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Alene — Ella in the Cathedral
Published: 2009-01-27 17:49:32 +0000 UTC; Views: 2150; Favourites: 20; Downloads: 0
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Description
A portfolio piece, and an illustration to the novel a friend is writing for her honours. I edit her wonderful story for her, and as she submits a section each week, it provides a good opportunity for me to draw on a set subject, choosing a scene from each section. Some are only sketches, but this is a finished ink piece, of which I'm rather fond. I haven't really worked in black and white for ages.The story is set in an alternate Regency timeline, the girl's name is Ella, and she is copyright Makenzi Crouch. No stealing!
Size: Roughly 10 x 18cm
Time Taken: Probably around 10 hours, all up.
Materials: Black ink and dip pen, 0.1 UniPin Fine Line Pen, Sepia Tint added in Photoshop.
For all those who like Ginger Rogers, I have a portrait of her half done, and a contrast tutorial to go with it. But commissions and portfolio work must come first, I'm afraid. I hope you all like this piece in the meantime.
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Comments: 47
I like the inking in this and the detail, it's very good!
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Thankyou, and thanks for the 
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No problem, it's a nice technique.
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This is really interesting to look at! All those little lines -- I can't imagine how tedious it must have been. 
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Thankyou!
I don't mind crosshatching, actually. It's a bit less fun with a nib and ink than with a fineliner, but not all that tedious - it's sort of relaxing.
How do you like her dress? I had such fun with her hat!
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The mere thought of crosshatching scares me, ha ha!
Her dress is darling! This is going to sound silly, but it reminds me of those sorts of outfits that I always gravitated towards as a child when playing with my dolls, the "homespun" type that always were worn by a heroine.
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Heh, after you've done it for a while, it sort of becomes second nature. I must say, I wasn't fond of it in art classes, but it's grown on me.
It was quite hard deciding what to dress her in, actually. She's a princess, but she's at a funeral, and she's only 6, and it's winter. Eventually I decided that she should be dressed warmly, and not too noticably, all in black. At the funeral, so to speak, but not actually much of a part of it.
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I suppose that's true, knowing what they say about practice and all that. 
Awww...poor little thing.
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I think the problem I used to have with all these pen-and-ink techniques was that we'd be in an art class and be told that we're to draw that huge gum tree over there, and only use crosshatching, or stippling, or whatever. No outlines, and you couldn't mix and match the techniques. Once you can do what you want, it's a lot more fun!
I must say, she doesn't stay quiet and in the background for much of her life. For Ella, this is rather unusual!
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I felt the same way about all my piano teachers when I was little, before I gave it up. They always wanted me to play stupid "nonsense" tunes that I hated. I wanted to play real music, and make something pretty, not plunk away at some corny kindergartener song.
Heheh!
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Yes, really early piano pieces are rather annoying, aren't they? I'm lucky, as I'm not doing exams for piano, so my teacher gives me a nice range of music. I can't say I'm particularly good with classical, though.
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I never got very good at much of anything, I'm afraid. I'd like to take it up again someday though, and learn to play all those Jane Austen-esque pieces!
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Well, after 13 years of piano, I'm not too bad. Definitely no concert pianist, though. 
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LOL! I remember not being very good at timing. I had to have a metronome (sp?). Stupid thing, I hated using it...
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I'm having a lovely (hah) time at the moment, trying to play four notes in the left against a triplet in the right. Arrg!
And I think you spelt it right!
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I have no idea what you're talking about (it's been too long, and I doubt I even learned such things!) but you have my sympathy!
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Well, believe me, it's horrible!
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Okay, I'll take your word for it!
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Very classical-looking! I like it! I like illustrations.
Everyone needs more hours in a day, believe me.
Don't worry; I won't steal. I won't steal it and then not have Degas to make the Van Gogh.
Get it?
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Thankyou! I love illustrations, especially children's illustrations (although there are people who think I'm mad, since I tend to head for the children's section in bookshops!
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LOL, you're not mad, you're just an artist! And artists are called loony bins anyways; who cares? We do whatever we want to do for our art. Our art should be appreciated!
Very 'classical' is how I describe something that looks like it came from the olden days, as my friends categorize my books as being very 'classical'. They're the old, old books that nowadays no teenager really reads. Pity. Only adults appreciate them. Well, I'm sure there are exceptions, but that's the general idea.
Don't ask me to do illustrations--I'm pretty bad at them. I'd rather do portraits or sketches. I find those very amusing. But I like illustrations, though, and that's a pity.
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It's all very confusing, as when you're doing children's illustrations, you actually have to try and do something that the parents like, because they are the ones who buy the books, and something that the children like, and on top of all that, you have to do something the publisher likes. Arrg!
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Ucgh, that sounds like a big conflict there! I think in writing, at least you don't need to worry about that sort of stuff. You just focus on the topic that you're writing on and readers buy the books for themselves and their parents don't buy it for them.
