Isn't it amazing how much you can surprise yourself with your own talent? With every new piece you do your skill just seems to get better...that's what's so awesome about art...you can always get better, no matter how good you think you are.

This piece was done for two respected friends and fellow artists: Mel and Kat . These are their characters Keira Amori and Captian Alejandro de los Santos. I wanted to show them how much I appreciate what they have done for me. They might not think they've done anything, but they have and it means a lot to me. I thank them both for their genuine interest in my work and for their wonderful comments. I especially want to thank Mel for her thoughtfulness.

Yes, I know that Mel and Kat were holding a contest for these characters and that i missed the deadline. I actually never intended to enter this into their contest. Their contest just inspired me to do a little drawing for Mel and Kat. Plus i couldn't pass the opportunity to draw a gypsy and a pirate together...

Since the only information i had about these characters were what was provided for the contest, i took the liberty to make up some of my own stuff (i hope Mel and Kat approve...). When i do a drawing with specific characters i have to have a story to go along with it. I think it gives the characters and the drawing itself a more realistic or a more personal feeling. This the story i created for this drawing:

On a small secluded tropical island full of lush trees and bright flowers, two lovers are dancing at the waters edge. Alejandro is teaching Keira a dance from his native home. The dance is graceful and sensual, but with the unsteady ground Keira is anything but. She trips over her own feet and lands in Alejandro's arms. They laugh together like two school children. In a daring move Alejandro bends Keira back over his arm in an ending dip. Surprisingly, the dip is flawless...and suddenly they aren't laughing anymore. Time has somehow stopped, the waves aren't lapping anymore and the sinking sun has frozen in the sky. Keira and Alejandro have forgotten about the outside world and all their senses are focused on each other. A passionate desire equal to the burning intensity of the setting sun grows within them. Alejandro slowly pulles Keira up against his chest. The warmth of the evening and their dancing had caused Alejandro's hair to curl slightly at the ends. Keira had only a moment to notice how beautiful it make him look before Alejandro's all too familiar smirk graced his face and he had his lips on hers.

inked with pigma pens and colored completely with prismacolor colored pencils. Touched up slightly in photoshop.
Overall, I am absolutely amazed at how this turned out. I had a little trouble with the male anatomy...big surprise there .

Mel and Kat, i hope you enjoy this!

EDIT: I forgot that I took in progress scans of this, if anyone would like to see them let me know and i'll post them in my scraps gallery.