This image came fairly easily compared to the others, when I read the line from the story “at once a warrior emerged from the waves” I instantly had a very clear mental picture of what it could look like. Obviously there are many comparisons with Moses parting the red sea so it’s not an unfamiliar image to me and I knew I wanted a strong character with an expressive pose. I started with the figure in the corner and the road leading away from him, as in the story he parts the waves for the protagonists to progress on their journey.
However I soon realised that it looked nice to have the warrior central, gesturing straight up with his sword and the road coming towards the viewer in perspective.
What didn’t come easily however was how to do the waves. I tried many different versions drawing directly onto the lino [fool] but they just weren’t working and so eventually I came upon some very eastern looking waves in a woodblock print and so decided to use those. I think they work nicely however the waves above the warrior need to be refined. I wanted to have some waves looking as though they were just peeling away either the side of the warrior, and them some crashing away from him more violently, but the more dramatic ones [spirally ones] need some refinement.
Overall I am happy with the image but it does need refinement of the waves in my opinion.
One of my objectives was not to make the images too Eastern or “chinesey” for want of a better adjective, because they were illustrating Chinese fairy tales and I was using Chinese propaganda posters as a point of reference, I didn’t want them to borrow from these influences too rapaciously. I still wanted the elements to be mine but just have flavours of the influences apparent.
This image probably has the most as the armour of the warrior is based on Chinese armour and as I said the waves are very eastern, but I think overall it is balanced. I am happy with how the figure seems to evoke the propaganda posters in its strong, dramatic pose, and it can be said of all the images that the black and red is very reminiscent of those posters.
One criticism I have of this piece however, is that it has a lot more black in it and is quite pattern heavy on the eye, so that is another thing to consider if I revise this image in the future.
Images Copyright Dan Hodgkinson 2011
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