I always have mixed feelings upon finishing pieces like this. On one hand, I love seeing the final result (and the buyer loved it, which is the most important thing!). On the other, there is always a bit of sadness for what could have been. I love the linework stage because there is so much potential there. It is defined but open, described and limitless. Coloring it is always a bit of a letdown because doing so fixes one possibility and excludes all others.
I was very happy with how the border turned out. I was initially worried that the gray of the border would make the other colors a bit lifeless, but that didn't happen. I left the sky and grass very light so that the small picture wouldn't be overwhelmed with color. I think I have since figured out another method to do that, which would allow me to use a more saturated color, but have it remain subordinate to the colors in the dragons. It's a good trick to know for the next one.
The colors of the dragons were decided by the buyer's request--based on the favorite colors of the people that each dragon represents. This definitely forced me out of my comfort zone and into using some colors that I otherwise would not have. It was a good growing experience though because my initial instinct would have been to assign each dragon one color (red, orange, yellow, blue, green) and do them in tones of that color. I probably would have mixed it up a bit, but I doubt I would have dared try that blue/red combination for example--and I really love it.
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