One of the most important qualities that an illustrator must develop is a critical eye to see room for improvement. I went through my portfolio recently and found an illustration that had been there for ages, since the very beginning of my sojourn into illustration. It was originally an exercise for the weekly illustration challenge called “Illustration Friday.” The piece just wasn’t working with my portfolio anymore, but it had enough strong points to be worth a second look.
Here it is, in all its glory. Circa 2010.
Here are some of the things I liked about the piece:
- The magician’s personality was unmistakable.
- There was a lot of dynamic action.
- The composition was fairly strong, with the character well framed by the window.
Here are some of the issues I identified:
- Was this really a piece for a picture book? It seemed more like middle grade subject matter. It would be more appropriate in black and white, displayed in the middle grade gallery.
- What exactly was the story here? An interaction between two characters would create more narrative.
- There were several issues with the perspective and technique.
After my analysis, I decided to remake this piece using my black and white style. I chose a portrait format in order to enhance the drama of the magical ribbons. The open door in the background was the perfect place to add a young observer, someone to witness the magic. Here’s the final result:
Have you ever redone a piece in your portfolio? How did it work out?
It was strikingly appropriate that Sir Geoffrey Hill should have focused his final lecture as Oxford Professor of Poetry on a quotation from Charles Williams. Not only was the lecture, in May 2015, delivered almost exactly seventy years after Williams’s death; but Williams himself had once hoped to become Professor of Poetry.
The post Charles Williams: Oxford’s lost poetry professor appeared first on OUPblog.
Some reviewers of the first episodes of the current BBC1 adaptation have dismissed it is over-blown fantasy, even childish, yet Clarke’s characters are only once removed from the very real magical world of early nineteenth-century England. What few readers or viewers realise is that there were magicians similar to Strange and Norrell at the time: there really were 'Friends of English Magic', to whom the novel’s Mr Segundus appealed in a letter to The Times.
The post The real world of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell appeared first on OUPblog.
The Great Bunnimundo wondered if introducing blueberry pancakes
to his act was a good idea afterall.
Toodles!
Hazel
I have a surprise for you guys today. A guest posting by our very own Marva Dasef (organizer of this Blog-A-Thon) and author of Bad Spelling.
Wizards, Sorcerers, Magicians, Warlocks:
These are the males of the species Homo Spellcasterus. Please comment on how you use these terms in your own writing. If you’re not a fiction writer, feel free to give your opinions as well.
A magician, wizard, sorcerer or a person known under one of many other possible terms in fiction is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources. Warlocks, who are normally the male counterpart of witches, tend to be portrayed as evil, perhaps because ‘war’ is part of their title, and who doesn’t hate ‘locks’? Continue reading →
By Alec Ryrie
My book started out as a bit of fun, trying to tell a rollicking good story. I did that, I hope, but I also ended up somewhere more controversial than I expected: caught in the ongoing crossfire between science and religion. What I realised is that you can’t make sense of their relationship without inviting a third ugly sister to the party: magic.
The links between science and magic are pretty obvious. Science, basically, is magic that works. A lot of things that look pretty scientific to us were labelled ‘magic’ in the pre-modern period: chemistry, magnetism, even hydraulics – to say nothing of medicine. The only real difference is that modern science has a rigorous experimental basis. Arthur C. Clarke famously said that sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic. But to the novice, all science is indistinguishable from magic. You try showing a magnet to an astonished four-year-old and asking them how you did it.
Of course, science and magic are supposed to be enemies nowadays. Scientists despise magic, but still read their children fairy tales. Modern pagans dislike ‘scientism’ but they love information technology.
Religion and magic have the same sort of ambiguous relationship. They’re obviously connected: both trying to bring humanity in touch with supernatural powers. And they hate each other: the Abrahamic religions, at least, have always seen magic as heretical if not diabolical, and they view the other way isn’t much more complimentary. But the line between the two is pretty fuzzy. The theory is that magic is about trying to manipulate supernatural powers (with the magician in charge of the process) while religion is about submitting to or petitioning those powers (with God in charge). In practice, that breaks down, as magicians seek transcendent experiences and priests promulgate infallible books or sacraments.
In Christianity, though, this kind of talk has a confessional edge to it. Protestants have always argued that their (OK, full disclosure: our) form of Christianity is less tainted by magic, while Catholicism is riddled with superstition, obscurantism and priestcraft. Writing this book convinced me that this is nonsense.
Yes, Catholicism is more ritualistic. But early Protestantism was up to its neck in magic too. How could it not be? The best minds of the sixteenth century all took magic immensely seriously. It’s true that Protestants were uneasy about the way astrology (say) was being used, but they found it easier to mock it than to prove it wrong. And when they do mock it they sound crude, like flat-earthers denying the moon landings, or creationists using what Richard Dawkins calls ‘the argument from personal incredulity’ to deny evolution.
The truth was that, in the sixteenth century, only a fool would deny that magic was real. The Renaissance was turning the world upside down, sending the Earth round the Sun; explorers were discovering whole new continents. As I say in the book:
In our own age, scepticism and disbelief seem intellectually sophisticated; in the sixteenth century, they seemed self-limiting and perverse. It was unmistakable that there were more things in heaven and earth than had been dreamed of in the old philosophies. Credulity, or at least a willingness to believe, was the only sensible way of looking at the world. And when you have adopted a new mathematics, a new astronomy, a new geography and a new religion, why balk at a new magic?
So I hope the story I’m telling in this book has a serious point to make. I’m not trying to persuade anyone to be a magician (heaven forbid), but to recognise that one of the reasons science and religion have been so antagonistic is that they have a third sibling: this is a family quarrel. And both of them could do with hearing their sister’s wa
I haven't written about magicians, but it sounds like an interesting site. I'll check it out.
And definitely let us know when your book comes out on Kindle.
Thanks, Richard, I'll probably do a post about it when it does. Meanwhile, the magic site really is interesting. It makes you realize what an art "magic" really is.
Oh, wow, your post is full of magical news--a mystery and historical WIP each, Fourth Wish sequels and Fourth Wish on Kindle. I can't wait to read your new books. :)
Michelle
Great information, Elizabeth. Kids do so love magic...and so do I when I can be convinced :-)
What a great resource! And congrats on The Fourth Wish coming out on Kindle - very exciting. My publisher plans to get my books onto Kindle (soon, I hope) as well.
I have a magician in one of my books. This site should help me a lot. Thanks for this great post.
All the best with your Kindle publishing. Wish you lots of success.
Really cool site! I love the idea of having a magician in a novel. Good thing you're writing it because if I did...well...he might really suck. :P
Thanks for the support, Michelle.
Rachna, I'm intrigued to hear you have a magician in your WIP. I'll look forward to reading it.
"Alledged", with inspiration from the magic site, you might do better than you think.
Brooke, keep us posted about your own book coming out on Kindle.
Tim, me too. I love magic and am as entranced as a kid when I see a magic show.