Cover painting crawls on...
Here is the final drawing, scanned, cleaned-up and printed out on cold press...
The first, preliminary masking fluid and initial color set down...
Here is a layer of color across the entire piece...
Secondary washes and initial modeling... Now on to the next one - I'm bringing them all to about this level of finish and then will tighten them all up together.
Makes me crave rose flavored yummies. One of my favorites to make is rose petal syrup. I grow highly fragrant, heirloom roses that are wonderfully flavorful. Steep in boiling sugar water, strain, lightly tint and pour into pretty bottles. Then use in tea, splashed over ice and seltzer, drizzled over vanilla ice cream.... You can do the same thing with lavender, mint, anise hyssop, lemon verbena, orange-geranium, cinnamon basil, chamomile, tangerine sage.... Color them all differently and you can have window sill of pastel rainbow syrups for your taste bud pleasure
(which unfortunately, I did not take photos of - stole these from google images...)
I'm taking too long with these. I may never get a chance to read your blogs again until they are finished. Sorry. I miss you.
I've finally finished up the last cover drawing in this series -
Initial thumbnail idea (which was subsequently revised) and the color comp -
Morning glories - which are fast growing, and scrumptuously and intensely colored - are not considered herbal/medicinal in this country. In China, the seeds have traditionally been used for their laxative quality, but be warned that in pets and young children they are "also considered poisonous and may cause digestive upset, stupor, hallucinations or even coma if enough are ingested". So, not recommended for anything but decorative applications.
They do make darn cute fairy hats though!
Here is the sketch for submission to publisher and Breyer...
...Aaaaand, the final drawing. I have a few tweaks to go back and resolve on all four covers, then will re-scan, print and start the marathon painting stage...
Books number 5 and 6 in the Wind Dancer series are due to be released on September 1st. My covers of which you see above, and the interiors I co-illustrated with my good friend Jo Gershman.
I received a hefty box of them today. And from my abundance, I wish to share with you, gentle reader, a signed copy of each for the lucky commenter whose name I shall draw on the eve of Sunday, August 30th. Just in time to mail off to you by their official release day.
So if you would like to toss your name in the hat, just leave me a comment on this post by 7pm Pacific Time, 8/30/09.
Wishing winged horses your way.....
This is the cover drawing that would never end! Took forever this week to finish it up.
In my initial thumbnail, I attempted to have a significantly different pose from the previous two. However, the publishers did not like this one, so re-draws were required. I had already worked out the color palette and elements to include....
So I went reference hunting - for both references for the elements I already knew that I needed, and much searching for rearing, 3/4, tucked-head horses... Since flying-horse-pose reference is not so easy to come by, it take compiling what you can come up with and for me at least, quite a bit of working and re-working until the anatomy feels somewhat believable...?
...And of course, here is the flower featured on this cover. Herb-lore for the day:
An Anglo-Saxon herbal of the 11th century speaks of a conserve of rose petals "taken in the morning and fasting at night, it strengthenest the hearte and taketh away the shakings and tremblings thereof."I grow very old heirloom roses. They are not the most beautiful varieties, but their scent is heavenly and intense, their petals make for very flavorful candied garnishes and the most fragrant syrup you've ever tasted, and they have huge, plump hips. Decorative *and* tasty (jelly, tea, etc...) These wild roses above have been fun to draw and made me acutely aware of the occasional waft of deliciously intense rose fragrance from the roses that grow beneath my studio window...
Here is the revised sketch, which was approved-
-and here, at LONG last, is the finished cover drawing...
Three down, one more to go.
Book #10 in the
Wind Dancer series features Brisa, the 'glamor' horse. She's pink and pretty and loves to be covered in jewels and sparklies, as well as enjoying them wherever she comes across them.
Here's one of the initial thumbnails, utilizing a 'charming' girly pose and plant-life that is known for jewel-like dew drops,
Lady's Mantle.
Lady's Mantle
(Alchemilla - 'the little Alchemist'
), is one of my favorite herbs - with all kinds of folk medicine and folk-lore associated with it. The scalloped, serrated-edged leaves are covered with soft hairs which hold water drops on the surface and around the edges. My favorite medieval recipe calls for the collection of this dew from its leaves which was said to have magical properties:
"It is said to preserve youth if a woman collects dew, in May, alone, in full moonlight, naked, with bare feet."I want to grow me a field of this stuff! :-)
Rough color comp to make sure I'm going in the right direction...
The comp sent to the
publisher and
Breyer for approval and anatomy check...
And here, finally after any number of dew-drops and sparkly jewels, here is the final drawing...
Here is the final drawing, scanned, cleaned-up and printed out on cold press...
The first, preliminary masking fluid and initial color set down...
Here is a layer of color across the entire piece...
Secondary washes and initial modeling... Now on to the next one - I'm bringing them all to about this level of finish and then will tighten them all up together.
Makes me crave rose flavored yummies. One of my favorites to make is rose petal syrup. I grow highly fragrant, heirloom roses that are wonderfully flavorful. Steep in boiling sugar water, strain, lightly tint and pour into pretty bottles. Then use in tea, splashed over ice and seltzer, drizzled over vanilla ice cream.... You can do the same thing with lavender, mint, anise hyssop, lemon verbena, orange-geranium, cinnamon basil, chamomile, tangerine sage.... Color them all differently and you can have window sill of pastel rainbow syrups for your taste bud pleasure (which unfortunately, I did not take photos of - stole these from google images...)
How interesting--comparing the thinking/creative functions with earthy, basal sensations. This is a most unique post. At first, I thought you were going to mix a little of that rose syrup with your paints! haha. Fun!
love watching how you build your paintings. these are so pretty with all the flowers (although such monotonous nightmare to paint sometimes). lovely though. and the syrup. yum. i'm quite fond of rosebud tea. hope you get some sleep soon.
Don't worry--the blogs will keep. How many covers are you creating in total, btw? I don't know if you mentioned.
And how yummy does that syrup look?
I always come away from your blog both inspired and hungry, with a longing to live in your backyard. Is there room in your chicken coop?
Funny, when I first saw this, before I read the text, I thought you were painting with the rose syrup.
Its looking lovely so far!
Sooo beautiful! I love your final drawing. :)
Dear Tara,
you have been awarded the Kreative Blogger Award, please come to my blog to pick it up :)
Katy.