Image Archive — illustration process for Wrath of the Gods, Grapes of the Sea Dragon (Kanon & Saga)
Author’s Note / Behind the work
About this image
This illustration series was created as the visual concept for my fic Theomēnia (M/M edition).
The finished monochrome line art appears on the Japanese side of my site, while this post collects the visual process for English-speaking readers.
Rather than a single polished image, this archive shows how the drawing took shape:
from a loose idea, to structure, to refined lines, to color tests that never made it to publication.
My goal was to capture:
- Kanon’s guarded stillness
- Saga’s composed warmth
- and the subtle tension between them that isn’t easily named
1) Concept rough — searching for balance
(image: rough draft / composition block-in)
At this stage, the focus was the emotional distance between the twins.
I tried to keep their silhouettes connected yet not mirrored,
suggesting a shared history + unresolved tension,
which matches the tone of Theomēnia’s epilogue.
2) Early WIP — structural sketch
Here I clarified posture, gaze direction, and hair movement.
Saga’s profile leans inward, Kanon faces outward —
one watching, one watched —
a dynamic I return to often when writing them.
3) WIP “Bunny Day” edition — August 2
On August 2, many JP artists post bunny-themed drawings on social media,
because 8/2 can be read as “ba-ni” → “bunny.”
This happened to overlap with my sketching period,
so I joined the playful tradition and added rabbit ears to the WIP.
These versions were shared on X as lighthearted progress posts —
a small moment of community in-joke + creative momentum.
4) Final line art — monochrome
This is the version used as the fic’s image on the Japanese blog.
I left it without color because
the lack of a defined palette keeps the emotional register open.
Readers project their own tone —
which suits a story where feelings remain unsaid.
5) Notes on color tests
I produced several blue-palette experiments during development
(including a digitally tinted draft),
but decided not to publish them.
The monochrome version preserves:
- ambiguity,
- restraint,
- and the quiet aftertaste that Theomēnia leaves.
Color felt like too strong an answer.
Further reading
Wrath of the Gods, Grapes of the Sea Dragon（Theomēnia） — M/M edition (AO3)
(includes the epilogue exclusive to this version)
Author site & updates
https://books-whitegoat.com
Closing
Thank you for looking behind the work.
Sharing these stages feels a little vulnerable —
but Theomēnia is a story about what remains unspoken,
and these images are part of that silence.
If you’d like more illustration archives in the future,
let me know — I have years of unfinished frames waiting quietly.
