The Fairyland Project

A few weeks ago I got some books out of the library and one of them was Catherynne Valente's latest installment of the Fairyland series, The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two.  Catherynne Valente uses such rich language and her descriptions are so imaginative that I wanted to do some illustrations based on the book. 

In fact, I thought, why not do a chapter illustration for every chapter in the novel?  Which I promptly set out to do.

As of now, I have all 21 chapters thumbnailed, have moved onto the roughs for about five of them, and have finished three.  I think I'll post these in sets of three, as and when I finish them.  They don't take all that long to make, individually speaking, but I have other projects on the go and occasionally one of these will stall a bit as I try to deal with a difficult part.

I'm hoping to avoid spoilers for the book, mostly.  You won't learn who cut the moon in two (or why) from me!  Those of us who read the first two books will see September reunited with some friends but that's not much of a surprise to anyone.  What would a Fairyland book be without a wyverary?

But hopefully I'll get some practice in and people will be intrigued by the book and the whole thing should be good fun for all.

Anyway -- here are the first three chapter illustrations of Fairyland 3.

Chapter 1
September Looks at the Moon:

Chapter 2
Boomer and Beatrice:

Chapter 3
The Blue Wind:

So far I'm enjoying playing with real ink again and reviewing my compositions.  I'm starting to idly plan what other books I'd like to do.  I have a small supply of kids' books I never quite got rid of.  Classics like The Witches and The Phantom Tollbooth and The Neverending Story.  The more I think the more books I'd love to illustrate!

Oh well, I'll just keep going with this and see where it takes me.  Maybe the next book I illustrate will be one I wrote myself. :)

Update, With Ant

Last year I did some illustrations for a role-playing game book called "Isles of the Sun" by CB Droege.  That was fun, because I got to draw some things that I don't usually get to.  Like evil minions!  I did a few designs for undead mechanical golems (which were great fun), a couple illustrations, but I think this was my favourite:

It is a cart pulled by a giant art!  I think I like drawing giant insects.  This is a change from my childhood, when I was so traumatized by an oversized picture of a grasshopper in an animal book that I spent a good 20 years freaking out over insects.  Then I got a garden.  Now I'm just like "okay, small many-legged thing, get back in the compost pile where you belong."

Currently I am working on some chapterbook illustrations (personal work) that I would like to put into my portfolio, and a couple of paintings.  I've just finished up another illustration for Spellbound.  A lot of things are in the process of being completed or submitted or published, so there isn't much to show.  I've really tried to change my working schedule since the beginning of the year, and it has been a mixed success (but at least it has been a success rather than a big failure).  I think I'm starting to narrow down what I'd like to work on, which is books.

One consequence of this is that I'm writing more often.  I've submitted a fairytale retelling to the Spellbound anthology.  I don't know if anything is going to come of that (I expect not, because that is what happens to writers) but it has made me think more about stories.  Maybe all those books I am inhaling are helping that along as well.  It's nice to have stories to tell again.  Maybe even I'll be able to get back to writing things that I've had to abandon when the stories suddenly ran out, although I promise nothing.

On the weekend I'm going to try to write up a proper post, probably about how I managed to get more work done this year.  For now, though, I'd better move if I want to maintain that productivity streak.

Haunted

Started this one back in April (actually even before that, because the very first iteration of this sketch was done for the first issue of Spellbound).  Finished up for this month's Finishing Frenzy!

The Youkai Tree

For Spellbound, Fall 2013 - Creatures of the Deep Dark Woods.  If you're interested in children's fantasy you can buy it HERE.

Bunsnake

I keep being inspired by Insanely Twisted Rabbits.

Fantasy Thumbnail

A thumbnail for a fantasy illustration.  I'm thinking of doing this one up in acrylics.

Rock Like an Egyptian

Yeah, I don't know either.

Jellybird

Finally finished this guy.  The jellybird!  Pencil crayon on paper, 7.5x9.5".  Like it?  Buy it at my Storenvy shop!

Rogue WIP

Working on a thoroughly disreputable rogue portrait, just for fun.  It seems like half the stuff I'm working on is not done and the other half is stuff I can't show off yet.

Mixed-up Animals

Working on my portfolio.  Found this awesome Random Animal Generator on deviantArt.

Autumn Fairy

It's a job that requires concentration.

Christmas Ornament - Goblins

This is the goblin snowman ornament.  It's not quite done.  I think it might need a touch-up and some varnish.  I didn't get around to painting the singing ratsies this year, they'll have to wait until next year.

Christmas Ornament - Elf Lady

The elven lady ornament, all painted up.  It was designed by me and cut out by Jean, my friend's mom, who is a wonderful woodworker.  She has several lovely intarsia pieces in her home that I would love to steal away, made with her own hands. 

I ended up choosing green because I pulled out a lovely forest green out of the Bin o' Paints.  I was very proud of how this ornament turned out, but as Jean pointed out the green is the same colour as the Christmas tree and the lady is completely camouflaged among the branches.  In future years I think she will have to hang in my bathroom.

Christmas Ornament Designs

Every year my friend and her mother, who does woodworking, has some people over to paint Christmas ornaments. A couple years ago they suggested that I design some fantasy-based ornaments, but I didn't manage to get to it until this year.

These will be cut out of wood and painted, hopefully approximating what I've done digitally. We'll see. I'll be posting the results, if there are any, in late December.

Humanoid Warrior

Fish Battle

I signed up to participate in an art fair they're just starting up in one of the surrounding communities. The first Sunday I was there it was Labour Day Long Weekend, and it was pouring rain. There was only one other artist there and because everything else in the building was closed, nobody showed up.

I got a lot of sketching done!

Undead Alchemist WIP

Don't know if this is going anywhere.

Orc Cook

Everybody else was doing it, so I did one too:

Faun

No new paintings until this week's comic pages are done. But I am trying to do a bit more sketching again. I've gotten out of the habit since I don't spend long hours doing nothing much any more.

I was thinking of joining in on Spike's Sketch Bet but I don't think I have the time right now.

So You Want To Be A Wizard

Roughs for the next kids' porkfolio piece:

This month I'm working on a comic buffer so not much non-comic art is going on.