Countdown to Kvothe

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss took me by surprise. I didn't know what to expect. Orson Scott Card had given it a huge thumbs up and I was going on his review of the book when I invested in the hardback. Rothfuss had me under his spell with the prologue. Loved the book and like many of his fans, have patiently waited for the sequel. Well, it's almost here. March 1st, Kvothe's saga continues with Wise Man's Fear. This is good storytelling, folks. Great storytelling. Even my sister, who doesn't read fantasy, liked the book well enough to pre-order the sequel. My Austin-loving daughter liked it. Now there's an endorsement for you.

Someday, I hope I can meet Mr. Rothfuss. His book signing tour isn't coming here (no surprise) but I was able to secure a signed copy. Yeah...I'm excited. I'm going to savor every page.

During my "sketch time', in-between the deadlines, I've been doing some fanart, attempting a sort of movie poster version with Kvothe being larger....we'll see if I can make it work. Bast isn't new (lower right-hand corner), but my take on Denna and an older Kvothe is. I've done a younger Kvothe (see above). Thought he should grow up a bit. Goal: have this done by 3-1.

Cinderella WIP

We have two weeks left before concluding our Fantasy Art Class. I will need that if I'm to finish my assignment in time along with the kids. Here is the first layer of watercolor on Cinder. And yes, I know it looks like she has a "Got Milk?" mustache.

Horace and Newt Update

These photos are a little blurry but they show the progress on Newt and Horace. Still have more to do.

Costume Links

In my search for costume ideas I've come across some awesome sites for anyone out there looking for reference.

http://www.tirelli-costumi.com/en/

http://enchantedserenityperiodfilms.blogspot.com/p/fashion.html

http://demodecouture.com/cinema-overview/

ENJOY!

Fantasy Art Class

Last year, my oldest daughter asked if I would help her teach an after school Fantasy Art Class to 5th and 6th graders at the charter school nearly all my grandchildren attend. We had fun, even though I felt under-qualified to teach. The kids seemed to enjoy it though and asked for it again this year. Surprisingly, last year the kids had a hard time coming up with an idea for their painting so this year we gave them assignments, all in the fantasy genre. We had 5 ideas for an illustration that they could pick from. I'm really happy with what they have come up with.

We teach them about the importance of thumbnails and that's been the hardest concept to get across...especially the girls who can't wait to put in all the frilly details. Think shape, value, gesture....NO DETAIL!! We then have them decide on their favorite thumbnail, develop it and find photo reference to help them. My daughter and I have each chosen one of the assignments along with them and I took the opportunity to develop my Cinderella sketch further. Here is my developed sketch that is ready for more refining. Because of the fur on the cloak, I want to add more Russian influences in her surroundings and dress. I'll post the progress as we start putting down paint this week.