Archive for February, 2010
It begins with a house.
Posted by: John Martz
Book: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (purchase on Amazon)
…the Thursday morning sun was bright and clear as it shone on Arthur Dent’s house for what was to be the last time.
Once I had decided to interpret The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I knew that this scene would be my first illustration. Whenever I even think about the story, it’s these first small chapters that enter my thoughts. It’s the opening scene in the text adventure game version, as well, which I never had the patience to conquer, and always found myself, in the role of Arthur Dent, dead before ever leaving the house.
I’ve always loved the parallels between the large, yellow bulldozers intent to demolish Arthur’s house and the large, yellow Vogon ships, which would do the same to the entire planet. The layout for this illustration drew itself.
I can remember being twelve years old, and reading this paragraph for the first time:
The great ships hung motionless in the sky, over every nation on Earth. Motionless they hung, huge, heavy, steady in the sky, a blasphemy against nature. Many people went straight into shock as their minds tried to encompass what they were looking at. The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t.
I must have re-read that last sentence at least ten times. What an odd, but wonderful analogy, I thought. It was one of those moments that seems exclusive to childhood — that feeling of having discovered something special that could become my very own. I felt a connection between myself and the words, and something in that sentence ignited in me an appreciation for looking at things with a slightly skewed perspective. I was soon to learn that Douglas Adams was a master at this in the way he blurred the lines between nonsense and clarity.
Click the image for a larger view.
Mrs. Frisby and Jeremy
Posted by: Julia Sonmi Heglund
Book: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (purchase on Amazon)
“He was tied to the fence. A piece of something silvery – it looked like wire – was tangled around one of his legs; the other end of it was caught in the fence. Mrs. Frisby walked closer, and then she could see it was not wire after all, but a length of silver-colored string, probably left over from a Christmas package.”
This is the scene where Mrs. Frisby first meets Jeremy – the young crow who later brings her to a wise owl who introduces her to the rest of her journey.
I wasn’t sure what style I would approach this book with. In the end, I’ve come up with something still slightly new to me, so I hope you will bear as I experiment with multiple media and styles in one illustration!
The Hobbit, part one
Posted by: Sam Bosma
Book: The Hobbit (purchase on Amazon)
The Dwarves of yore made mighty spells / while hammers fell like ringing bells / in places deep, where dark things sleep / in hollow halls beneath the fells.
Pencil, ink, digital. 13×20″ (click the image to view it larger)
Here we are, right at the beginning of the story, where Gandalf and the dwarves peer pressure Bilbo into joining their crusade against Smaug the dragon. This particular scene is towards the end of their meeting, when Bilbo gets a little carried away and embarrasses himself.
The Hobbit is wham-bang scene after wham-bang scene, but I thought it was important to start here, where the seeds of the whole adventure are sown. It only gets crazier from here on out.
Please check out my blog: (
http://sambosma.blogspot.com
) where I have been and will continue to post exploratory sketches for this project. I’ve written pretty extensively on how I’m treating the project throughout the sketching phase, so there’s a lot more information there if you’re interested.
Peter Pan Scene 1
Posted by: Will Bryant
Book: Peter Pan and Wendy (purchase on Amazon)
The infamous Pan enters the nursery and the adventure begins!
First off, it’s incredibly hard to post after the amazingly talented Meg Hunt. As I mentioned in my introduction this is a challenge for me and I’m giving it my best shot. I hope you are mildly entertained by my ridiculous interpretation of Peter Pan. Thanks for looking!
(You can see some other character sketches here).
Alice part one: down, down, down through the earth.
Posted by: Meg Hunt
Book: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (purchase on Amazon)
Kicking off the art sharing today with Alice embarking on her journey down a certain rabbit-hole. (Apologies in advance for the length! But I felt the need to start things a little over-the-top and play up the scene)
Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her, and to wonder what was going to happen next….Down, down, down. Would the fall never come to an end? “I wonder how many miles I’ve fallen by this time?” she said aloud. “I must be getting somewhere near the centre of the earth.”
The somewhat tricky thing about Alice is that so much of it has all been done before. When I decided on images I would like to work on for the project, I kept thinking ‘Oh, I have to do that scene. And that one.” (there’s a couple I chose specifically because I didn’t see them so often though, so no worries!) So there is definitely a lot of iconic material in something that’s been covered so much; but I definitely am trying to put my own spin on Wonderland as this living world that is organic to the point of having its own distinct personality and body– it’s not just things look a little topsy turvy and the inhabitants are all crazy (they’re definitely not going to be creepy or certifiable in my take, as I never got that from the book), but that by falling down the well you’re almost leaping into Wonderland’s mouth and about to explore the creatures and environment within its body.
My own view of Wonderland has been informed by lots of studying of some older biology books, some for children like this wonderful Golden Deluxe book, a dash of Mary Blair (though trying my hardest not to pay too close attention to her work for the Disney movie) and Charley Harper of course, some Marimekko, over two decades of reading National Geographic, and also the illustrated plates of Ernst Haeckel. How else it will evolve will be interesting to me, but in the meantime it’s a fun mishmash.
I hope you enjoy this first little foray into Wonderland, and get ready to see lots more!
