Andromeda by Paul Smith

This piece is really something special. I've been after a Paul Smith Legionnaire piece for almost as long as I've been collecting, and Andromeda, being one of my favourite Legionnaires, was always at the top of my list. Smith's work is always in such high demand, and I can never seem to watch his website well enough to be in time for any of his art drops. I had a shot at a Smith Andromeda a few CALs ago, but it was quite pricey and there were other pieces I liked more, so I let it be. I had another chance a few months ago, when a different piece was listed for sale in the CAF classifieds, but at the time I was trying to "save money" or "manage my finances" or something silly like that. It sold pretty quickly, while I was still trying to talk myself into the purchase, and I spent the next few months kicking myself for not snapping it up when I had the chance. Where else was I going to get such a perfect shot at a Smith Andromeda?

Well, you'll imagine my absolute delight when a friend of mine let me know that this beauty of a Smith piece was currently up for grabs in the Deal Or No Deal comic art Facebook group! There was just one problem: I wasn't a member of the group (which meant I couldn't message the seller with a purchase request), and the DOND mods can sometimes take a little while to accept requests to join. I threw together the fastest join request in history, and one of my friends got in contact with the mods to ask them to check out my request since there was a time-sensitive piece I was looking to buy. Thanks to them, I got in, and was able to seal the deal!

And wow, what a piece this is! I think it's hands down one of the best single-character pieces I've ever seen from Smith, and definitely the best Andromeda (though I might be juuuust a little biased). The other two pieces I'd passed on were half-body shots, but I absolutely love that this one is full-figure, which I think is less common to see from Smith these days when he does his art drops. I'm also admittedly a little picky when it comes to how he draws faces, but there's just nothing in Andy's face to be picky about, here. I love how Smith rendered her expression - she's practically glowing with happiness. That's reflected in her pose, too, which feels very lighter-than-air. My first impression was that she was flying, but I've heard a few people say she almost looks like she's dancing, instead. Either way, she's clearly having a fantastic time, which is my favourite part of this piece.

Smith's artistic skill is on full display here, too. It's probably not the easiest thing to show convincing highlights in black starfield fabric when you're working purely in black and white, but he pulls it off perfectly, leaving just the right amount unshaded and un-starred. I also love how absolutely bouncy and voluminous he made her hair, and how much detail went into every curl.

I've been collecting for nearly four years, so it's a true delight to finally cross a Paul Smith piece off of my list, especially one as beautiful as this. A big thanks goes out to the friends that helped facilitate this, and the seller on DOND for making this an excellent first experience with the group!