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Theophilia — Alyosha visits the sick Ivan

Published: 2010-07-21 03:57:39 +0000 UTC; Views: 12914; Favourites: 147; Downloads: 46
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Description "The Brothers Karamazov: Alyosha visits Ivan"
July 20th, 2010
Board, Pencil, sepia and black india ink


Quite frankly, I can't think of a very good title for this picture. They're all so lame....Ah well, so this picture was a request from a friend of mine (and I'm going to give it to her for her birthday ). She wanted me to draw the scene where Alyosha visits his sick brother Ivan with Katerina taking care of him. A rather simple request, but since I am not knowledgable at ALL in the clothing, architecture, furniture and fashions of 19th century Russia it took quite a great deal of research, not to mention that the perspective in it KILLED ME. Perspective is the bane of my existence when it comes to drawing. Agh....

I tried to make the lighting a bit dramatic, but I think I didn't leave in enough whites. You may notice that I did try a few new things in here that I usually don't do: monochromatic colors, all ink washes and lots of cross hatching. I wanted to try and get an old sepia photograph look, but I'm not quite sure if I did, anyhow, I still have problems with it (Gah! the perspective! The cross hatching!) but I'm generally pretty happy with it. And I'm pretty sure Katya's dress, the bed, the chair, the door, the curtains and the wall paper are period correct. At least, I hope they are. If they aren't, please someone more knowledgeble in the time period correct me. Oh, and one last thing I want to point about, but anyone want to take a guess on what the icon is? Anyone? *nudge* *nudge* *wink*

"Very early, at nine o'clock in the morning, five days after the trial, Alyosha went to Katerina Ivanovna's to talk over a matter of great importance to both of them, and to give her a message. She sat and talked to him in the very room in which she had once received Grushenka. In the next room Ivan Fyodorovitch lay unconscious in a high fever. Katerina Ivanovna had immediately after the scene at the trial ordered the sick and unconscious man to be carried to her house, disregarding the inevitable gossip and general disapproval of the public. One of two relations who lived with her had departed to Moscow immediately after the scene in court, the other remained. But if both had gone away, Katerina Ivanovna would have adhered to her resolution, and would have gone on nursing the sick man and sitting by him day and night. Varvinsky and Herzenstube were attending him. The famous doctor had gone back to Moscow, refusing to give an opinion as to the probable end of the illness. Though the doctors encouraged Katerina Ivanovna and Alyosha, it was evident that they could not yet give them positive hopes of recovery.

Alyosha came to see his sick brother twice a day. But this time he had specially urgent business, and he foresaw how difficult it would be to approach the subject, yet he was in great haste. He had another engagement that could not be put off for that same morning, and there was need of haste."

~ Epilogue, "The Brothers Karamazov" by Fyodor Dostoevsky ([link] )

*sighs* Ahhh.....I love that book. Fyodor Dostoevsky for the win.
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Comments: 105

Theophilia In reply to ??? [2012-09-27 23:15:13 +0000 UTC]

Ah, great book. I hope you enjoy as much as I did. I'll have to re-read it sometime.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Demico-Art In reply to Theophilia [2012-09-28 04:15:56 +0000 UTC]

I read one forth of it, and I'm already enjoying it And it's great to know that people from outside of Russia enjoy it too and draw such great illustrations to it

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to Demico-Art [2012-09-29 03:59:46 +0000 UTC]

Awesome!

Yeah, I'd love to re-read it and draw more illustrations of it. Especially of Alyosha; he's my favorite.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Demico-Art In reply to Theophilia [2012-09-29 04:49:37 +0000 UTC]

I rather like him He's a sweetie.
Did you watch any movies based on this book? Look at this Alyoshia from the Russian series made in 2008 [link]
Extremely cute, isn't he?

