Friday, January 6, 2012

Just Great

This post is dedicated to Annie Swann, great friend of this blog, whose great Art of Narrative blog has wonderful fanciful images, usually from the great Golden Age of Illustration. Annie is a great fan of great illustration, great faerie art, and through seeing some work on this blog, great Beatrice Stevens art.

In total candor, I found the original monotone state of this drawing a bit flat, though totally beautifully drawn. To me it cried out for some sort of tonal values to give it a bit of depth. So, I gave it a duotone treatment. And if you don't like that, for you purists I've included the original state below that.

This is a total side note, but it's an autobiographical blog, so I'm entitled. Before I was married, I dated a couple of young women, who as I got to know them more, revealed that they liked to color with crayons in coloring books, just for mindless relaxation. I found that to be charming and endearing and I never discouraged those sorts of 'hobbies', even though I had no desire to emulate.

Until now. With digital programs I find myself taking existing line art and having at it with colorizing techniques. I can justify that, I tell myself, thinking that I'm training myself to be a colorist for the comics industry, but in reality it is mindless relaxation.

Beatrice Stevens — The Faeries (modern color) — 1917

I love the individual attention each faerie got from Stevens, but especially the one just to the left of the little girl, emulating her pose. A girl and her dog, with a big book of fantasy in her lap — Annie, that's how I visualize you as a kid.

Beatrice Stevens — The Faeries (original state) — 1917

1 comment:

Annie said...

Wow, Thom- I am delighted and all smiles. I'm not even sure what to say, but I love this illustration and your "image" of me as a child. Yes, always, a book in my lap- reading wherever I was, at dinner, outside, on the back porch. I had some favorite fantasy books, but often, at my younger age, it was mysteries that enthralled me. And now, fantasy- I read it and write it, and faerie art like this, touches my heart.

I have a couple of books illustrated by Beatrice Stevens on their way to me, and I've discovered others because of you. Thank you for leading me to her.