This is the second in my 'Wonderland Girls' series. Also my favorite one ^^
I am amazed that this came out as nice as it did. I really didn't think, during the coloring process, that I was doing her justice, but I'm relieved ^_^ At first she was only going to have the two arms, but I didn't think she looked freaky enough (heh heh >: ) ), so I gave her a couple more caterpillaresque appendages. While coloring her I got to thinking of her as a Hindu princess or a Goddess, like Kali or Devi what with the multiple arms and blue skin, not to mention the hookah. I knew I wanted her robe to be sparkly and see-through, but as I was coloring I got to thinking about Hindu Goddesses again, and it made me want to make it look like a night sky too. There are so many comparisons in mythology between the infiniteness of the universe and the limitless capacity of the human mind, which is why there is even a little galaxy shape on her hood. The mushroom, which I didn't know what to do with at first, I ended up making look like a velvet lounging couch or something (and by the way if any furniture makers out there want to make a REAL one like this, I'm so buying ^^). The hookah was inspired by a jewelry box I saw once with a big jeweled butterfly on it. The ladybug- don't know where that came from, but isn't it cuuuuute! Wid da widdle bow on it! Awww ^.^ And the background. Oh the background...! I just LOVE how it came out. I hate doing BG's with a passion, but I like this one a lot. I wanted it to look like grass, but more ethereal, and it does. It looks like she's in a cool, grassy twilight otherworld, with the will'o'the wisps and fireflies all around, but also like she's underwater. It's so perfectly peaceful, exactly the mood I wanted to convey. It makes the Caterpillar look calm, yet powerful, especially with those piercing eyes looking right straight at you.
Getting the colors right for this was just... argh -_- an arduous process. And I'm still not sure I got them right. I made another version of this where she's wearing a much darker robe, and I honestly don't know which one I like better. The lighter robe IS pretty, but I can't help thinking it makes her look like the fairy in Pinocchio or the Genie in Aladdin. Still, I like it. I like the darker one too, though! Rrrrgh! Why must life be so full of decisions? -_-
Notice the 'C' she is making with the smoke ^_-
Just to review, here are a few of the influences I drew on for my designs (see my 'Alice' [link] picture for more specifics):
Junko Mizuno
Gwen Stefani
Miyuki-chan in Wonderland- by CLAMP
50's Pin ups
Broadway Musicals- Actually, I hadn't even considered this while working on these, and BW musicals themselves didn't influence me directly at all, but I do notice in hindsight that some of these girls have outlandish, totally over-the-top designs and elaborate costumes (especially in the Caterpillar's case), much like the costumes in a lavish Broadway production. My girls don't sing though lol ^^