PS: do check back tomorrow for Will Bryant’s first illustration for Peter Pan & Wendy!
Kali Ciesemier v. Sabriel
- Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Kali Ciesemier, and I am pleased to be part of the Baltimorean group making an appearance in this project! I graduated from The Maryland Institute College of Art in ’08, and now I’m lucky enough to be working as a freelance illustrator and teaching part time at MICA. Vintage posters and art deco design are enormously inspiring to me, and as a result I tend to work a lot with flat color and line. I’ve always been a big sci-fi/fantasy reader and I’m excited to indulge some of my nerdier tendencies for this project!
- Why did you pick the story you chose?
Sabriel
So doesn’t this look like it’s a book already on the shelves? Kali is thoroughly inspiring and she’s a real gem to be participating! Her first illustration for Sabriel will be up on February 26, but if you can’t wait til then you can always check out her stunning portfolio and her blog as well.
Whew! What a week, right? Just you wait to see what we’ve got cooked up for you next week. Have a lovely weekend and stay tuned on Monday for a couple of posts from me and my first Alice illustration!
Phil McAndrew v. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
- Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Phil McAndrew and I’m an illustrator and cartoonist from Syracuse, NY. I’ve created illustrations for magazines, newspapers, animated television spots, theatre scenery, t-shirts, posters, album covers, gallery exhibits, websites and fun. My mini comics have been praised by the American Mustache Institute and on USA Today’s Pop Candy blog. I’ve also contributed comics to a number of anthology books and websites, including Top Shelf 2.0 and all three volumes of the You Ain’t No Dancer books from New Reliable Press. I’m a founding member of Found Hat Press, a collective of talented young illustrators and cartoonists. I love pizza.
- Why did you pick the book you chose?
I read the book
The energy in Phil’s illustrations and comics floors me– I love his attention to imperfect characters and his crazy linework! It’ll be quite fun to see the first of these illustrations on February 25, don’t you agree? But why not check out his blog and portfolio?
The last amazing contibutor is up next! Oh, what will the story be? Wait and see in five minutes!
Laura Park v. Geek Love
Last day of intro posts, but get ready to see some exciting additions. I updated Daniel’s post with his bookplate too, check it out! And remember, we kick off the illustrations on Monday (with a little bit of Alice embarking upon her journey! So far it looks crazy!) so please keep your eyes peeled!
First up, the lovely Laura Park.
- Who are you and what do you do?
I’m a cartoonist and illustrator living in Chicago with a sleepy cat and a cranky pigeon. In a box I have a load of documents that say I’m ‘Laura Park’ but sometimes my shoes don’t fit and I find strange trinkets shoved in my pockets. Once I found the initials “SJ” stiched in green near the collars of my pajamas. But that was a long time ago. Currently I’m fond of collecting colorful inks and hoarding Lady Falcon pen nibs. One day I hope to be less lousy and own an observation bee hive.
- Why did you pick the story you chose?
Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love
Laura’s comics, illustration and lettering make me so happy, it’s hard to explain. Every time I see something new from her, my first thought is “All right!” But as Geek Love is another favorite of mine I can’t tell you how excited I was to find out that was her choice. When she shares her first illustration on February 24 , I’ll be prepared for that awesomeness. Maybe. In the meantime you can see lots more on her Flickr photostream.
Next up, the wonderful Phil McAndrew!
Jeremy Sorese v. A Wrinkle in Time
- Who are you and what do you do?
Hi, my name is Jeremy Sorese and I am a student graduating this June from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in comics/sequential art/funny books. I’ve started to tell everyone that I am a “cartoonist” because I think that’s a job title I would be proud to tell my Grandma. “Illustrator” sounds to proud and moldy to me and a “Sequential Artist” just sounds weird.
- Why did you pick the book you chose?
2.) When Meg emailed me asking if I wanted to take part in this, I chose A Wrinkle in Time
on a total whim. I had just bought a copy that afternoon from a Goodwill and had barely cracked the spine before responding to her email. I stayed up late that night reading the whole thing, cover to cover and was blown away, thankfully.
Unsurprisingly, Jeremy makes me drop my jaw on an all too constant rate. I’ve already seen a bit of his stuff for this and it does not disappoint- but you’ll have to wait until February 23. (I know it’s tough!) In the meantime, get better acquainted with him on Flickr, and on his Livejournal.
Check back tomorrow for our final (but no less stunning) pair-ups!
Israel Sanchez v. Where the Red Fern Grows
- Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Israel Sanchez and I am an illustrator living in La Habra, California. I like to paint fighting monsters, growing trees, and old man heroes. My medium of choice is gouache because of the great color that’s possible with it. I am influenced by the outdoors, childhood obsessions, and of course, other artists. My favorite thing to do is to illustrate stories so I’m very excited to be a part of this project.
- Why did you pick the story you chose?
I chose Where the Red Fern Grows
I love Israel’s work so much, you have no idea. It makes me giddy, but at the same time I wish I could apprentice with him to learn paint like he does. I can dream, but at least on February 22 we will see a lovely illustration from him. In the meantime, check out his portfolio, won’t you?
In half a moment, we’ll see some gorgeous work from Jeremy Sorese. Stay tuned!
