Sketchbook explorations.
“And what had been but a lonely fire in the night, with no more mystery than pertains to all such fires, flared suddenly into a thing that wanderers feared.”-Lord Dunsany, The King Of Elfland’s Daughter
Saint's Glory.
Linocut, hand burnished.
The Felling Of Tam Lin
“Hold me fast, and fear me not.”
A tutorial on making the painting can be found here: patreon.com/ethanaldridge
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/ethanmaldridge
Happy New Year! May your 2019 year be filled with good stories and grand adventures. . . . . . #happynewyear #newyearseve #illustration #art #fantasy #knight #faerie #fairy #fey #magic #characterdesign #comic #graphicnovel https://www.instagram.com/p/BsDvJnZBRN3/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=vtdkom41v72a
I sometimes do broadcasts over on Periscope, and tonight's was a sketchbook drawing based on the work of master puppet craftsman Max Humphries.
Here’s a glimpse into my creative process for GUARD, my contribution for 1001 Knights. At the top is a spread from my sketchbook. Here is where I play with ideas, and keep things REALLY loose. I sketch down the general gist of pretty much any idea that pops into my head. Once I have a good batch of options, I pick two or three and develop them furhter, playing with composition, color and lighting.
As you can see, the color sketch (middle) turned out a bit different than the final (bottom). Originally, the two boys were meant to be classic knights, armor and all, but in the end I felt giving them a more modern look gave the illustrationa more interesting narrative feel. I also changed the composition and framing of the Dragon, to help guide the viewers eye more.
As of this posting, there are only 33 hours left to Kickstarter, the only way to get these beautiful books! Get yours now HERE
“GUARD” ink and watercolor
This is my contribution to 1001 KNIGHTS, a three book anthology of comics, illustration, poetry and prose, created by over 250 artists from all over the world. This amazing project is created and edited by uber-talents @kevinjaystanton and @anniestoll . The books focus on themes of feminism, diversity, and people-positivity through the lens of knighthood.
There are so many incredible artists involved, from industry rock stars to indie newcomers and everything in between. I’m so pleased to have been invited to be a part of it.
The only way to ensure you get copies of the books is to contribute to the Kickstarter (which has 10 days left and is over 200% funded!). Click HERE to get the books, see the other artists, and score all kinds of other cool loot!
Here’s a glimpse from my piece for the 1001 Knights anthology, a brilliant trilogy of books put together by the amazing @anniestoll and @kevinjaystanton . The books are a collection of over 250 artists from all over the world creating illustrations, prose, poetry, and comics all focusing on Knights. The anthology is people-positive with feminist overtones, and it’s awesome.
If you’d like to get your hands on these beautiful volumes, joing the kickstarter HERE .
I’ll post the full piece early next week. Until then!