Tales of the sea
August 9th, 2009 § 10 Comments
As promised a bit of a blurb about my last IF illustration (found in the previous post).
I chose the colour scheme and had the background painted long before I found this stunning shot by Prescott Pym. It was exactly the gentle stillness of first light I was looking for. I had pictured a soft, almost misty view where the sea blends away into the sky. And this image was gorgeous confirmation I was on the right track.
I’ve always adored foreign folk tales; Japanese, Russian, Irish… No matter where they are from, they all seem to push my romantic buttons. One of my favourite films is ‘The Secret of Roan Inish’ with it’s Selkie heart and achingly beautiful mood. That’s what I had in mind as I was scribbling away… But perhaps she was more a Vietnamese fisher woman, with long, long hair, woven into a beautiful throw net…
Oh, and that net; let me tell you, not easy!! So I went to my kid’s dress up box for advice. You know I never realised how versatile tulle could be. Silly really, it is a fairy skirt after all and totally in keeping with the theme.
So that’s it, the post illustration work in progress post or ‘PIWIPP’ if you like. There are still some tweaks needed to make it more successful but I love the colour scheme and I love the idea that perhaps she is bewitched and changes shape each day in the quiet stillness of sunrise.
Images | Hamilton Island Sunrise Redux, Prescott Pym | Fishermen with nets on the sea Bali, Tropenmuseum Amsterdam
Alisa – You are one TRULY talented woman…this is a fantastic post. Thank you for sharing your process, from concept to gorgeous completion. Love that you found that valued piece of tuile in your kid’s box..that is so fun. My two girls are complete sources of inspiration for my work..so I completely get it! I am so delayed in visiting, but know that I am a FAN! Love your recent posts as well – you are right, Zara’s photo is so lovely, and your homage to her is spectacular. I do agree. For some reason I always have trouble getting the contrast up when I post..but you’ve clearly fixed that. Stunning work as always!! I shall be back..
Alisa, I love the sketch with the net coming out of the girl’s hair! these are so graceful and so is the finished piece! I just love your work and seeing the process as well
work in progress is so magical~
it’s beautiful! love the colours and all the detail that went into it
Hey Alisa,
I too enjoying seeing sketches and work leading up to the final work. Your illustrations are stunning.Thanks for your comments and for giving me another great place to visit.
Cheers.
Hi Alisa. Such an evocative, inspiring illustration- I really enjoy watching the process of looking for references and further decision making in the making of an artwork-
Thank you so much for visiting my blog and sharing your thoughts-
Have a lovely day,
Annamaria
Thanks for your lovely comment:)
All your creations are very beautiful and inspiring!
Thank you and I love to visit you again:)
Beautiful work. Very nice. Love the colored version below.
Hi Alisa! What a really nice illustration. I love the color, line work and the movement in this piece. And thanks for sharing your process! It’s always nice to see how illustrations come to life.
Cheers,
Julissa
I love this post! Not only did I love the finished piece, but it is so interesting to see the work in progress. Again, your ability to draw – especially the figure astounds me, and you did a great job with her hair transitioning into the net.
Also – I love seeing where you find inspiration. Isn’t it funny how certain ideas or colors will get stuck in our heads until we’re able to find ways to express them (or see how others have expressed these ideas)? Also – it is fun to find ways to solve problems (ie – the tulle in your daughter’s fairy dress)?
My husband is an accountant – and he tells me that his job is all about finding and then fixing problems. I tell him that is exactly what an artist does, too.
thanks for sharing your process with us.
-catania