Art Wortd Coop: the big project

Showing posts with label the big project. Show all posts

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Jack the Giant Killer - Cormoran Character Sheet - Pencils

Yet again, it's been a while since my last post. One of the reasons for this is a little side-project I started before Christmas...making a MicroModel replica of the "Rocket" as a Christmas present for my Dad. More info on this at the bottom of this post!

I've got the pencils and inks for my Cormoran character sheet finished. I'm posting the pencils now while I make a start on the colouring. This will be the same approach as the character sheet for Jack - a mix of black-and-white and coloured styles.

This was really meant to be just a character sheet, that is, something that shows the character in various poses, with ideas on attire, colouring, etc. However, I couldn't resist drawing out my vision of how Jack tricks Cormoran into falling into his man-made pit. I see this as a main, coloured illustration because it is a key plot point, where Jack bags his first Giant!

Where I end up going with that particular image in the final book is uncertain. It's just an experiment in getting the feel of how Jack betters the giant. I feel the angle is not quite right. Really, I think Jack needs to be shown at a higher angle than the giant, to enforce the idea that Jack has got the better of the lumbering beast! The way to achieve this is to draw "behind" Jack (as if you're looking over his shoulder), having Jack look down into the pit.

Small note on the castle in the background. This is actually a copy of the building that stands on St Michaels Mount today (where Cormoran supposedly lived). However, the story does specify that he lived in a cave, so I may drop the castle from the final image...or at least go with a very basic type of castle-like building. Artistic license, don't you know :)

The animals drawing is another key point from the story that shows how Cormoran is always stealing animals from the village on the mainland. The drawing attempts to show scale...how big Cormoran is compared to the cows, sheep and pigs that he steals.

Right...little bit on that MicroModel. Over a period of a couple of months (I think!) I put together a MicroModel version of the "Rocket". I have the original cards from the 1940s, but rather than using the original templates, I made photcopies onto good quality card and made the engine from that. The display case was purchased from Model Display Cases, and they kindly put my photos of the engine and display case on their Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150106273701694&set=o.44001197049&theater

I've also put some photos on my Flickr page:

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Jack the Giant Killer - Jack Character Sheet

0 comments Posted by crue at 12:51 PM

I have been chipping away at bits and pieces of this project for a while, although it never feels like I've got much to show for it! I'm still working on a set of character sheets that will act as a reference to the style and colouring I will use in the book.

I am also editing the story based on pieces of updated text that my mother-in-law has very kindly helped me with. In summary, what I have done is used an old (out-of-copyright) version of the story and asked my mother-in-law to try and "modernise" the text...make it more accessible to the younger reader. She has really enjoyed doing that exercise, and now I am in the process of putting her edited paragraphs back into one whole piece. I have always had a lot of support from her with my illustrations (and aspirations!) and I am very grateful for her help. Thanks, Mum!!

Anyway, here's the completed Jack character sheet - click on the thumbnail image below if you want to see the full-size version on Flickr:

My aim is to go for mostly black-and-white illustrations throughout...images that will flow with and complement the text. For key plot points in the story, I will create full-colour illustrations, most likely one for each giant that Jack encounters on his journey. The colouring style above is what I am aiming for, with a palette that I think will match the atmosphere of the time period. I hope it works!! You can see more of my thoughts on the above image here.

Anyway, onto the next character sheet...Cormoran!!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Jack the Giant Killer

0 comments Posted by crue at 3:56 PM

So...the big project has started! There's been a big lull in between this post and the last...various happenings in the house (decorating, etc.) have kept me away from the drawing board too long!

It will be obvious from the title of this post that my aim is to illustrate the age-old story of "Jack the Giant Killer". The story of Jack the Giant Killer has been passed down through the generations. The exact origins of the story are unknown, but it is said to have existed in a chapbook as far back as 1711. The earliest surviving text, entitled "The History of Jack and the Giants", was published somewhere between 1750 and 1760.

As stated in my previous post, I am attempting to put my own illustrative spin on the tale. The story itself is not in copyright, and is based on folklore, making it difficult to find its exact origins. (It is actually said to have links with the other famous Jack..."Jack and the Beanstalk".) As such, this makes it an ideal story to illustrate without infringing any copyright!

Anyway, I've posted some initial thumbnails and a character sketch for my own visualisation of "Jack the Giant Killer". The next few months will be taken up with more character sketches, but Jack is done (well, the pencilled version anyway) and available to view:

The next step for the above character sheet is to show the coloured and inked versions. This will help to show the style that will be used throughout the book.

On that subject, the illustrations will consist of black and white (inked) drawings and full-page colour spreads. There will also be various small inset drawings scattered throughout, e.g. pennants, weapons, scriptures, etc. that pertain to the feel of the period.

If you click on the above image it will take you to my Flickr set of "Jack the Giant Killer" images, which also contains some other thumbnail sketches of early designs, clothing, weapons, etc. You will also find more notes with each image that explain the ideas on the setting: Anglo-Saxon England...the "Dark Ages" :)

Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Big Project

0 comments Posted by crue at 6:00 AM

My main passion with drawing is that I want to tell a story. You can easily lose yourself in creating just a simple scene or character design, letting your imagination run wild as you start to form ideas around the people or objects in your image. Where have they come from? What is going on in their world? That sort of thing.

However, to expand on those ideas and to form an insight into the characters' world...to basically tell their story (or one of them)...that, to me, is the ultimate project.

So, this idea of a "big project". What's it all about?

Well, I want to approach this project as an illustrator who has obtained a commission from a publisher. They have provided you with the book and they want you to enhance that story and bring it to life.

I haven't been approached by a publisher to illustrate a story as of yet, and that will only happen if I get my portfolio out there and start fishing. So, one of the things I want this project to serve as is a demonstration of my artistic skill (subjective, I know) aswell as my storytelling abilities, such that a future publisher may be interested. Sort of like an extra "add-on" to my portfolio.

So...what to illustrate? There are so many fantastic stories out there, and it would be a thrill to pick a favourite and illustrate it...but there's the problem of copyright. I have no right to pick a book off the shelf and put my own spin on it.

But what about those stories that are now in the public domain? That have no copyright because they have been passed down the generations, their authors long since gone or anonymous?

Aha...now we have the beginnings of a thread of an idea. The start of something that could be really fun.

(To be continued...)

Art Wortd Coop

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