I needed to start trying to explore what the illustrations (and characters) might look like for my book idea.  I wanted to get an atmosphere in my head and this drawing has helped.  I’m not sure where this would exactly fit in at the moment, but I don’t think it matters and I like the ambiguity of it.  I’m still imagining a contrast of approaches, so colour, line, wash etc., depending on what feels right.

I looooovvve my black paper but it is difficult to scan, I need to make some more trials – much easier when it’s just white pencil.  I think colour pencils can be magical.  I have the most beautiful catalogue from an exhibition called Mystery and Glitter at the Musée D’Orsay which is full of pastels, and I’m trying to get something of this feel in my drawing…so not aiming high at all then.

I feel like I am getting into the research too – but I don’t need an excuse to watch the masterful Barry Lyndon again on a rainy Sunday afternoon, I still love it despite Ryan O’Neal’s Oirish accent…’dey rush’d Pell Mell over the rampayrts’…etc. etc.

It was great to get back into the black drawings last week, and I really liked the results.  I thought about the ideas I had had a while back for a series of Daphne du Maurier covers, and especially for The Scapegoat, and revisited them for a moment.

I intended the portrait to be less figurative and thought about manual and digital blurring, but the drawing I came up with worked as a repeat pattern, like a carte de visite sheet, but one that is printed slightly off-register.

Sounds a little ridiculous but I feel like it is a step forward in understanding how I can marry the strong sketchbook work I have with something more contextual.  I think the concept works…opinions welcome!

Silvy no. 1