Epic wallpaper with LONG description. Read the first part and skip to the bottom for most of the credits.

Wow... where do I even start with this description? I started this wallpaper of epic proportions such a long time ago, the outline developed back in November, months after watching a wonderful scene with the werewolf of Being Human with my sister.

"Don't you know? Humanity is about love and sacrifice. This doesn't rob me of my humanity. It proves it."

I heard it and it hit me. This is a perfect quote for Kaname. He had just begun his path in the beginning of the second arc after the ball, and many had turned against him for his actions towards a better world. (No flaming or hating comments on this please. I am a HUGE fan of Kaname, and I will bite back. Discussion is welcome. That is different.) Kaname didn't care; in fact, he encouraged the distance created because it was better for others that way. He had long long accepted loneliness as a part of his chosen path. When I discussed this further with Kira and told her about the quote, she agreed and I started. The mangled quote would be left behind as a message to those still important to him.

However, this wallpaper further evolved after chapter 60 came out and my far away sister Kira gave me a wallpaper for Christmas. Unfortunately, it isn't up here yet, but it took my breath away, and it remains one of my top five favorite wallpapers of Kaname and Yuuki as well as Vampire Knight as a whole. She and I fell in love with the cover for that chapter and I decided this wallpaper would be my attempt to give back to her for all she did/does for me. It's taken forever to finish.

---PROCESS FOR ME OR CRAZY OTHERS ---

The reason this wallpaper took such a long, long time was because I was determined to try new techniques with it as Kira had done with hers for me. The first layout of the wallpaper contained three items pieces, two color outlined scans ( which I hadn't figured out how to do in that particular way (w/o layers of colors over it)), young Kaname and Kaname threatening Rido (still one of my absolute favorite scenes of Kaname), and a square of yellow for the quote. I added Kaname in the tower of chains next while exploring with parchment and more typography. (This is Kira and she WOULD call me out on that weakness~ BUT i wasn't going to let her easily~). The parchment addition with the quote took a long time to even start finding the right process. When I did find it, though, I became obsessed and didn't move from the computer until I had the first draft. I wasn't satisfied until another two days passed. I got it to look blood-stained AND watermarked. That was a very happy day~

The main scan took months of careful extracting then more months of careful transparent layers of color into his jacket and the bats. After I finished with that part, I hesitated about attempting the hair. I've always loved his hair and I don't think I could keep its beauty with my amateur coloring. It looked beautiful as it was. You would think I had found my halfway mark with that coloring and the beautiful parchment quote. Nope~

That point turned out to be more of a third-way mark with the white space in between. Finding appropriate manga pieces to fit seamlessly between the main pieces, their alterations, vector and coloring of the rose gift, and starting over for the next piece took a LONG time. Even then, I was only at my halfway mark. I needed something to pull all the pieces together. I came up with chess on whim, and who am I kidding, I love using chess for Kaname-sama Each of the chess pieces, except the knight, are from the manga, mostly from Shizuka's appearance. The pawn was pieced together and duplicated. The knight comes from Saiyuki Reloaded during the arc of Kougaiji's brainwashing. The knight took DAYS to find, and because a knight is a perfect piece for any game of Kaname's, I could NOT do without it. It was well worth the time it took to find. I pieced the chessboard together and erased it from the places I didn't want it to show, adding a texture over it to bring further depth.

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I know I surpassed any of my expectations while creating this monster *coughs* masterpiece. Please comment and tell me if I surprised or shocked anyone else. I await for your opinion impatiently, Kira.

I really like how all the pieces are seamless and I especially love the formless transitions in the pieces on the right,from Kaname's intense eyes, dropping the pawns, shattering around young Kaname and the wolf form blended into both pieces of himself. It gives me shivers~

It's too bad I can't dedicate this to two people because even if this was created for Kira, the finish reminds me of one of my best subscriber's favorites: Akira's tribute. Kisskiss-bangbang, tell me if I'm wrong.

Credits:

Parchment used for creating the message: Here on DA
Parchment texture for the chessboard and shadows on tower: Here on DA (Love using this one)!
Bloodstained mark used: Here on DA (Finally found a way to use it!)
Texture for silver on rose gift: Here on DA (Also one of my favorites!)
Quote: "Humanity is about love and sacrifice. This doesn't rob me of my humanity. It proves it." (c) Being Human (UK)
Scans: MiniTokyo (too many to name)
And manga snapshots: Vampire Knight (c) Hino Matsuri; Saiyuki (c) Minekura Kazuya

Dedicated to: Kira!

Comment below if anyone's interested in me seeing if I can put the chess pieces, rose gift, or Kaname's scan up for use.