Leviathan's Daughter

Original size 8.5x11 © 2010 Alex Ledante

Let me begin by admitting that I have absolutely no idea what this piece is indicative of; basically I had some lineart that a client didn't want but looked solid enough to finish. Obviously, I couldn't depict the actual character as I don't have rights to that intellectual property, so I just started making random changes during the process

She was always intended to have psychedelic hair but otherwise there was no conscious direction. Once I came up with the title (a completely arbitrary decision, but it sounds compelling) the eldrich undertones needed some connection to the piece which is why she's sporting that sigil on her back. This suggested she might be possessed by Leviathan and suddenly there was a concept that I could work with

Uncertain why she has a wakasashi (other than the fact that a katana would've gone out of frame, but that doesn't really answer the question at all) but the pose suggested some type of blade, and it occurred to me that I'd never modeled a samurai sword before- and it seemed high time to rectify that particular situation

Invariably during the process, I enter a dialog with the character which informs the direction of the painting. Not this time- She didn't so much as give her name, rank and serial number. I have no idea who she was before she became Leviathan's Daughter, nor do I have any clue what she is up to now. All I know is that she's possessed and nothing else; not even a lousy sound bite. I don't even know her name! I feel so used...