#cdlc

Finally made progress! Can’t decide which colors look better tho…

old pic but it feels new

dboys get they style from me no literally

So- Jamie is a manipulative, heart of gold type character. She like- I will wear whatever face I need. I will collect as much info to use later. But I will not unjustly do harm, I will be friend the poor because loyalty is earned through respect not fear. An nothing is more binding than being loved by those who are seen as lesser.

Befriend the childern of Hecta, encourage Del and Max to get together. Befriend Karson because he is trusted by staff and also moves through the college with ease (for the most part). Goes after the Heir Rosairo because something is so interesting about them in a whole. But doesn’t want anything to be public until the relationship deeper.

BUT NOW- im trying to think who should I save. I feel like I should protect Mr. Blanchard just because he is tied to Gonzalez.

Im back heavy in Cldc, i restarted and im making it way further than I had before. I saw the Heir Rosario and went there not shot we are not, not becoming friends. But now im stuck- if I say I wanna be friend them does that lock me out of a potential romance.

Or can I get a friends to lover arc thing going. I need it!!

Finally done! Here’s another drawing of Rowan! Sometimes I think about how Rowan, Auguste and Lady Renaldt would interact after everything that went down between them XD Thank you @hpowellsmith for your advise!

Finally, I’ll yap about my CdlC playthrough!! Yes!!

• So, Rowan is a gold digger and social climber, and he’s interested in procuring a fabulously benefitial marriage with an Archambault student.
• Soon enough he turns away from Florin Kraemer (he is too enthralled by her, and she wouldn’t marry him anyway 😔) and Prince Rosario (his position as a foreign royal acts against Rowan’s plans to become Prime Minister of Westerlind, plus he’s such a good friend 🥺).
• Rowan is searching for someone that will give him wealth and status. So he shifts his focus to Auguste Renaldt, whom he upstaged in their first meeting, during her speech in Chapter II. He’s plotting to impress Lady Françoise Renaldt (his model of decorum), so marrying her daughter seems fitting.
• However! Auguste shakes his preconceptions when she reveals her true character: she’s rightful but not uptight, she’s noble and honest, and her plan is to become a diplomat for Westerlin. And everyone knows they end up doing espionage- she’d sacrifice to make sure other people have freedom… and Rowan has a weak spot for good natured individuals, so he easily develops feelings™.
• Anyway, during Chapter VII, while trying to protect Miss Dalca - while also remaining in Lady Renaldt’s good side -, he gathers evidence against Mr. Blanchard. Rowan justifies himself, thinking in the romantic sub-plot between his teachers, and deciding that Mr. Blanchard is best away from it all. This is a mix of thinking that Miss Dalca deserves someone more exciting than him, and because Rowan is the type to prioritize kindness towards an already established partner, and he thinks Miss Dalca should extend that consideration towards Mr. Griffith.
• Then Chapter XI turns out, and Rowan feels so bad!! So he starts plotting to foil Lady Renaldt’s plan, and I mean getting her sacked. He conspires as a double agent, he tells the teachers, he tells Inspector Burgin, etc etc. During Summer Holidays, he’s adamant that Gallatin College (now under Mr. Griffith) must make reparations to Gaspard’s family, Blaise, Karson and Mr. Blanchard.
• And I love this!! Because it shows how easily Rowan shoots himself in the foot by doing the right thing! He vyied for power, so he got enganged to an aristocratic woman-no thoughts of love in the arrangement. But because his sense of justice was stronger than his greed, he revealed the Gallatin conspiracy… thus ruining his and his fiancé’s future prospects. He singlehandedly sunk House Renaldt’s reputation, and, as he is now engaged to Auguste- whom he cherishes too much to abandon- his destiny is achored to it.
• Now, by the end, Auguste sends a letter to Rowan. She isn’t sure why her mother ‘resigned’ from her position (despite literally everyone else knowing why, Auguste is kept in the dark). She’s eager to start her term at Gessner University with Rowan, and to discuss plans for the wedding. My baby girl!! 😭
• Rowan’s stay at the Renaldt Summer House was so telling about their future dynamic. I keep thinking about Rowan and Lady Renaldt having this mentor-apprentice bond turned sour (she even taught him to fence!), and how Auguste would react if she knew all the underhandedness that Rowan is/has been up, and that’s how this meme came up 😅

Anyway, yaping done! Now I will talk about the illustration.

