"Kiera, Shadow Dancer" by Christopher Lee Herdman

Yay I commented first! I love this picture it's sooo cool.

Christopher Lee Herdman replies: "I was always proud of this sketch. I appreciate the kind words."

This picture has a subtle but dynamic pose. The clothing is well thought out. The expression is subtle but strong.
This is a nice BW piece.

Christopher Lee Herdman replies: "I appreciate your comments, and hope you'll return to my pages in the future."

I'm upset that I no longer have first comment status. Curse you, server crash!

Here's the story behind this character:

Keira is a human rogue who crossed a powerful guild in her home city then fled to avoid assassination. Halfway around the continent, she teamed up with a group of people going into a fabled underground dungeon: to her way of thinking, the perfect place to hide out, and with a bunch of patsies to act as a screen to boot! Then, however, they actually started succeeding, and she got a reputation....
My concept was of a thin, athletic, second-story "man." Keira is thin in an almost unhealthy way according to her description (135# at 5'7", which is 20 pounds underweight), with short-cropped hair and large eyes that take in everything around her. She has a very succinct moral code, which can be summed up as, "Live and let live, as long as I benefit." If it suits her purpose she can capture an enemy on the battlefield, torture him for information, set him free to appease her friends, then hunt him down later to kill him so he won't squeal. She's cold and practical, more of a tactician than a diplomat, and vengeful if crossed.

As Keira's creator, I've always thought this was a very faithful rendition. Although it wasn't part of my conception, I think that Chris added a certain je ne se quois by making her more feminine in appearance. I think it juxtaposes nicely with her severity and ruthlessness, though this could be because I know the character so intimately. Also, I'm fond of the sense of movement in the sketch, as I imagine this is what a bad guy would see before he gets four inches of rapier twisted into his kidney.

So, anyway, that's my take. One fantastic piece of art.

Christopher Lee Herdman replies: "I think I'd like to do a color pic of Kiera and attach that wonderful letter you sent to the head of the Shadow Thieves as background.. seems like a great idea to me."

Sweet work! So much detail and some nice contrast all blended together with a dynamic pose.

Christopher Lee Herdman replies: "Thanks again Arthur. Im glad you stopped by."