Hmmm... Should my re-writing of "Beauty and the Beast" be an adult or a young adults' novel?
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True. Happily, by the time you get to novels, people tend to be buying, or at least choosing, their own books.
I dunno....
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Yes, no fussy mums to worry about! Novels are usually for older readers, if I recall correctly.
Ah, well, got plenty of time to decide. Now, I have an essay to write!
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Oh, I love to read. Apparently, when I was three, I cried because I couldn't read.
But I also love audiobooks, because they let me have the story, but do other stuff at the same time. I'm just too darn busy!
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Aw, you were born to be a reader!
I don't think kids get enough education in the classics... Most of them scoff and laugh at them for their language and the old-fashioned-ness, but the ideas that are being presented are very important. They didn't learn to appreciate the past pieces of writing (although if they really think it's boring and just can't get into them... That's another thing) and can't grasp the writing.
Well, there are a lot of really silly, shallow romance/clique novels that are just nothing good. They're really just... one-dimensional and no depth at all.
Audiobooks... Here's the thing: I'm deaf in one ear.
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I agree! In fact, I don't think they get enough reading, because there's too much tv and computers and video games and everything like that. I hated the books we had to do in highschool - I would have preferred the classics, and got so incredibly sick and tired of whiny damaged teenagers.
Got a lovely new book today: Show and Tell: Exploring the Fine Art of Children's Book Illustration
And so am I! Not totally, but enough. 
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Well, I really loved the classics. They're just so much more meaningful and deeper than those really self-obsessed teenagers. Take Charles Dickens, Leo Tolstoy, and Jane Austen, for example. Or Alexandre Dumas. Or Gaston Leroux. I've read books where they talk about nothing but clothing and makeup and stuff like that. I wanted to throw up when I read them.
However, there are a couple of good books about teens: Speak is one, and A Great and Terrible Beauty is another. They're very good and really flesh out characters and make you care for them.
Ooh,
Audiobooks... I prefer real books. There's nothing more satisfying than staying up late with the lamp on, the night quiet, and reading a book in the comfort of your own home. It's very tranquil, very peaceful, and you can forget about all your troubles.
Mostly though, I read on the go.
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Very true. I have another to add to that list - Elizabeth Gaskell. Her books have wonderful characters who are strong and get on with their lives, rather than whining. I love her books.
I still had to order the book from overseas (or possibly interstate...). I was able to do it through an australian bookshop this time, though, so I didn't have to pay shipping.
I agree with you there! I love to read late at night. Unfortunately, I also love to draw late at night, when there are no distractions. No one is around to ask me to do stuff, the phone doesn't ring, and I'm just left in peace. So I tend to read on the go as well, since I can't have it both ways. I use audiobooks for my nighttime drawing, to try and get the best of both worlds. Currently, I'm on Margery Allingham's Mystery Mile.
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Ooh, that sounds very interesting. I love characters that are interesting and aren't whiny. If they're whiny, that's just no fun at all. 
Ah, that's good! Well... Lucky. That's all I have to say.
And I love to read late at night. I usually have about an hour by myself after I'm done with homework and then I go and eat and after that I read. So best of both worlds! Though if I have too much homework I stay up all night with coffee and tea.
I'm going to read "Bastard out of Carolina", which is supposed to be a good but somewhat graphic novel. I wanted to read "The Bell Jar", but I couldn't find it in 10 bookshelves! Good heavens... I have a back-ache from stooping over to find that novel! On the other hand, I found "The Man Without Qualities" and "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life".
4--no, 5 novels to read!
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I'm practically addicted to North and South and Wives and Daughters
So many books!
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I myself am addicted to Anna Karenina and Great Expectations.
And I have my own music addiction: Evanescence.
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Well, they're good things to have!
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Ooh, and don't forget "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West"!
OK, hyper moment over. I drew and coloured Elphaba... I got extremely bored and decided to draw her.
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What did you do, if it is of any interest to you?
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Me? I've got two commissions and .... 6 projects underway.
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Yes, don't stress yourself out when it's completely unnecessary!
Hope nothing bad comes your way. That'd be truly awful...
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I'm not stressed.
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Really? I find that doing 10,000 things at one time leads to stress... Hmmm... That's a peculiar condition you have!
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Deadlines lead to stress.
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Wow. I never set deadlines for myself on drawings... So I guess I don't have much stress to speak of.
But however, for my classes, trying to do your homework and taking notes AND trying to reply to my teacher leads to brain overload. And yet I do that every day at class. I guess multi-tasking mathematically doesn't bode too well for me.
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Anything goes, I guess.
Anything new happening with you? I'm working on a drawing of House. I must say, light hair for eyebrows is awfully hard to draw.
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I love how you did the windows. And I can't wait for the Ginger Rogers portrait.
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Thankyou! I'm glad you like the windows - I'm not all that sure about them myself, as they're very white, but I didn't really want to shade them in, either.... very tricky!
I'll try not to be too long with the portrait, then. I think I need more hours in the day!
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