• I wanted to express this mentioned dynamic in their poses: Rowan has his back straight, trying to remain composed- but his hands are on the table, and he’s fiddling with his thumbs. He’s approaching this situation with as much honesty and openness as he can. Despite his poise, you can tell he’s afflicted by Auguste’s (completely reasonable) scrutiny. Lady Renaldt is the opposite of this: her back’s against the chair, her hands are clasped under the table, limp. She’s looking away with an unreadable expression (too ashamed to face Auguste? too prideful?)
• That’s why Auguste is the only one standing, giving the situation the concern it deserves. Her mother, once her idol, turned into a villain - that’s already a heavy blow. However, one thing is Auguste knowing about Rowan’s involvement in the investigation as a double agent… but another thing is Auguste acknowledging all the reprehensible things he did to get on Lady Renaldt’s good side, and maybe finding out about all his romantic dalliances; the secrets he kept from her when his intent was to snare her.
• I wanted the room to be spacious, with big windows. The light rests on Rowan’s face - showing he’s sincere - but shadows Lady Renaldt’s. It’s also mostly white and bluish, to contrast Rowan’s darker color scheme. I’m using Musterion’s Marble Texture for the floors.
• A clear reference for how I draw Lady Renaldt is Vivienne from Dragon Age: Inquisition. I literally cannot unsee it- I insipired her facial structure on Vivienne’s and Auguste’s, and styiled her informally but fancy- it’s a midi dress with pleated bodice and voluminous cuffs.
• Rowan is still pretty similar to how I first illustrated him, as he’s not much older yet. He’s sporting enfadandoaminerva’s collar because I like how the pearl would match Auguste!
• Paraphrasing the description, Auguste is tall and stately, with dark skin and eyes, and short dark hair with a coiled texture (4b)- I first imagined a sort of Betty Boop curls with baby hairs mix, but then I remembered her dark braids should fall perfectly to her shoulders, and so I improvised. I couldn’t find an image to reference, but I found this, which was… surprising. Anyway, I based her physique on Philomena Kwao, and her dress is this custom mermaid skirt in silk brocade taffeta by The Pinkraye Affect with a touch of Phoebe D’Ysquith (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder) for the skirt.
• Both Rowan and Auguste are wearing their diamond engagement rings, which are based on this Ivy Leaves Nature Inspired Proposal Ring. I tried my best but ahhhh.
• The painting behind Rowan is a reference to Las Meninas (or 'The Ladies-in-waiting’) by Diego Velázquez, adapted to reflect Auguste’s Upbringing. I thought long and hard on a painting that Lady Renaldt would have on her study, and figured only Auguste merited the praise. The frame is ANOUE’s Antique picture frame and mirror (Witch’s House).
• The flowers next to the painting are Augusta Luise Roses, and they’re not there just because: they represent the concept of children for Rowan and Auguste. I see both of them thinking about it as a sort of duty, but because of the turbulent times they’re facing, the possibility is wilting- the opportunity is blooming in abundance, but signaling an inevitable decay. I used the cutout from the very page I linked above, and for the flower pot I’m using NannerCoco’s Ceramic Planter.
• I wanted to use ANOUE’s antique office trial, but I just couldn’t get the hang of it. I’m still pointing it out in case someone is interested!
• Now I will list all the Clip Studio Assets that I used! I wanted to practice with 3D objects, so I made the background with them and then illustrated over it. For the walls I mixed ANOUE’s Antique Wall (Witch’s House) and with クリスタ店’s Windows (窓) and ANOUE’s Antique Large Window (Royal Capital). I also added MINNOW3D’s Fireplace (暖炉) for more ambience. I wanted to make it abundantly clear that this is Lady Renaldt’s private study, and to illustrate my vision of her interior design. Outside the window is the last image from this @housinginfo’s post- that fountain is very Lady R!
• The furniture employed is makigane(BOOTH販売中）’s Gladstone Chair -for Lady Renaldt- and ANOUE’s Antique chair (outside the castle town) -for Rowan. This is to emphasize the implicit power difference between Rowan and Lady Renaldt, even now, after she has lost her status. You can’t see Rowan’s chair at all, but oh well 🥲
• To Lady Renaldt’s side, there’s JSW’s Round Table (Antique) with 師帥’s 4 types of plates and k2k3’s Tea Cup set. I wanted to portray that she just snacked on her favourite treat (ginger cookies), and already ate her fill.
• Between Auguste and Lady Renaldt there’s Qquong’s Scales of Justice. This is ✨symbolic✨ of Auguste’s view on morality (now a radical dichotomy, due to revealing her mother’s double nature and the inminent betrayal of her trust), and also a sort of 'measure’ of Rowan’s redeeming qualities. The character positions also help to situate this as a sort of Judgement. The desk is ririanna’s table.
• Also, if you check on でじるみ札幌厚別’s Chess Set (チェスセット), I tried to place the pieces like ChessMakta’s Queen Gambit (Old Variation), which made me think of an alternate storyline where Lady Renaldt realized Rowan was a double agent. The “Trying to protect the small things, you’ll lose something bigger. Manners maketh man.” is sooooo Lady R in my mind. Maybe the items on the desk are implying Rowan was playing chess with Lady R, alone in her study? 👀 The clash between Auguste and Rowan’s color palettes aids the symbolism.
• I mentioned in my previous Rowan post that I see CdlC with a paper craft aesthetic (ransom notes made from newspaper letters, old parchment, etc), and I wanted to reflect that in the speech bubbles. I based Rowan’s on Chiff’s Victorian Frame (DreamsTime) and Auguste’s on IchigoDaihuku’s Speech bubbles 15 double line (gold), but with the apropos changes - like adding Rowan’s berry from arxichtu4ki (ShutterStock) (it is my understanding that it’s free for non-comercial use), and the bead chains. I used PhotoMania for enhancing effects, I can’t recommend it enough!

