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Sigune β Diffidence
Published: 2011-01-06 15:00:22 +0000 UTC; Views: 1991; Favourites: 54; Downloads: 22
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Description
This is for the "Artful Snape" challenge at #Spinners--End . My natural inclination would have been to go with Aubrey Beardsley or another black-and-white illustrator of the 1890s, but everybody is Breadsleying Snape all the time. So instead I looked closer to home and went for the Belgian Symbolism of Fernand Khnopff. Khnopff took me WAY out of my comfort zone because he uses almost no lines ;_; . He's also a master of the pencil, something I am decidedly not. Despite that, this was kind of fun to do
.This picture was based on a drawing called "Diffidence", also called "La DΓ©fiance" or "Lilie" (all totally different things, for some reason
), from 1893. I used the same media as the original: graphite pencils and colour pencils.
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Comments: 47
This is so pretty and yet so appropriate to Snape. AREN'T YOU CLEVER WITH THAT LILY IN THERE.
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Not really 
Glad you like it!
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Wow! This channels your source perfectly while still providing your very own take on Snape.
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Your Snape has always been one of my favs. This style suits him well.
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Hee! I adore your Snape, and all of your artwork actually, so I'm squeeing right now because you like my version too 
I wasn't sure at first how this style was going to work for Snape, but it turned out to be surprisingly suitable for his character. If a little less suitable for my skill level
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I think your skill level is quite up to the challenge
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Thank you!
He's more handsome than he should be, but I'm afraid that's a side effect of my struggle with Mr Khnopff...
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There are so many amazing works of art in this Challenge. I keep thinking I've seen the one I expect to vote for (assuming I can't vote for myself in proper Slytherin fashion), and then something like this comes along to re-set the bar.
Spinner's End should do this challenge again some time. And I promise to come up with something that doesn't reference W.S. Gilbert. Snape by Ditko?
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But I love your Gilbertian Snape stuff! The more, the better! (Victorianist speaking 
It's a very fruitful challenge, isn't it? And fun too
Glad you like my conrtibution!
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I'm already thinking about one for Voldemort: "When in crime one is fully employed / Your expression gets warped and destroyed; / It's a penalty none can avoid. / I once was a nice-looking youth!" I even found a Bab drawing of a nice-looking youth that I'd hardly have to alter at all. Never try to improve on Mr Gilbert!
And another one for Sev: "From such a face and form as mine, the noblest sentiments sound like the black utterance of a depraved imagination. It's human nature; I am resigned."
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Hello
I mean to say that we don't vote, because there are no competition in the challenge. The contests with winners (and therefore losers) made us fear that some people (as myself) would be afraid of the competition and not try to draw for the sheer pleasure to do it and to celebrate Snape. We'd like, though, to do something special to thank the participants and we'd like to receive any suggestion about our challenges and what can be done.
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Wow, that heroic chin and jaw, the imperious gaze 
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Thank you very much!
It was very interesting, tackling Khnopff - at first I didn't know how to draw 
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I can't explain why but I really love it ! The composition is great and I love the contrast between the white Lily and Snape's face
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Thank you!
The composition is Khnopff's, so I can't take credit for it - but at least I chose the paper and coloured the lily
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Aaah, Khnopff, one of my favourites!
I'm gladly noticing that half the entries of this challenge are based on paintings portraying women - to go back to the old discussion about Snape's femininity. To say the truth, had I not gone for Picasso's absinthe drinker, I would have modelled my entry over a portrait of a young man by my beloved Bronzino.
(and your Severus here is definitely handsome, no matter what you might say)
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Another thingy: look how many entries are based on turn-of-the-century art...
*iz happy Victorianist*
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Maybe is also an artistic period well known by the general HP fan. Or maybe it's just the decadent, melancholic, nostalgic, angsty mood. I would have difficulties in imagining Snape in a Pre-Raphaelite setting, for example - too luscious for him. And our Quattrocento - too neat, too bright.
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Forgot to say: I didn't know Khnopff was a favourite of yours
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My VERY favourite painting of all time is Bronzino's Allegory of Venus and Cupid at the National Gallery [link] : sensuality, allegory, symbolism, great skin tones and a wonderful villain (Fraud).
My favourite Khnopff is Silence [link] that I used as an inspiration for [link]
In a certain sense, Bronzino and Khnopff share similar characteristics: apparent coldness (but only in the sense that il y a du feu sous la glace), symbolism, an aura of mystery around their figures
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Oooh, nicely put
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I forgot to add: languid sensuality.
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An old discussion about Snape's feminity ? Sounds very interesting...
I don't know precisely where it does come from...He's indeed masculine AND feminine for me...It is even fascinating, actually. More masculine in the end, but I guess it's the feline touch, the catlike touch - it adds a femininity to the character to my eyes. It partly explains why I don't see Snape in A. Rickman's interpretation (Alan Rickman is definitely the all manly charm type)...It's interesting to notice that other HP characters are, on the contrary, definitely masculine and not "feminizable" much...