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Austenaire24 [2012-06-04 01:18:15 +0000 UTC]

love this book! and the piece! awesome work!
[link]

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to Austenaire24 [2012-06-04 12:11:37 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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nanema [2012-05-30 02:11:15 +0000 UTC]

this was a really cool painting - dostoevsky...what could be said that hasn't been said before? he's my absolute favorite writer.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to nanema [2012-05-30 15:10:10 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! He is an amazing writer.

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NehliraFalcon50 [2012-04-03 23:37:32 +0000 UTC]

I LOVE this book !! You did such a great job with this drawing

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to NehliraFalcon50 [2012-04-10 02:15:36 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! I love the Brothers K. too.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

NehliraFalcon50 In reply to Theophilia [2012-04-10 23:20:59 +0000 UTC]

You're very welcome!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Sar05 [2011-10-24 03:53:13 +0000 UTC]

My God I can tell that you heavily researched for this scene, and it has paid off. The clothing and funiture are what I have pictured not only of that time, but of that scene as well. And the coloring is heavily somber, showing just how grave both Katerina and Alyosha are.
I also have to say that I am in love with both Ivan and Katerina--they were my favorite characters in the whole book. Beautiful job!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to Sar05 [2011-10-30 19:42:13 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so very much!

I did have to do a lot of research for this scene because I am utterly ignorant of the fashions of 19th century Russia. So I had some homework to do on it. But thank you!

Heheheh, I have to say, Alyosha was my favorite, he's such a loveable little person!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

minutia-r [2011-08-03 12:44:46 +0000 UTC]

Wow, the mood here is lovely, and all the details are amazing. I love this.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to minutia-r [2011-08-04 17:45:29 +0000 UTC]

THANK YOU!!! The book is AWESOME, have you ever read it?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

minutia-r In reply to Theophilia [2011-08-05 03:30:52 +0000 UTC]

Yes, it's one of my favorites!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Jeidh [2011-05-26 05:52:25 +0000 UTC]

Excelent

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to Jeidh [2011-05-26 13:56:13 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Jeidh In reply to Theophilia [2011-05-28 03:45:18 +0000 UTC]

Thank you for your work

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to Jeidh [2011-05-28 14:02:51 +0000 UTC]

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

LynxMaid [2011-02-06 22:32:05 +0000 UTC]

I think that the faces of the two men show a good balance between family resemblance and uniqueness.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to LynxMaid [2011-02-07 03:18:18 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! ^^ I hope so, but then again, I just make all my people look really similar...

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

ImagenAshyun [2011-02-05 05:12:33 +0000 UTC]

This is amazing!!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to ImagenAshyun [2011-02-07 03:16:46 +0000 UTC]

THANK YOU!!!!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

TheBrassGlass [2011-02-05 03:29:16 +0000 UTC]

I saw the title of this and knew exactly what it was from. I Dostoevsky. This is a very beautiful, very fitting illustration.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to TheBrassGlass [2011-02-07 03:17:38 +0000 UTC]

THANKS!!! ^^ I just LOVELOVELOOOOOVE Dostoevsky. He is the sheez. I want to like, illustrate the entire book, but that'd take forever and a day.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Not-a-Great-Artist [2010-07-29 16:39:12 +0000 UTC]

I'm always impressed with how detailed your pictures are but this one is particularly amazing!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to Not-a-Great-Artist [2010-07-30 01:37:01 +0000 UTC]

Awwww, shucks, thank you! ^^

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Not-a-Great-Artist In reply to Theophilia [2010-07-30 21:08:00 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome! Keep up the awesome job!!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

FaeTian [2010-07-29 16:08:19 +0000 UTC]

This is very well done! I love the details! Keep up the good work!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to FaeTian [2010-07-30 01:36:34 +0000 UTC]

Awww, thanks so much! I'll try and keep doing art. I get distracted so eaily.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

FireFiriel [2010-07-26 04:47:35 +0000 UTC]

Wow! You rocked that interior! I can't think of any other interiors you drawn so even more impressive! I want to do interiors like that for Beckyless!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to FireFiriel [2010-07-26 15:32:13 +0000 UTC]