Princess Leandre of Westerlin

Royal Affairs MC

Relationships:

Asher Garnett

Leandre loves and has loved many people. She has a big heart. Asher is one of the few people she can trust.

Laurie Beaumont

Finds their abrasiveness irritating. Forget “you speak this way to a princess”, you speak like that to a human being?

Can’t ever imagine wanting to work that much. Fully expects for them to keel over from stress any day now.

Dominique de Saint Martel

Has a major soft spot for them. Tries to be stern and guide them in the right direction. Protective, some would say overly so. They remind her of her little brother Oliver in many ways.

Hyacinthe Van Clare

Was unsure at first, finding her fawning to be somewhat overwhelming, but quickly pushed past the surface dynamic and forged a close bond. Would move heaven and earth for her.

Javi del Quiros

Trying to kill them with kindness. Hopes if she smiles brightly enough at them they’ll get a nosebleed.

Estell Trevelyan

Would never be able to romance them due to them sharing a name with her mother. Agrees with universal suffrage, hates their methods.

Coffeebean

Loves this bird and is very affectionate with her, but never lets her forget who’s in charge.

Leandre is often represented by a sparrow and Coffeebean is a sparrow hawk the symbolism do you see the symbolism

Queen Estell III of Westerlin

It’s complicated.

If asked, Leandre’s most oft-used quote is “of course I love her, she’s my mother after all.”

Princess Josiane

Generally sees her as an equal despite the age difference. They share a similar sense of justice. They used to be closer in their younger years, but time has caused them to drift apart.

Prince Oliver

No matter how old or tall he may get, he will always be her baby brother. She dotes on him and while Oliver finds it quite embarrassing at times, he doesn’t hesitate to take advantage of that fact when he can.

Introducing her highness, Princess Leandre of Westerlin, second in line to the throne

Face claim/inspiration: Phillipa Soo, with a little bit Amelia Rose Blaire Dechart

Appearance: Olive skin, straight dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, lithe and thin, very short in stature. Has practiced her smiles in the mirror countless times to the point where even her immediate family members cannot confidently discern whether one is genuine or not. The only one who can consistently tell the difference is her bodyguard, Asher.

Personality:

Strongest skills: Authoritative, Appealing- Shifts between faces so seamlessly people don’t notice. Presents honey to the sweet, and steel to the sharp.

