for me, I haven't drawn anything in this exact style before.

#Other people's OCs

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I watched Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (which is a very good movie!), and decided to draw my favorite character from it, Perrito! He's adorable, and his character is more complex than it seems at first glance.

For some reason it's a lot more difficult for me to draw a character in my own style if the original style is in 3D, especially with the colors and shading. I looked through so many photos of merle chihuahuas for reference.

I'm not sure if this has been pointed out yet, but Perrito's merle coloration might be meaningful, and it's probably connected to his sad backstory. Merle dogs often have health problems (especially "double merle", when a dog gets the gene from both parents) and for that reason, they are often excluded from the breed standard.

Perrito appears to be a purebred chihuahua of merle coloration, so it's possible that the "family" he lived with were some sort of unethical breeders. Either they intentionally bred dogs with this gene, or maybe the opposite, they didn't want a merle puppy. In the latter case, probably the only merle-colored puppy in his litter and also a runt, Perrito couldn't be sold like the other puppies or used for breeding, which might be why they tried to give him away and then tried to get rid of him. His coloration also explains his blue eyes, I don't think it's a random design choice.

#puss in boots #puss in boots the last wish #perrito #puss in boots 2 #perrito puss in boots #i've also seen concept art of him with three different versions of merle coloration so i think it's intentional

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A short one-page TLK/TLG fan comic drawn with markers - Lions of the Outlands, Alternate Ending. A little bit of explanation about this:

Before the actual “Lions of the Outlands” episode came out, I had a dream that the episode came out early and I was watching it, and the Outsider cubs were fighting the Lion Guard. Vitani was fighting Fuli (same as in the actual trailer) and Kovu was reluctantly fighting Jasiri, and it seemed like the Outsiders were winning, but Nuka was fighting Beshte (lol) to show his mother how tough he is, and his fighting style was mostly long leaps and fast movements (it was very well-animated and in the style of the movies with shots from different angles, but well, it was a dream, so…). That was a pretty successful tactic, and Beshte looked genuinely impressed and said something like “Hey everyone, this guy is actually good at this!” and Nuka stopped in surprise and was all “You… really think so?”, and he looked so proud that someone complimented him, especially in front of his mother, but Vitani was like “No!” because he got distracted and the Guard won.

#the lion king #the lion guard #the lion king 2

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A Sunny Day

New TLK drawing! A bit of a style experiment, with a specific brush and some effects and blending modes used for the leaves. I still draw grass manually, though.

Even when she's resting and having a lazy day, Kiara is a curious kid :)

#the lion king #the lion king 2 #lion king 2

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It's been a while since I posted here, but here's a new Lion King fan art drawing! Nuka, deep in thought.

This illustration is an addition to this theory I came up with some time ago, that Nuka expected Kovu to betray the Outsiders the whole time, and that he also made a correct assumption about the reason for Kovu's future betrayal. You can read the description in the linked post for more context on this theory.

The more I think about the scene where Zira and Nuka watch Kovu's progress in the Pridelands, the more I become convinced that this theory is actually correct, at least to some degree. I can't think of any other important purpose for this scene than to show that Nuka is suspicious of Kovu, while Zira is certain of his loyalty.

So here is Nuka, looking at Zira training Kovu and contemplating on whether to tell his mother outright that Kovu is going to betray them. Is it even a good idea to tell her? If so, how? Lay out all the evidence that she's set to ignore? Would she be even less likely to take Nuka seriously after this, and see him as a loser slandering his brother out of jealousy and bias? Would she blame Nuka for Kovu's betrayal if he does betray them, and Nuka is certain that he will?

And she will blame Nuka if Kovu betrays them. It was him who was supposed to be watching Kovu back then, and he lost sight of him, and Kovu met the Princess, which led to this chain of events. Oh, his mother will never forgive him...

He needs to warn his mother about Kovu's likely betrayal. But he knows that he will be dismissed, and then likely blamed after it happens. So he can only drop hints, and hope that Zira and Vitani will pick up on them. And when he fears it may backfire, he can play ignorant.

And with this, "I'm sorry, Mother. I tried" gets an additional layer. "I'm sorry, Mother. I tried to be a worthy heir, but wasn't good enough for you. I tried to warn you about Kovu, but couldn't get you to listen. When he inevitably betrayed us, I tried to do what you wanted in his stead. I failed on all accounts, and I'm sorry."

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I tried a few new things art-wise, I think this made this illustration look more interesting. Also, I have recorded the process in parts and composed a time-lapse video, you can watch it here.

#the lion king #the lion king 2 #lion king 2 #nuka

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Best Friends AU: Cool story, bro!

