_{Snow, tension, and a presence impossible to ignore. ❄️🐲}

Shinaara, facing off against a massive and imposing Glaciox in the middle of a landscape completely blanketed in snow—it’s definitely something interesting to see.

This drawing was originally intended as a Christmas illustration, hence all the snow. Although, for a holiday piece, I initially planned for it to feel warmer and more solemn, but in the end, I kept Glaciox imposing and unshakable. However, I ended up falling way behind schedule—much more than I expected. The holidays weren’t easy for me emotionally, and honestly, I didn’t have many positive expectations for 2025 either.

Maybe not many people know this, but I’m from Venezuela, and I’ll take this moment to vent a bit. As you’ve probably seen everywhere, on January 3rd in the early morning, there was a small glimmer of hope for life in this country. Even so, we still have a very long way to go before we can speak of true freedom: the regime hasn’t fallen, everyday Venezuelans are still being suffocated, and the U.S. government hasn’t come to liberate us or lift the country up. So if you can, wish me luck for this new year.

🌟❄️ SHINAARA VS. GLACIOX: CALM, COLD, AND DETERMINATION

Glaciox is a presence that commands immediate respect. Its size, visual weight, and mastery of ice turn any encounter into an extreme test.

Shinaara isn’t shown mid-fight, but rather in the moment right before the clash—that second of silence where everything stops: the wind, the snow, even breathing. There’s no panic, only focus. She knows she’s facing something far larger than her… and still, she doesn’t back down.

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⏰ CREATIVE PROCESS

✏️ Phase 1: Sketch & Lineart

In this first stage, I focused on defining the overall composition and scale. From the very beginning, it was crucial that Glaciox felt massive and dominant, while Shinaara needed to appear small by comparison—and that's saying something, since I also consider her a large holo. But Glaciox has a more mythical aura.

🎨 Phase 2: Grayscale

Once the composition was clear, I moved on to blocking in the main volumes using—of course—grayscale, and gradually painted over the sketch lines as I worked in gray. This helped me define Shinaara's body more clearly since she's in the foreground, while with Glaciox I focused on his structure and presence. And yes, I didn’t do his arms or the ice on the tip of his tail—I thought, "I’ll do it later," and in the end, I was too lazy to finish it.

🌗 Phase 3: From Gray to Color

This is where the illustration truly starts to come alive—because it’s finally time for color!

Shinaara gains detail and presence with her highly saturated colors, while Glaciox blends more into the environment, surrounded by the cold and wind. The contrast between them becomes clearer—though I worked to keep Glaciox from disappearing into the background. That’s why the trees help give him presence while still fitting seamlessly with the surroundings.

🌟 Phase 4: Final Touches

In the final phase, I focused on the details that make the scene work visually: adjusting contrast, sharpening edges, adding light accents to the ice, and making small tweaks to guide the viewer’s eye.

The goal was to preserve the feeling of stillness and tension without overloading the image. Everything had to feel frozen in that moment right before impact. That’s why I worked on improving Glaciox’s face—since I wasn’t going to paint any more of his body, I wanted all the focus to be on his solemn, emotionless gaze. That’s also why I didn’t even draw pupils or irises for his eyes. On the other hand, I gave Shinaara some pretty lashes.

Honestly, it’s not the result I would’ve wanted, because I feel it could’ve been prettier and more detailed. But at least I hope you liked it—and if you did, let me know in the comments. ❄️

✨ And that's it… another holo duo added to my Holozing fanart collection!

Which holo or healer should I paint next?

Let me know in the comments! 👇

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