Scales Between Two Lights

Finished editorial illustration, 16:9 landscape. One exaggerated reptile tail enters from the lower-left edge, broad and squat, then narrows abruptly into a tiny tightly curled hook near the upper middle. Oversized overlapping animal scales are the focal point: a dozen broad, irregular shield-shaped plates, clearly readable at thumbnail size. Ochre scales with cyan along one edge and coral along the opposing edge, suggesting competing nighttime colour spill. Deep midnight-blue background with generous uninterrupted breathing room on the right. Combine linocut-inspired chunky silhouettes, blunt carved-looking notches and sparse negative-space cuts with expressive hand-drawn marker contours and broad colour fills. Slightly uneven ink edges, playful asymmetry, taut sweeping gesture. Flat graphic treatment, no intricate hatching, no anatomical labels or diagram styling. No people, text, logos or watermarks.