Fox Tales WK#35 : Announcing contest winners and a new story image!

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If you love writing stories then this contest is for you! Write a one paragraph story about the image pictured above. Be creative, think outside of the box and follow the listed rules!

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Hello writers and fellow art lovers! I hope the day is brings you all much joy and inspiration! I’m currently hanging out at @caffetto, which is nothing unusual. It’s surprisingly busy and all the tables are full! I was kind enough to share my space with other patrons but now it seems like the two individuals across from me are going through a very awkward introduction. ....And now...one has left, thank goodness! I hope @tarotbyfergus shows up soon so I can start playing magic. 😆

_{p.s. All the stories from this past week were brilliant and I am so grateful to have so many talented writers participating in my contest! It took me quite some time to pick winners and I’d put it off longer if I could but the show must go on!}

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This weeks image prompt was a landscape study that I did a very long time ago and decided to revisit. I wanted to create something fresh and whimsical.

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The progress...

_{All my drawings are original sketches drawn digitally by me on the Procreate App using the iPad Pro with Apple Pencil.}

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This first image is the finished landscape study that I sketched out with an acrylic brush.

I painted in an overlay wash of grey using the gouache brush for subtle texture. Then I sketched in a glowing figure.

Going back in with my acrylic brush, I began to add depth to the mountains and carefully blending it out.

Next, I utilized the cloud brush from the elements tab. I had to play around with the opacity, size and immediately erase areas that were overpainted until i got the desired look.

Taking a break from the clouds, I looked to regain balance in the image by adding darker colors. I decided to use the fresco brush to make the tree tops.

Then I went back in with the same dark colors and painted in deeper shadows with the gouache brush. Followed by misty clouds wrapping around those treetops which were created with the wet sponge from the water tab.

Subtle highlights in the water.

The image was lacking a magical element so I added a subtle aqua glow around the body.

I hope this image brings you all inspiration!

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Prizes:

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1st // 5 STEEM
2nd // 3 STEEM
3rd // 1 STEEM

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Contest Rules:

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• Upvote & Resteem this post.
• Create a separate post with your one paragraph stories.
• Maximum length 300 words. (I’ll be monitoring this closely!)
• Use the #foxtales tag.
• Usage of the current story image in your post is optional.
• Submit your post in the comment section below. (I’ll sharing links to the stories submitted this way in the following Fox Tales announcement post!)
• Maximum of 3 entries (only one story per person will qualify for a portion of the prize pool each week.)
• Deadline is this post’s payout.

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WEEK #34 WINNERS & STORIES!

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1st place // @calluna “To Loosen the Lips”

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_{She held his gaze while he brought the cold steel to the peach fuzz of her cheek. She hadn’t flinched yet. He gripped her head, raising his left leg, placing his foot hard against her thigh as she glared at him defiantly, refusing to break. He didn’t say a word, squeezing her face, pulling her head towards him, licking the glaze of sweat from her cheek. He traced the hard edge of the blade over her lips, slipping the thin, cool metal between them. She didn’t resist, parting them with a soft gasp, allowing him to press the knife against her tongue. Fear blushed her cheeks in hot panic as she felt the razor edge against her taste buds. She stared into his dark eyes, the tears already betraying her - much to his amusement. He adjusted his grip, holding her by the bone of her chin as he carefully wiggled the knife, taunting her. Excitement flooded his face, still only inches from her own, taking in every detail. With a sudden flick of his wrist, the knife cut into the edge of her mouth, the white hot pain screaming through her in a time stopping explosion. She gripped the chair she was bound to, pain seizing her muscles. Terror took over, she tried to pull away, to resist, but he held her firm, pinning her with the weight of his body. The sharp blade eased through the hollow of her cheek, the muscular tissue parting to widen her smile. Bowing open, the fine filigree of flesh formed a glistening red extension of her lips. The pain numbed her mouth, drool mixing with the hot blood streaming down her neck, unable to stop the tears salting her wounds.}

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2nd place // @seesladen “T.K.O....”

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_{One!.." I heard the shout of the referee somewhere in my head as I tried to catch my breath again. The adrenalin in my veins made it difficult for me to do more than just maintain my balance. I was tired, but somehow I couldn't stop my body from moving. So I danced.. "Two!.." I watched Charlie, my opponent, stay on the ground without so much as a single movement. One part of me wished he wouldn't even try to stand up anymore... "Three!..." but the other, the sane part, worried that I'd hit him harder than was actually necessary. I knew I'd beat him soon as he hit the floor in the previous round. "Four!.." still, I had pummeled him mercilessly, again, and again, and again... until now. Now he just lay still, and quiet... Then somehow as I danced, everything else faded. I only saw Charlie, his still body.. while somewhere in my head, faint numbers echoed... "Five..!"... "Six..!"... "Seven...!"... Then I saw it, that slightest of movement. I saw it just before everything else returned.. I saw Charlie lift his head up and look at me. I saw the blood drip from his brow, his eyes.. even his mouth. But the look he gave me, that look.. it told me all that mattered. And though I knew I'd beaten him, I was in no doubt as to who had truly won. Suddenly, I became conscious of everything again... "Ten!"...}

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3rd place // @cizzo “Dumped”

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_{I once loved him, now he’s strewn about in pieces. Fragments in my mind. I sip a latte and the listen to the chatter and clinks and clangs of the coffeeshop. We used to come here. I gulp the rest of the lukewarm drink and get up. Outside, snow petals gently rest and melt on cold pavement. The aftertaste of coffee on my tongue. The lingering taste of him. I begin to jog. Then a full-out sprint. I run faster and faster until my lungs hurt. I stop. The pain is good. I grab the water bottle strapped to my side and drink. I spit it out some on the dirty pavement. Tears stream down my face. I drink more and hold some of the water in my mouth and look up at the grey sky. Gone forever. I open my mouth and let the water pour out. No one will find the pieces. The pieces of the past. The pieces of his body I hacked up and dumped all the way down the Delaware river.}

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Thanks so much to all the writers who participated!

_{⬇️ Please take the time to visit the links to their stories below!⬇️}

_{Writers listed in alphabetical order.}

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“Pretty Doll” 

@adncabrera

“For Love...” “To Loosen the Lips” 

@calluna

“Lies” 

@chinyerevivian

“The Imaginary Lover” 

@chrisbarth

“Dumped” 

@cizzo

“Dripping and Streaming” 

@geekpowered

“THE SILENT CRYING OF VANITY” 

@nachomolina

“DESDIBUJADA” 

@oscarina

“Queen of Hearts” 

@sarez

“T.K.O....” 

@seesladen

“Huài yá” 

@theironfelix

”Freaking-out” 

@wakeupkitty

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Thanks for stopping by and good luck to those who decide to participate!
Do you have any questions? 🦊

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Check out some of the previous #foxtales posts!

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_{Fox Tales #34} 

_{Fox Tales #33} 

_{Fox Tales #32} 

_{Fox Tales #31} 

_{Fox Tales #30}