He's a magic man, papa!

[shadesofmauve]

So, I've been hiding some amazingly exciting news.

Timberland is having it's "Timberland Reads together", one-book focused program on A Wizard of Earthsea. Author Ursula Le Guin will be reading and taking questions. We couldn't get responses from any publishers on using cover art for publicity, so the Powers That Be decided I could draw whatever we needed.

A once-in-a-lifetime chance for a famous author I admire to hate my art!

I'm thrilled, terrified, and having a problem with physics versus composition. Please weigh in! This is a prelim sketch for a painting, so it's rough and blocky.





Does the boat bother you? I KNOW that the bow should be plowing down, the stern up, and the whole vessel wallowing nastily if Ged is in the bow like that, but so far the only person who's complained about this is my pater ("You KNOW he shouldn't be in the pointy end!"). It's composition vs. physics -- I like Ged front and center, ignoring the shadow which the Otak (lil animal) sees. Put him in the stern and any dynamic feel is lost.

To correct this problem, I sent Dad this:


...but I don't think it'll fly at work.

My room-mate suggested that I respond to Dad's critique by singing the song "Magic Man" by Heart. I've always thought that song was creepy.

Comments

[westrider.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that song's always bugged me. Especially when I think about how Ann Wilson must feel trying to play guitar while her Mom's singing it. Creepy.

[shadesofmauve]

But what do you think of the ART? :)

[westrider.livejournal.com]

Noncommittal. It doesn't really grab me, but I don't have any problem with it either. I've never read the book, so I don't have any real connection or expectation associated with it, though.

[shadesofmauve]

OK.

Sharp photo in your icon, btw!

[westrider.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I like it. It's from just before Hannah's Wedding. There's a bigger version in the comments here (http://westrider.livejournal.com/135372.html).

[fenmere.livejournal.com]

This isn't f-locked, BTW..

[shadesofmauve]

Ah, t' heck with it. I deleted the phrase about it. Thanks for the heads up!

[spuuky.livejournal.com]

Maybe a 1-ton weight wouldn't work, but surely someone on a boat would have SOMETHING else with them. Like a unicorn.

I haven't read those books, so I don't know what he'd really have.

[fenmere.livejournal.com]

Actually, according to my memory, he didn't have anything. He just got in the boat and went to sea. He might have had a sack of food, but that wasn't covered.

I mean, he was Ged! The greatest wizard to ever live! Mundane things weren't important.

[spuuky.livejournal.com]

Well, then there should be sparkles holding down the back end of his boat?

[fenmere.livejournal.com]

Indeed!

[shadesofmauve]

Did you have to search for that image, or did you have it to hand?

[shadesofmauve]

Really heavy sparkles!

He did have "Lore books" - certainly heavy reading.

[shadesofmauve]

Maybe I'll just tell Dad he has a heavy, invisible unicorn.

[zair99.livejournal.com]

I think I'd have to go with composition over physics on this one. Or you could add some barrels or something. Boats just kinda have those, don't they? Nice heavy barrels filled with rum?

[bluwyngz.livejournal.com]

And ropes. Ropes and rum must be on all boats by pirate's law!

I didn't really notice the physics problem right away, but I think probably having something in the back would allow you to avoid people who are picky about that sort of thing. Or could you have the boat coming out of the dark so you can't see the back very well? Then anything could be weighting it down. If there's a scary shadow on the sail, then you could blend it with a scary cloud/fog type something on the water.

I do really like the composition around the man's head/the little animal/the shadow claws. It would be a pity to lose that.

By the way, congratulations on the assignment. That's awesome! ( :