This is my entry for the quarter-finals in the RPGamer.com OmniArt Contest.

** CONTEST VOTING STARTED TODAY! (Monday Oct. 17th) Please vote for my piece!! I know I'm not as famous as some people on there but I worked so hard too!! I've been in it for about 7 months and submitted something every month! I really want to make it to the next round and beyond! Please help if you can!

So please consider voting fer me piece? - Mine's the entry by S.C. in the middle of the second to last row - [link]

(Voting begins that Monday, the 17th, and ends that Thursday, and you can vote once every 24 hrs btw.. ^_~ )

(By the way, yes, they encourage people to try and get votes and yes, I'm allowed to post it here beforehand to let people know. : ) )

I put this up here partially to let people know about it to vote - but also so I can explain the symbolism, etc. - People'll probably be able to get "loyalty" without an explanation - but this'll help show the extra thought put into it. : )


Here's the Info:

Title: "I Will Never Leave Your Side"

Game: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Characters: Link and Zelda

Emotion: Loyalty

Concept: This image is supposed to convey an emotion from a list given for entrants. Loyalty being on the list, I could think of few other game characters who portray this greater than Link - if any. His devotion to Zelda is apparent in just about every Legend of Zelda game - now almost going back 20 years in video game history. (First Zelda game was released in 1986 in Japan, 1987 elsewhere.)

Sketch: [link]

Detail of Link's Expression: [link]

Symbolism:
In addition to Link's expression and pose, there are other elements of this image that pertain to the emotion of loyalty.

Firstly, within the inner image, it is sunset. Day or night, rain or shine, Link will be there for her.

Next, the window frame itself is based on the window where Link first meets Zelda in Ocarina of Time when they were just children.

The Ivy on the window not only creeps along those castle walls, but historically Ivy is a symbol of Fidelity.

The Red Tulips were present at the scene in which they met, and are also symbolically a Declaration of Love.

In Ocarina of Time, Link followed Navi the fairy all over the world to find Zelda, no matter how irritating that little pixie got...

Also, the Ocarina was a gift given to Link by Zelda when they were young and she was kidnapped. He used it to get her back despite all the terrors he faced.
(And I won't explain the musical instruments further to avoid spoilers..)

The wings and triforce were also above that window where Link first saw Zelda. Also, wings symbolize a helper (as wings help a bird escape danger) and protection (as they protect a bird in bright sunlight, rain, etc.) The triforce above the window in the game was black - here switched to gold of the true Triforce as gold is a color used throughout both joyous and somber occasions, is a symbol of something of great value and a favored person (like Zelda is to Link), and it is also the traditional gift of the 50th wedding anniversary - which takes quite a bit of loyalty to get to that point - and undoubtedly Link and Zelda will.


And there's the bulk of the symbolism present in this image that, in addition to that main pose and expression of Link, help portray his loyalty to his one and only life-long princess, Zelda. : )