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Heh. I regurlalry go off on rants about the definition of "femininity" and "masculinity" - I'll just not start
Cabepfir wrote an interesting essay about Snape and femininity - on a more profound level that what I am prattling about. I haven't got a link ready, but I'll have a look and see if I can recover it...
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Sounds very interesting. I'm interested.
I don't see Snape as particularly short, but not tall, sure. I thought he was tall before, but I understood my mistake and changed my vision...He is said as smaller than the taller men in the books, so I think he should have an average height for a man, or we would have heard of his short or tall height, what is not the case, while we do regularly read that he is thin...Snape for me is a special case for the way he moves and the postures he can have - he is singled out in his descriptions in the books for that. It is not effeminate, but ... Exactly, I don't see him as effeminate but with feminine features. His psychology and way to interract, his reasoning, are clearly masculine, though - in his own and elegant way
Honestly, I'm always interested in the most feminine visual depictions of him, when the strength and masculinity of the character is still visible, in the end. It adds a complexity to a person, in a troubling way.
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This is the much criticized essay Sigune was talking of [link] , my first and - until now - last foray into HP criticism. You may not agree, since I talk very badly about JKR there
Snape's height is never mentioned in the books, I believe, but in fics he's often described as tall - to match the "tall, dark, mysterious" hero type. Although, I prefer Sigune's own depicton of him, as a slighlty short man. Being a short woman myself, I like not too tall men
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You may not agree, since I talk very badly about JKR there
Lol
Yaih, he's tall everywhere, but not in the books...I like it too in Sigune's depiction, because it precisely underlines that he is not the "tall, dark, mysterious" hero type. For me, loving the "tall, dark, mysterious" hero type is too easy, it goes against the idea that Snape incarnates (The truth is different, les apparences sont trompeuses). I think it's very right - that he is not physically the conventional all mighty tall type. Well, I'd not make a shortish man of him, just because it is never mentioned and therefore it is not a noticeable feature of his (usually, when there is something special about his looks, we hear of it XD), but the fact he is thin and not so tall underlines that naturally, he is not imposing physically in a conventional way for a man and gets a presence in the years, with his dramatic robes and demeanor and his shining aura... Actually, once I understood that he is not that tall, it did change my perception of him and I think it is so telling about him ... *in love*
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Actually, once I understood that he is not that tall, it did change my perception of him and I think it is so telling about him ... *in love*
Same here. When you realise that he is actually not very tall, you understand that he dresses for effect and that he actually undertakes efforts to look imposing
β₯ Snape
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The whole idea about it - the ugly duckling, and that he may be not that ugly, but still, not that easily attractive, not that strong and imposing; probably vulnerable, certainly mocked for his looks, if doesn't do anything about it (to be feared, not to seduce), so that all will be in his brains, his magic, his attitude and his tongue...
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I agree about preferring short men. I'm 4'10" and I like someone I can reach.
I assume that Snape is of average height, which in 5'9" for men in the US and probably in the UK as well, but he carries himself in such a way that he gives the impression of being taller. And of course he looms over the younger students, which would doubtless make a lasting imprint on their minds.
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But...but...he's only handsome because of Khnopff! I didn't know what to do because I had to avoid using lines 
I decided between Klimt and Khnopff. Klimt has maybe drawn three or four men in total (two of which in his erotic drawings
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The man drawn above is definitely handsome, and his eyes aren't cold at all
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Consider with whom you are talking: a person whose favourite characters are liars, murderers, and tyrants. My definition of "cold" can be narrow
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*sniff*
*sniff*
... All right then.
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Yes, he's handsome. And elegant...
This drawing surprised me and it is very interesting, really - it is different and still in your style. The eyebrows and expression have the touch you often give your Snape - haughtily calm and at the same time detached and precisely present, reacting to the surrounding (hard to explain)...The idea for this portrait is striking ( "La DΓ©fiance" or "Lilie")...And it has this touch I associate with the late XIXth century, early XXth century...What finally fits the HP magical world and Snape in his character...Well...A conceptual style (if non conceptual styles ever exist...Not that the expression is clear, again).
Thanks for this and the symbolism!...
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I'm very glad you like it!
The portrait with the lily was a gift to work with, of course. But it was surprisingly difficult to find some sort of middle road between my Snape and a Khnopffish style. At the same time, the Symbolist atmosphere is good for Snape
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Hell, I'm working on my entry (I hope I will finish it in time!!!) and I have the same problem. It is not that easy - using a precise style, so that it would be recognizable, and at the same time not imitate it to a point, where it would be a simple copy, AND all along making a convincing Snape with it. Actually, it is one of the reasons why I like this whole fan art thing. You're supposed to use a different style from the original (a personal style, not a copy of the original creation), and still make the characters identifiable by the others. It is always challenging...but this time IT IS SUPER CHALLENGING.
Yes, and there are many concepts we can use about him. :nose:
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