A modern alchemist

It's been a while since I've done a full-on digital painting, but I somehow inadvertently found my way into it again. =]

This one I'm rather happy with. It's a relatively simple portrait, but it is the result of much hours of experimentation. I'll share the details on that in a later piece, but for now I'm curious what everyone's initial impressions of it may be.

About Dack and GEM

Dack is a member of the Guild's development division, specializing in energy manipulation, sensors and data management. Cerebral, analytical, yet always cheery and optimistic, Dack is always ready to tackle the next assignment. Whether it be an encyclopedic answer to a simple question, or a calculation of the odds of escape, Dack executes his tasks with such proficiency and enthusiasm, it almost seems robotic.. Indeed it's a bit strange to those around him. With his robot GEM quietly following him everywhere he goes, it's sometimes hard to tell if it's the fox driving the droid, or the droid driving the fox.. The fact that he is extremely courteous and level headed -even in times where one should rightfully be enraged- somehow adds to the mystique surrounding the two. On the other hand, Dack seems to be an avid tea connoisseur, and can regularly be seen out in the gardens, reading books on poetry and philosophy or meditating... or perhaps that's just his way of quietly analyzing the chemical content of the air or the trajectory of the stars.. One thing is for certain though, if you are in a tough spot, at the end of your wits, or just bursting with questions, Dack can prove to be a good friend, and a powerful ally.

The character has come to be a kind of mascot for my work over the years. . Though one thing people don't usually realize is that the fox isn't my main 'persona'. It's actually the droid that follows him around all the time. It started out as a clever decoy idea, but I've come to realize that it's also kindof a reflection of the way I work. I do a lot of things behind the scenes, things that are challenging and fulfilling, and essential to those I serve, but are often taken for granted, simply because people don't understand what it is I do.. I realized that it is in essence the same kind of regard one would give to a wizard, mage or alchemist and their work. There's a certain kind of 'magic' being done to keep the gears turning, and I feel glad to somehow be a part of that. =]

Oh, and about the background diagram. That is what is called a 'Smith Chart'. It's used by electrical engineers to determine values for transmission lines and radio frequency related circuits. I thought it resembled a kind of Alchemical/magical circle (and indeed that's kindof how we regarded it in my engineering courses) so I thought it would fit well with the 'modern alchemist' theme. ;D