Satisfactory traits: Eloquent, Cunning- Hidden behind the charming face whirls a sharp mind.

Weak point: Entertaining. Her jokes are horrendous. It’s honestly best if she doesn’t try. She still will, of course. Somebody stop her.

Calm, subtle, ruthless. Is slightly more of an improviser versus planner.

Coursework: A’s across the board. Disappointed there wasn’t any extra credit to pick up to bump it to an A+.

Exceedingly popular among the student body, adequately popular with the citizens of the kingdom and the royals surrounding her.

Future plans: Successfully sowed the seeds for becoming monarch someday with both her mother and Josiane. Absolutely ready to throw it all away for Asher’s sake, if it comes to that.

Finally, and without further ado… Rowan Duval, from Crème de la Crème! I’m thinking of doing a second page like I did with TWC’s Val Batra.

• This post was one of the first posts I ever made and it was about him. Cdlc holds a special place in my heart because it was the first CoG novel I played, and I love everything about it: the writing, the setting, the characters. It’s just a wonderful work.
• Ok, so his face Rowan is inspired on Philip Kampfer (those black&white photos) and Aaron Shandel (in Vogue Hommes). They have the sort of sharp, elegant features I want Rowan to grow into. But because I wanted to make his original/younger version more “animesque”, I imagined a Klein Moretti (Lord of Mysteries) mixed with Fanon Tom Riddle - the black haired, red eyed one. Some artists that really get the vibe I was going for are @4_TANB and @chome_gm (I love their drawings) (check them out)
• I did the uniform based on the CdlC logo and following the game descriptions, but it was hard to get the texture right. I think it looks pretty nice tho! I specifically love Sai’s acuarela filter on Rowan!
• I used this base for the bowing motion but I can’t for the life of me find the orignal poster.
• His tie sports a Merovingian or Ediety Necktie Knot, which I found on Pinterest and spend the last 30 minutes looking for a source. The reason for this is that it suits Rowan’s personality, as he won’t pass the opportunity to show off without breaking uniform. I also wanted to demonstrate that he knows how to fasten the noose around his neck and tie it in a pretty knot too!
• Rowan is wearing Cap Toe Boots because:
  1. He was born and raised in the bucolic countryside, so he isn’t neglecting his quality boots for anything.
  2. As he isn’t about to purchase new shoes for every ocassion, he has to make do with his old, battered pair- keeping the shoes presentable is a testament to his resourcefulness.
  3. They are as fashionable and versatile as he is.
• His signature is written in Chopin Script / Flaemische Kanzleischrift Font by Typographer Mediengestaltung. I wanted to use something elegant and in cursive to exemplify his calligraphy skill, and then I painted it golden because he’s a show off. The font is free for personal and commercial use, much as Rowan himself is during CdlC 🙃
• The background pic is from FreeP!c, I wanted to go for something red and smoky because Rowan is all about smoke and mirrors. Originally, the idiom came from the biography How the Good Guys Finally Won: Notes from an Impeachment Summer, published in 1975, by American political journalist James Breslin. Breslin described politics as the theatrical use of “mirrors and blue smoke” to make people see what they wish to see- in that way, I wanted to hightlight Rowan’s ambition to join Westerlind politics (in a sort of revenge against Lord Krause’s fraudulent campaign) and use his characteristic red color to contrast the “blue mirrors and smoke”… does it make sense?
• As his name implies, Rowan is represented by Rowan Berries, and I also indentify him with a crow, because of the physical resemblance, the taste for shiny things (Rowan collects jewelry) and being overall smart and goofy. So I collaged the photograph of a crow mid-flight (allegedly by Henk Laverman but I can’t find it in his site) next to a rowan tree branch (by SvitakovaEva).

So im stuck in a hard place I have 3 different choices I want to make. Hartmann because we repect workers in this house. Hartman vibes are amazing-

Delacroix vibes are off the fucjing chain- homie really said im saging this room. An im like im so interested in thus spirit angel.

An finally Blaise because i want to trigger some form of apology for embezzling his family money. He seems so easily fluster and i can’t leave homie alone.

