HCL | Adiemus by Aliyska on DeviantArt (original) (raw)
Added some more people to the audience.
This took me the entire two seasons of Free Rein on Netflix, the movie Requiem for a Dream plus a play-through of Uncharted 4 and Hidden Agenda to finish. Not to mention the times where I just sat there, listened to music and drew.
So yeah, it took me a hella long time 
In this piece I tried to really separate the elements form each other using color values. I also worked a lot in black & white for that matter. This are the final values of the piece: HCL | Adiemus values
I also really tried to get the perspective right since it was a critique point for my London entry. Thank you Boooberry for the help with the fountain 
I also featured the obstacles of some friends' teams: Paper Planes & Diamond Dragons. Really wanted to include the Comet obstacle too but it didn't fit in colorwise ;; NEXT TIME.
I'M DONE WITH THIS THING.
:origin()/pre00/b18a/th/pre/i/2017/329/a/3/banner_falcons_by_hclofficial-dbuv6wu.png)
Rider: Blake Declan Lavoie aka the traitor who doesn't wear the falcon gear
Horse: SvLS BMEC Total Wipeout
Representing the team/riding as an individual: Individual (which is also the reason why he doesn't wear his usual falcon gear. He instead wears his usual competition outfit with the logos of BMEC & SvLS)
(This storyline is way ahead of my other one. Alas Yuliya is all settled in and Ace became the protective brother. Just to clearify things.)
Red instead of brown. And instead of the Falcon emblem, the combination of Briar Mills and Sovereign Lights logos adorned the saddle pad.
Blake was high up on the starter list. Third. And that only because his performance today would not count towards the score of his team. Did that put a stop to the pressure he was feeling? Not at all. He was still a stable representative. A representative of a brand if you wanted. He would still be associated with something.
He couldn’t deny that it felt weird to put on a red shirt and throw a red saddle pad onto Tovis back. Even if he wasn’t participating for the team he would’ve still loved to wear their colors. But Henry Briar, one of his sponsors and also a good friend, had asked him to show off the logo of Briar Mills Equestrian Center and who was Blake to decline.
Granted, he liked showing off the BMEC logo just as much as he liked showing off the falcon logo. However James’ look when he turned up with his usual competition attire surely had something unforgiving in it. How dare he.
Things had been looking up for Blake though.
After his very good showing in London Blake had been able to face Ace with more self-confidence and even get something reminding a compliment out of him. Though he didn’t want to show it, Ace surely had been impressed. After all, he had sat on Jackie himself before and knew just what a strong and guiding hand she needed. She wasn’t an easy horse. She needed a good rider.
That realisation had only strengthened his ambition to follow Blake and Tovi's performance in Pula. For a while, it even looked as if he could actually travel with them and the relationship between them turned into a more friendly and yet teasing rivalry. But as so often something came in between. More specifically, the Obertaurer Conference. And since Ace and Sergio would represent their stable there, it shattered all intentions to travel to Croatia. So instead Ace decided to send someone whose judgement he probably would’ve trusted blindly.
His sister.
Blake didn’t know how to feel about that. Since their first encounter he had been thrown into an inner conflict. With her blond hair, striking blue eyes, and her way of showing that she knew what she wanted she fit perfectly into his scheme. They had even exchanged a few short teasing lines as she didn’t seem to be averse to him either. In their brief encounters they always got along great... until he realized once again that she was Ace's sister. So he had kept his hands off her. He didn’t need any more trouble. He didn’t want any more trouble. He came here to ride, to prove himself, not to start something that had drama written all over it. Yet maybe it was that that seemed to draw him in in a way that made it impossible for him not to be intrigued by it.
He needed something to drink.
Tovi was already saddled up as Blakes hand ran over his soft fur on his way to the trailer. He had established some camping chairs next to the big vehicle and put some beer into a cooler between them. Leaning down he fiddled with the lock and the lid swung open. Upon reaching forward to grab one of the beers, he suddenly felt how something touched his back.
Blake was just about to blame his stallion when a voice spoke up.
“What is it that you have to drown in alcohol?”
He gulped as he straightened himself and turned around, looking straight into those beautiful blue eyes.
He hadn’t even grabbed a beer.
“Nothing”, he said, clearing his throat.
Yuliya just raised her eyebrow.
“It’s a hot day. A man gotta have his beer”, he then added with a shrug and Yuliya rolled her eyes.
She then reached past him into the cooler, pulling out two beers before closing the box with a swift movement. Blake already put out his hand to grab one of the glass bottles when she pulled back, leaving him with a rather confused expression and an unnatural posture.
“You have a horse to ride.”
“But-”
He looked at the beers in her hand.
“After your run.”
Her lips formed to a defiant grin as she flipped one of the bottles upside down, slid the lid of the bottle cap under the lid of the other bottle and pried it off without much trouble.
Blake just stood there.
“What’s that for?”
“For me. I don’t have a horse to ride.”
He scoffed, trying to snatch it out of her hand but she easily avoided him and pushed him backwards a few steps.
Tovi protested as he almost came tumbling into him. His offended neigh made Blake turn around and apologetically stroke over the belly of his Obertaurer. “I guess she’s right. Time to warm up buddy.”
He threw her a quick glance over his shoulder as she took a swig and nodded. Afterwards Blake grabbed Tovis reins and lead him away.
_____________________________________
It took Blake a bit of focus to switch into full competition mode. He was grateful to be atop his trusty steed Total Wipeout as the stallion carried himself through the warm up arena with an admirable naturalness, taking the warming up jumps with ease.
Blakes turn was soon.
The first rider had just left for their round. Felix Klein. The one he had been sharing the podium with in London. He was curious to see how he’d do here in Pula.
Tovi walked another round through the warming up arena.
Applause could be heard.
Then another rider left for their round. Dick Turs. He’d have been sharing the podium with him in London as well if it wasn’t for that unfortunate dropped rail.
Blake started collecting Tovi as he steered him towards the entrance of the main arena in a wide motion. Tovi immediately knew. His ears were pointed backwards, attentively listening for any kind of movement or order from his rider.
They twitched as he heard something.
“It’s all good, bud.”
Blake probably said it more to himself than to his stallion.
Then he pushed Tovi forward.
They entered the arena in a trot that soon changed into a steady canter. Blake scanned the course one last time, visualizing it in a graphical way as he blocked everything else happening around him out to set his focus straight. He nodded towards the audience as he passed them. It was something he always did.
Tovi nudged his head up as Blake directed him towards the first jump.
Maybe today they would be able to show what they were really capable of. Maybe they would be able to show her what they were really capable of. And through this also show Ace what they were capable of.
And also-
He was really keen on getting that cold beer after his round.
(1168 words)
#getblakehisbeer
#beerforblake
_____________________________________
Art, Blake, Tovi, Yuliya © by me
Dick (featured in story) © by Fibonacho
Felix (featured in story) © by Lone-Onyx-Stardust
References:
Main reference (hand-to-eye; alas the backlegs are... something lol)
Arch of Sergii
Amphitheatre
Fountain
Lighting (on Blake & Tovi)
I also used some brushes from this brush pack: Concept Art Brush Pack (mind you, I don't use heavily textured brushes. And I still put the same amount of effort into it even when using brushes with texture. It doesn't make a difference in my painting process and I don't see it as a short cut in any way.)