So it's been about a year and a half since I've been drawing relatively consistently, so I thought I would redraw a piece, much like I did last year with Mwezi~ This time I chose Arinda, because I HATE HER FACE~ l love the piece, don't get me wrong, but I have always hated how flat and thin, her face looked, and really wanted to work on that among other things~ As you can see here, I also changed the pose, giving her a fighting stance that better fits a 3-section staff~ You might have noticed the absence of Emem and Irini~ I chose not to add them this go round because I never really felt they belonged~ I added them specifically for a contest I wanted to enter that drawing into after finishing the drawing and then re-reading the contest rules~ And once again, I completely forgot to add them in when I was sketching, and didn't notice~ So, instead I took the subconscious hint and decided to omit them completely~

Name: Arinda
Theme: Drakaina Princess

One of many, Arinda sits squarely in the middle of all her sisters in the line of ascension. Each daughter is given a duty, one that matches closest to their individual skill-set. Each daughter is also given an adviser to aid them in the management of their assigned task. One's task is theirs to complete for the rest of their days, unless they can prove to their adviser, and then again to their mother the Queen, that their skills would be more wisely utilized elsewhere. Always a bit rough-and-tumble, it is her duty to ensure that all thirty of her younger brothers grow up to be great warriors, and by proving themselves in battle to be suitable fathers and mates. She achieves this by challenging each one to battle no less than twice daily. Never once has her eyes set upon the grand throne, but this does not worry, her; the throne has never been her goal. She longs to lead her mother's troops to battle, not just train them for it. Diligently, she has been working towards this goal, not with just her fists, but with cunning, teaching her brothers strategy, as well as stance and form. She has managed to keep an edge over her brothers using her wits, skills, a strong defense, amplified by 'Pharmakos', her enchanted tri-staff, and when needed, it's paralyzing barbs.

Materials:
Paper: Sketch paper
Graphite Pencils: F, HB, 2B, 4B, 6B
Time: 80hrs

Scanned and cleaned with photoshop CS5

In Greek mythology, a drakaina (Ancient Greek: δράκαινα) is a female dragon, sometimes with human-like features.
The word "drakaina" is literally the feminine form of drakon (Ancient Greek for dragon or serpent), and most drakainas had some features of a human woman. Lamia, Campe, Echidna, and many representations of Ceto, Scylla and Delphyne had the head and torso of a woman. -Wikipedia

Arinda is my copy-written property~ Please do not use without permission~ Thank you~