I just had a time and played through both of these series and I’m SO eager to talk about them;;;

Please DM me for my discord or even just here

I especially want to talk about Estell’s romance in Royal Affairs and Max and Delacroix and how romancing just one feels so mean;;;

my creme de la creme MCs, celeste and ethan <3 this time in their school uniforms

illustration by fuwuillust @ ig

game by @hpowellsmith

characters are mine !

My Créme de la Créme MCs – Ethan & Celeste Dalton

I played CLDC by @hpowellsmith and enjoyed it quite a bit, so I got a commission of my MCs from OyenPaws on IG <3

Spotify playlists:

More info under the cut!

• Ethan Dalton and Celeste Dalton are siblings. However, they’re total polar opposites. Celeste is bubbly, outgoing, flirty and dramatic. Meanwhile, Ethan is introverted, reclusive, quiet and stoic.
• I added lots and lots of headcanons (sorry), so in my mind, their playthroughs happened parallel with each other.
• Ethan is very academic and studious. He stays in his own lane, does his own thing, unbothered. Celeste is popular and is involved with everything and everyone. She’s a flirt, for sure. Florin Kraemer, eat your heart out.
• Ethan decided to pursue higher education at a prestigious university, while Celeste decided to have fun with an art gallery apprenticeship. Her end goal is to become a fashion designer and start her own haute couture house.
• In both playthroughs, Gallatin won. None of them ended up married. Lady Renaldt got exposed, and the good Dalton family name was restored.
• Ethan got thrown in the mines (yikes!) while Celeste was busy fooling around with her boytoys. You’d think that she’d notice her brother being gone, but it’s kind of hard when there are so many guys fighting for your attention :/
• I scoured the author’s blog to find any clues about the fashion in CLDC. I didn’t want to put them in their school uniforms (which would’ve just been easier honestly), and since the zeitgeist of the CLDC universe is actually… not THAT set in stone (I even looked at other people’s MC to make sense of what the fashion should look like) I just ended up taking inspo from dark/light academia, old money and coquette aesthetics. Can you tell that Celeste is very Lana Del Rey coded? :)
• Their parents accidentally supported a corrupt political candidate.
• Celeste is incredibly arrogant, vain and bold. For better or for worse. Ethan also has a tendency to look down on people he deems to be less intellectual than him.
• Celeste had a hate-love thing with Blaise. Ethan wondered why she needed two snarky dark-haired dudes in her life. He pretty much avoided everyone, and the closest thing he had to romance was with Prince Rosario of all people!? So much for trying to be low-profile.
• Ethan has to constantly drag Celeste out of dumb situations of her own making. Celeste has to constantly remind Ethan that people, even him, need human interaction.
• Honestly the only reason why they managed to save the family’s reputation is because Ethan was working behind the scenes and cleaned up Celeste’s love scandals.
• They’re part east/southeast asian, part middle eastern and part european.
• Ethan loves birds, especially corvids. He spends more time with birds than he does with people. His earring is supposed to resemble a raven.
• Celeste is part of the Prefect Committee. Ethan is a member of the Birchmeier Society.
• Ethan is 5'11, Celeste is 5'5.
• Their mom is another OC of mine, Darcy Angelis <3
• Had to restart the playthrough because of this, but in Celeste’s playthrough, she decided to dance with Auguste at the ball. After that chapter ended, it triggered multiple consecutive scenes, one after another, where literally ALL of the characters had the “what are we???” talk with her. Can’t believe the harem found out.

Me as a Cuphead boss (delulu posting xD)

Delacroix my pookie

Devastating Burn - Childhood Friends

“Hartmann cannot bring himself to speak. He looks as though he would like the teachers, you, and the entire college to disappear into the ground”

Hartie is like :

Hartman: fuck you for doing i fall love and have feelings

Mc being kidnapped and almost killed after a while :

Hartman : the fuck?

“The ghosts don’t approve of gambling,” they say. “They says it’s immoral.”

This was a quick idea… I just wanted to do some random outlines… and I finished another “Creme de la Creme” playthrough earlier… so I just took how I imagined my little Cyrena Duval.
She ended up romancing Max… somehow still managed to get an A+ in her final exams and got accepted to Gessner University…. 

It’s nothing fancy… but at least it’s something small I did for myself.