Oh wow, thanks! Yeah...now that I think of it, I don't do much inside drawing do I? Maybe its the perspective that scares me off.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

FireFiriel In reply to Theophilia [2010-07-27 19:03:43 +0000 UTC]

Welcome! Yeah, I think alot of people are intimidated by interiors, both because of perspective and because it's so hard to achieve all the little details that make a place look like a real place where people live and do things.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to FireFiriel [2010-07-29 21:57:25 +0000 UTC]

That's true. for me it's mostly the perspective though, just because I love the little detailly things (and they help cover up my botched perspective )

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

FireFiriel In reply to Theophilia [2010-07-30 16:39:57 +0000 UTC]

Mmm, that's the hardest part. Me, I love the details in theory but no matter how many I put in it never achieves a real lived-in cluttered feel... sigh. Ah well, more to strive for. ^_^

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aru-lover [2010-07-25 22:51:19 +0000 UTC]

You have such a flare for detail.

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Theophilia In reply to aru-lover [2010-07-25 22:55:34 +0000 UTC]

Hahah, thanks. Perhaps too much of one.

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aru-lover In reply to Theophilia [2010-08-14 18:59:17 +0000 UTC]

No such thing!! XD

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spoonybards [2010-07-22 23:58:23 +0000 UTC]

Wooow, gorgeous!! Great depiction of this scene, I like how you draw the characters too :3

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Theophilia In reply to spoonybards [2010-07-25 17:44:49 +0000 UTC]

Awww, thank you! I should draw them more, because I love that book and those charcaters. I guess I just need more inspiration.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

sw33tp34 [2010-07-22 17:48:31 +0000 UTC]

Very nice shading. I especially like the ripples in the fabric.

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Theophilia In reply to sw33tp34 [2010-07-25 17:44:01 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! Yeah, shading and wrinkles are rather hard when you don't have a reference to look at it, but I'm pretty satisfied with it.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

sw33tp34 [2010-07-22 17:26:41 +0000 UTC]

Try as I might to read that book, I couldn't. There's just so much dialogue and talking. I like the parts of the book that make you think. Like The Grand Inquisitor.

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Theophilia In reply to sw33tp34 [2010-07-25 23:34:17 +0000 UTC]

Oh, I loved the talking. You don't get that in books nowadays. It's all about plot to the ext explosion. I love getting to know the characters. I can fully appreciate that it's slow, but I suppose I liked that part of it. I found it really facinating to read.

Oh yeah, I toally agree. the grand Inquisiter was good, but Father's Zosimov's whole thing was amazing too. I loved that.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Al-LZQ [2010-07-22 09:58:38 +0000 UTC]

Wow =O

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to Al-LZQ [2010-07-22 18:32:34 +0000 UTC]

Hahah, thanks! ^^

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Destichado [2010-07-22 00:52:19 +0000 UTC]

...You liked Dostoevsky? You're not supposed to LIKE Dostoevsky! That's the point! He's supposed to make you so depressed by what he writes that everything about your own life looks better!

"It's a Russian thing. When we're about to do something stupid, we like to catalog the full extent of our stupidity for future reference."
(Item one: I picked up a book by Dostoevsky...)



Seriously, though. Outside of your iconography, this is probably your best work to date. The composition of the picture, its balance, and the research you did is all top notch.
You know as well as anyone that there's always room for improvement, but this is very very good. Be proud.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to Destichado [2010-07-25 23:50:12 +0000 UTC]

Awww! Dostoevsky is amazing.

Hahahah, poor Russians. they seem to have a massive capacity for suffering, kind of like the Polish and the Hebrews.

Thanks!!! My sister really liked it too, maybe it's that I'm actually using perspective (which is hard for me). Again, thank you!!! I always appreciate your comments.

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Drocan [2010-07-22 00:41:00 +0000 UTC]

Fantastic! Great tone all around.

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