Lenape Royal Family Tree

Here are some experiments with the Lenape family tree that will appear on the front end paper of the book. The tree will be an approximation of a large old elm. The family names and dates will appear on flowing bands.

The Value of Light

In art terms, value refers to the relationship of light to dark.

Taking this burning barn illustration as an example, a drawing goes through these stages: thumbnail (conceiving the idea in small scribble form as seen left and below); developmental sketches (fleshing out and enlarging upon the small thumbnail); research (finding the correct barn type for the era and location); draft sketch (learning exactly how to draw the barn); and value studies.

The drawing at the top of this post is a value study. It is not a final drawing but rather one which explores the relationship between the lights and darks of the image. The challenge is to make white paper appear to be glowing by applying pencil.

Stepping off from here, the image moves ever-closer to the finished stage. This particular drawing will not be a full color one but rather a sepia-toned image.

The finished piece will be done larger than the final reproduction size of about 8 by 9 inches. Black pencil will be applied to a sheet of 14 by 17-inch, bright white Bristol paper, and then digitally toned to a warmer, sepia appearance.

Draft sketch specifying details of the barn's shape and type.

Figuring It Out: Even More Sketches

Diagram of the William Penn "Great Treaty" wampum belt

These medium-sized sketches, like those that came before, are used to figure out the details of the final drawings to come. Think of them as "working drawings." The drawings follow extensive research identifying items that really could have existed in the historic context of the story.

Sketches below include costumes for Shshash (Wynonah's husband), Esther Harris (a founder of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), our heroine Wynonah, aged 10, and her mother; also, patterns for bulrush mats used to decorate the inside wall of Wynonah's wigwam; and various food utensils and storage vessels.

See eight new pages of sketches like these in the photos section of our Facebook Page.

Pentemente: Sketches of Wynonah

In this early stage of developmental drawing I find it convenient to work on small sheets of tracing paper. Individual parts of the composition can easily be moved around within the border of the work area, and also it is easier to adjust each drawing simply by retracing the good parts and altering the rest.

After sketching the George/Wynonah campfire idea in thumbnail form, I used a full-length mirror to see how the pose would be held in reality. The pose changed several times as I extended my arms in friendship the way Wynonah did.

As seen in the last post, I then did a quick gesture sketch (my sister posed), and based on this I went to the tracing paper. A simple drawing of the rigid skeleton allowed me to flesh out the body, and the fleshed-out form could then be draped in clothing that the manuscript and further research told me she must have worn.

A third version shows the pose changed yet again with not one, but two arms offering the turtle shell cup full of sassafras tea.

Future versions will include refined contours, light and shadow, and color. Last of all the final illustration will incorporate Wynonah, George, and the various items they brought to stay safe, warm, and well-fed on their journey.

Lots of Sketches

The rough sketches seen here are just a few of many which will all contribute to only one of the book's finished illustrations-- the campfire scene.

The devil is in the details! For example, did you know Lenape women wore their wrap-around skirts generally wrapped counter-clockwise? I didn't. Did you know George Washington kept his journal sometimes on interleaved pages in the Virginia Almanac?

After many days of research I have culled enough information (for now) to begin assembling a final composition. Every detail of Wynonah's and George Washington's appearance-- from clothing to bags, food utensils, writing implements-- has been considered.

See more of the "campfire" sketches on our Facebook page! While you're at it, don't forget to "LIKE" us both there and on this blog. You'll get more updates and sneak peeks from both the art blog and the Facebook page.

Sketches of George

Using the bust seen in the last post and some of the thumbnail sketch ideas seen in older posts, I refined the sketch of George Washington by the campfire. More sketches will follow but the ones seen here experiment with lighting and poses.

In the first sketch we get a solid, rough idea of George at the fire, but I wanted his pose to be more dynamic and also more "open" to Wynonah, who will be seated opposite him. In the more complete sketch he doesn't have the appearance of someone who will meet her halfway. In the second sketch he is more relaxed and reaches farther out to her.

Some challenges in this image include how to fit George comfortably on the page without putting his face in the gutter of the book; also how to balance the composition nicely. The "Rule of Thirds" suggests that objects of interest are pleasing to the eye when they fall along the one-third division lines of a composition; however in this case, the one-third line is the book gutter!

Another challenge will be for George the image to live up to George the legend. In Gretchen's text young Washington's physique is described as "extraordinary." He will of course be clothed in the final image but it helps to start with the human form, and then clothe it.