Caterina by Anna Pavleeva
I really love this piece because of the mood it sets. The warm colors reflected in her eyes bring out a kind of fury that’s rare to see in depictions of woman warriors, even evil ones. She’s not doing the evil smirk of sexiness, she is determined and unstoppable. The way she’s holding the sword makes me think she is perhaps making an oath.
And that’s even before we start talking about the actual armor. It has thickness and weight, and despite the pretty simple shape variation, it looks beautiful. I love the subtle details in her gauntlets that make them feel real. There’s no fluff in this armor, no capes or anything, but it’s still complete and interesting.
She is not wearing a helmet, but she doesn’t seem to be in battle. Her hair is short enough that it can easily be tied out of the way. I think the artist wanted to frame her face with it, particularly with the cooler tones in it.
Speaking of the artist, I would highly recommend checking out her ArtStation for more concept art and some really cool portraits of badass ladies.
-Icy