Negotiated Project - Inspirations

As I have discussed in earlier posts, I have recently got into doing quite fine line work in my illustrations, and I have got an amazing book that has inspired me quite a lot in this new endeavor. It's called "A Tolkien Bestiary" by David Day, it is a wonderfully illustrated book that describes the flora and fauna of Tolkien's worlds as well as characters and major events. There is many fine colour illustrations, but it is mainly the black and white illustrations in pen and ink that interest me. The Ultra fine line work creates a visually stunning look and is a great visual language for things like armour and the hide of a dragon, and I hope to replicate its effect in my own work.

Negotiated Project - Line Work

Aubrey Beardsley
Aubrey Beardsley
Albrecht Durer
Albrecht Durer
My Sketch
As I discussed in my previous post I've discovered that fine line work and patterns are strength of mine and something that I enjoy doing. I have included a drawing here to illustrate that point. It is a sword hilt for the "flaming swords" quote in Paradise Lost, also I've included some of the people I have been looking at in terms of fine line work. Albrecht Durer and Aubrey Beardsley both have a great command of the line, and I have been looking at their work in terms of fine lines and repeated pattern-like line work.

Negotiated Project

So, I haven't yet done a post on the negotiated project so I think its about time. I feel very relived to have 7x7 out of the way and be able to get on with this self directed project. I am illustrating "Paradise Lost", the epic poem by John Milton. I studied it at Ashton Sixth Form College on the English Lit course so I have a bit of a heads up on the content. The poem is wonderfully descriptive and has some great metaphors including epic, yes, EPIC metaphors! The basic story is that God has cast Satan and the other rebellious angels out of heaven and into Hell, and in order to get revenge on God Satan wants to get to Earth and tempt mankind, however Satan doesn't realise that God wants him to do that as it is all part of his eternal providence.

Obviously that is quite a grand thing to try and illustrate so I have picked out 8 quotes that I feel are really nice and I am going to illustrate them. In terms of format its going to be A3. Recently after a few chats with various tutors and peers I feel a lot clearer on what my "style" (if I dare use that word) is. Or if not style at least the processes in which I am currently working. I really enjoyed making collographs in first year and so I am returning to them with some success (at least I think so). Also I seem to be fairly proficient with very fine (0.05mm!) line work and so this is something I am incorporating into my work more often. I guess I can thank 7x7 for something as it was making my own pattern for this that I discovered the fine line work as a strength of mine.

Anyway, here's a quick sketch to give a rough idea how each page might look...

...so far I have done collographs for the 1st two pages, the "infernal serpent" and the "battle in heaven". The collographs will be the "base" if you like of each image and then I will add other stuff like screen printed or hand drawn (fine line work) into them to add to rich analogue feel of them, however there will inevitably be digital work to be done...