A brief book update or, skirts are hard

For the past week or so, I have been slowly creeping my way through the art for the latest (and final) book illustration. Not creeping because I am savoring every minute of the process. No. Creeping along because this drawing is complex and I want to get it just right. At the moment, I am contemplating the best way to ink the heroine’s long skirt.

Skirts, of course, drape over the body.

William Heath Robinson demonstrates a thin
skirt which clings to the form beneath.

If the artist is smart, she will draw a woman in a skirt made of gossamer material which clings to the woman's form. (See illustration above.) In this way, the figure is shown with just a suggestion of the clinging material.

I am not that smart.

Instead, I have opted for a dress made out of a starched cotton-like fabric. It doesn’t cling and isn’t supported by hoops. So, the skirt must fall in creases only hinting at the woman’s form beneath. If I was a smarter person, I’d use a model. Once again, I am not that smart. However, by drawing the woman’s naked form beneath the clothing I can make some fairly accurate guesses as to where the cloth will crease. Finally, (imagine, if you will, the mound of discarded paper on my studio floor right now), I think I am getting closer to the series of creases that work. The hero’s coat was SO MUCH easier.

Arthur Rackham demonstrates a skirt made of
thicker material falling in stiff pleats.

Oh, and did I mention that the skirt I'm drawing is unpatterned and light-colored? Therefore, white, in pen & ink. Only the wrinkles show. Hard…that’s all I’m saying…

On the positive side, I'll start the final inking of the piece tomorrow.

On Books

A selection of books looking for a bookshelf

After much grimacing, I realized today that I was going to have to get into the boxes in the garage and excavate some books. Now before I go any further I should state for the record that Matt and I are huge bibliophiles. Also, that our rather large book collection requires many, many bookshelves which we are having a devil of a time finding locations for in the new house. Ironically the new place is about the same size as the old place where we had plenty of room for all the books. I don’t understand why but the new house seems just the wrong shape to have enough spots for all our bookcases.

When we first moved in we got out the “critical” book sections and found homes for those. These included my art studio reference, business, fiction, poetry, horses, and some children’s books. The manga (except for two rather sad and dog-eared copies of Immortal Rain) are all in boxes in our bedroom closet. The cookbooks are in boxes in the Family Room waiting for a bookshelf to be painted Plum. The new age books are in the bedroom, I think…

Meanwhile History, Fantasy/Science Fiction, Fine Art, Children’s, and Massage are still waiting to find homes. In utter frustration I have told Matt that we’re going to have to finish the basement in order to create a proper library!

In the meantime, I needed to have some illustrators near to hand to study. So up came Arthur Rackham, Winsor McCay, NC Wyeth, Howard Pyle, Beatrix Potter, Brian Froud, Charles Vess, Michael Kaluta, James Gurney, Mac Raboy, and a variety of Japanese manga and game artists. (I have still not been able to locate Leyendecker... *grump*)

I feel better now…I truly do. Now, if I could only figure out where to put them!