Another drawing for my Lion King 2 AU, “Best Friends”! Also made with markers, but this time with more focus on the characters, and less detailed background.

Kiara and Kovu are telling Vitani and Nuka about how they first met. Their story, of course, includes their epic escape from the crocodiles. Vitani and Nuka seem rather skeptical :)

Other illustrations for this AU:

Best Friends (AU)

“Give up, Pridelander!“

Best Friends AU: Tug Of War

Best Friends AU: Tree Climbing Contest

Best Friends AU: Mud Fight

Best Friends AU: Look!

Best Friends AU: Hide and Seek

Best Friends AU: Training

Best Friends AU: Summer Adventures

Best Friends AU: Birthday Boy

#the lion king #the lion king 2 #lion king 2 #the lion king au

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A redraw of this screencap from The Lion King 2 made with markers. I've always thought this scene had beautiful colors, and this screencap is particularly pretty.

#the lion king 2 #lion king 2

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Best Friends AU: Birthday Boy

In the Outlands, nobody celebrated Nuka's birthday. Kovu and Vitani usually got a celebration for theirs, but of course, one twin always got more attention than the other... It didn't seem to bother Vitani much, but Nuka made it a point to give attention to her, and only her, on that day. Otherwise, their mother considered celebrations a waste of time, and scoffed when Nuka tried to bring her presents each year. But the lionesses at least got congratulated, acknowledged, thanked for their efforts for the cause. Nuka was lucky if Vitani wished him a happy birthday, and maybe the little termite would also remember in the evening after his training, reminded by Vitani, no doubt. But his own mother, it was like she didn't even remember the day she had her firstborn.

Nuka wished he wasn't such a failure to her, that she would one day tell him she was proud to have a son like this. That she would see the day he was born as a happy one, instead of a disappointment. But it seemed like she didn't even want to look at him on that day.

This year, on his birthday, he was in the Pridelands with his siblings and the little princess, as instructed by his mother. Even Vitani didn't congratulate him this time, busy with their mission of playing along with Kiara's games. The princess insisted she wanted to show them some very interesting thing today. "My mom brought something for us, let's go see!"

Nuka dragged his paws, lagging behind the three cubs. He looked at Vitani walking in front of him. "Of course, the little princess and her stupid games are more interesting than your older brother! Bet you won't even remember this time!" he thought bitterly.

"We're here!" Kiara announced, "Nuka, look!"

Nuka reluctantly lifted his head and saw a big zebra leg under a tall tree that provided a nice, cool shadow. He turned around to see three smiling faces.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday, Nuka!"

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In my headcanon, Nuka was born in the middle/beginning of the dry season, when the drought was just starting in the Pridelands. It was one of the factors that contibuted to his poor health. He was born sickly, which disappointed Zira from the very beginning. Even more so after Scar also wasn't impressed with Nuka's appearance, to say the least.

This birthday in this AU is Nuka's 18th birthday (TLK characters age like humans in my interpretation). Nuka is entering his adult life surrounded by attention that he's never experienced before.

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Other illustrations for this AU:

Best Friends (AU)

“Give up, Pridelander!“

Best Friends AU: Tug Of War

Best Friends AU: Tree Climbing Contest

Best Friends AU: Mud Fight

Best Friends AU: Look!

Best Friends AU: Hide and Seek

Best Friends AU: Training

Best Friends AU: Summer Adventures

#the lion king #the lion king 2 #lion king 2 #the lion king au

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Best Friends AU: Summer Adventures

New illustration for my Lion King 2 AU “Best Friends”. Kiara and Vitani found a lake in the middle of the dry season. 

Other illustrations for this AU:

Best Friends (AU)

“Give up, Pridelander!“

Best Friends AU: Tug Of War

Best Friends AU: Tree Climbing Contest

Best Friends AU: Mud Fight

Best Friends AU: Look!

Best Friends AU: Hide and Seek

Best Friends AU: Training

#the lion king #the lion king 2 #lion king 2 #the lion king au

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The Lion King 2 Human AU: Kiara sketch

My version of humanized Kiara! I didn't do a screenshot redraw initially (unlike with my humanizations of Vitani and Nuka, which were based on screenshot redraws), because she looks a bit off-model on the screenshot I chose. But I tried to fix it in the redraw I did later. I might change her design in the future as well, this is just a rough sketch, more or less. By the way, her "necklace" is actually supposed to be a part of her dress, but it's not drawn here. Maybe I'll draw a fullbody sketch next time.

#the lion king #the lion king 2 #lion king 2