Colors for George

Here's a concept sketch showing how George Washington might appear in color. I've sketched this same page probably six times already and it's finally shaping up into something I like. This is not the final image.

The uniform is his colonel's uniform in the Virginia Regiment. Keeping the color scheme in the red-white-blue range we get hints of historic events yet to come.

The spyglass (based on one of Washington's own spyglasses) plays an important role in the story.

George and Wynonah Campfire Colors

I have been experimenting with the two illustrations involving campfires-- basically trying to create a unique identity and feel for each one, even though both involve people sitting by campfires.

Storytelling With Sassoonan

The Sassoonan sketches that appeared in earlier posts were made for one purpose: to help me envision Sassoonan's appearance on page 8 of the book. In that scene, family members gather around the fire to share stories.

The image above helps me place Sassoonan's face in a context of other people, under certain lighting conditions.

Sassoonan Version Five

Here we have the same sketch seen in versions three and four, but re-worked. I used a Q-tip with some alcohol to smooth the color, and emphasized the masculine features more, including more prominent chin, cheekbones, and brow ridge.

Sassoonan Version Four

This sketch is actually the same sketch seen in the last post, but the complementary colors (yellow and violet) have been blended and layered more to add depth and warmth. Also, black and umber colors have been added to create greater contrast. A colorless blender has been used to smooth color by filling in the white depressions caused by the paper texture.

Sassoonan's face is a challenge-- combining lighting environment, character, and many wrinkles. Click on the "Sassoonan" link at the foot of this post to see the many incarnations of this face. I find that no matter how much I think I know, drawing is still always a learning process.

Read below for more information on version three, which is really the "under-painting" of the version four drawing:

Sassoonan's Face: Second Attempt

Here is my second rough attempt to draw Sassoonan's face. It's actually a re-worked version of the drawing seen in the last post. I've darkened it quite a bit-- allowing the fire below his face to cast shadows more assertively on the upper parts. Also I've attempted to age him more, and to remove the "startled" look. Drawing people is quite challenging!

Sassoonan's Face (First Version)

This is practice for a page where we see back into Wynonah's youth: Uncle Sassoonan is telling stories to younger people by the light of the fire.

Anatomically this face can be done better, and so can the lighting. The purpose of this was to familiarize myself with the problems I will encounter when trying to make the final image.

Also drawings like this help me create a color palette-- a chosen, limited set of colors-- for each page. Colors don't simply tell us what color things are; more importantly they convey mood and atmosphere.