Rapunzel Final

I know. I wasn't going to over think this but old habits die hard. Those flowers in her hair on the right just kept glaring at me, taunting me to remove them. So I had to show them who's boss. While I was at it, I changed the other things that were bothering me. I also received a beautiful William Morris calendar from my daughter and these colors (see above) were so lovely  I rethought my palette because that's what OVER thinking leads to. So, here it is.

 I'm DONE. Must move on...I think.

Color Continued

Don't know why I hit a wall sometimes with a piece. Ah heck, if I were honest, this happens more times than not. Right now, I want to rip those flowers out of her hair on the right side, put her hand back in and add more hair to cover up the tower at the bottom. I believe this is called, "over thinking".  (Oh, and make the moon smaller) STOP!!!

Rapunzel Color

Started the color process on this. Probably going to keep this fairly high key. Added some extra hair and changed the cloak on the witch, bars on tower too. Put down a sort of Klimt-influenced teardrop texture, in the background (in the Grimm story, Rapunzel restores the prince's eyes with her tears). Felt it was too flat if left smooth. I get a "color buzz" looking at the picture of the yellow door and decided to use it to guide my color choices. NOTE: If Rapunzel is starting to look like Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica, it's because I've been staying up late watching the entire series while drawing.

Rapunzel Continued

You know when you stare at your work and can't figure out what the problem is?? Well, something needed fixing. When I shrank the figures in her hair, the balance improved, at least to my amateur eyes. Help Rebecca! She could take one look and find what was wrong. Well, this is what I'm going with. Can't spend any more time with it at this point. Now on to my least favorite part...COLOR. Anyone know any secrets to successful palettes?

Fantasy Art Class

For the past three years, my oldest daughter and I have taught an after school fantasy art class at the charter school most of my grandchildren attend. This year, we selected 5 Grimm fairy tales from which the 20 5th-6th graders select one to illustrated a book cover for. The five stories are, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel. Oh, these are the real Grimm stories, not the Disneyfied ones. During the 6 week period, they learn how to think on paper in the form of thumbnails, developing one into a refined sketch using photo reference, with emphasis on design and composition elements. We also touch on value and color theory. Each year, we've selected different mediums. This year, we decided on watercolor pencils, colored pencils and ink. We're using illustration board as their surface. The goal is to have a finished illustration at the end of the class.

My daughter and I try to stay a week ahead of the students so we can show them more effectively how to implement each step. I chose Rapunzel. Here are some preliminary sketches of her face.

  As I was drawing this last one, the idea of the prince climbing up the hair in a more stylized way, with the witch waiting with a pair of scissors materialized.

I didn't think of it then, but the composition reminded my daughter of the Bob Peak poster for the movie Camelot with Richard Harris. Hey, creativity doesn't happen in a vacuum, right?

I needed to put the tower in and decided on a silhouette behind her. Then thought about having her twirling her hair around one of her fingers.....

....then took it out and concentrated more on the silhouette of her face and body on the left side. Added thorn bushes.

Here is the final sketch. Added a moon to connect her more to the tower and made a few changes to prince and witch. Finished the 'rapunzel' flowers in her hair too. Next week...color.