Mervyn Peake

[Jon H]

All this Dreamspire chat has got me rereading some Mervyn Peake. These have got to be my all time favourite novels. Just in a league of their own.

Anyway, enough rambling out of me, here's a totally new illo I did, just for meself. Hope you enjoy looking. Wouldn't this kind of thing make a cool cover? I'm cheaper than you think... (hmmm... or maybe most of you already know how cheap I am)


The record: nearly all digital, includes parts of a model vignette made by my good buddy Richard Dawson (which was some vials of poison and some human bones all arranged with brass nails on a lovely corroded piece of copper...The only down side was that the human bones were pulled off my skeleton. Not my own internal skeleton. Just the one I kept for reference at the time)

Just stop me when this kind of thing gets boring...


EDITED FOR SPELLING

[Eric Lofgren]

Jon, yes, this would make a fine cover. It's loaded with depth on all fronts. The colors, the composition, hell, even the freak factor is deep. I bet a portfolio loaded with stuff like this would land you a book cover somewhere. Keep up the good work and please keep posting.

Thanks for sharing this,
Eric

[Jon H]

Cheers Eric!

The composition was something I gave quite a lot of thought. I was originally going to have the central figure kind of bottom left, but then I just totrally changed my mind, slapped him in the middle and added the vials and skeletons, putting him really in the middle. The skull at the top gave the whole thing an even more totem pole kind of feel. Its an experiment I was quite happy with. Been thinking about composition after looking at Pyle's work yesterday.

I'm not really keen on how the character's face came out. It's missing something - some sort of dirt, or darkness that I can't explain. Then again, he gets described in the book as being "too clean". But I'm still not happy...but hey, that's why I'm doing the next one!

I think I write too much. Sorry.:(

I'm still thinking about what I'm going to write about your Dreamspire sketches, Eric. It's harder to comment on sketches I find. I'd definitely look forward to seeing them worked up further.
Cheers for the positive feedback!

[Eric Lofgren]

Jon, perhaps some sort of baroque, broccade thing subtly coming down his body from his chin, you know, some kind of clothing decoration. I hope that wasn't too technical for you LOL:D I don't see too much wrong with the face, so maybe this might suffice.

As for my sketches, from the heart is all I ask. I wouldn't normally post unfinished pieces, unless it backed up a topic, but in this case, I'm supporting Matt in his project.

Eric

[Gareth-Michael Skarka]

Originally posted by Eric Lofgren
I bet a portfolio loaded with stuff like this would land you a book cover somewhere.

I'll go even one step further.

Jon, if you have more digital stuff like this within you, I can pretty much GUARANTEE you *several* book covers in the <i>UnderWorld: Second Edition </i>line, starting later this year. The Mervyn Peake feel is perfect, and the digital medium fits in with the look that we're going for.

Point me to more digital samples, so I can show them to my partners, and I'll be in touch privately.

GMS

[Jon H]

Thank you very much indeed. One very grateful artist. Looking forward to hearing from you!

As far as more digital samples on the net goes, I'm stumped - I'm in the middle of updating my site, plus just coming out of a series of tight deadlines. However, I do have three or four pieces which are relevant, so I'm sure we can work something out. Cd via snailmail, email the files to you...




Eric - good advice! I'm gonna change it.







:eek: The garthim!

[chriss2d]

Jon,

I'm always so envious of people who have such a great sense of design. Awesome job! The mixed medium look of this piece instantly says cover to me. I also commend you on the color scheme. Very well thought out and executed. You can never go wrong with skulls can you.
Great piece!

[Matt_Snyder]

Jon, this pic is wonderful -- and I LOVE the subject. Ahh, Steerpike. My all-time favorite villain.

Thanks for mentioning Dreamspire -- that gets you more points than you've already earned. I'll be dropping you an email very soon ...

Keep up the great vision!
Matt

[Jon H]

I'm really pleased that you liked it!

Chris - thanks - I don't know about a great sense of design, but I'm happy that the thought I put in came out again (does that make any sense??)

Matt- ah Steerpike, wonderful, malignant Steerpike. Can't go wrong with old Pikey can you? Glad you like it. Dreamspire. There. I did it again. One good turn and all that...;)

Sorry if these replies are a bit strange - I'm worn out from writing a very carefully worded piece over on Gimgolas's red hot thread...don't know why I'm giving that one any more attention, it's got plenty already...:D

Dreamspire