Sorry about the weird picture layout, blogger had decided to change all the settings, and it is really bloody annoying.
I started off by doing different sketches, for ideas for the cover. They were mainly character based as I prefer this kind of illustration in general. Lots of the sketches were based on a kind of entrapment concept.
I decided to carry on with using the large fly portrait combined with the bottle that is used for containing the dmeon Mnemoth in the story. I liked it how Constatine was on almost all of the covers but sometimes indirectly, so I wanted play with this as well. I thought at first I could position the bottle behind Mnemoth with Constantine's reflection in it but as soon I sketched this I found the composition really dull. Instead I positioned Constantine as a reflection on the eye holding the bottle. I already thought this had more potential. I then change the positionn of Constantine within the eye. My preference goes to the straight on portrait as this is more forceful (like Constantine) while the other is more of a worshipping pose.
I then started to illustrate the fly portrait. I had said earlier that I was going to try and focus on bringing more unity to my work and look at combining painting and pen drawing. I have already tried this out with a picture of Herne (Clannad "Legend" CD Cover). At first as I said I was quite happy but after leaving it for a while and coming back to it I decided that it was too digital. I liked the background and thought it successful: painted but due to photoshop layers a extra dimention of light was added. My main problem was that the ink drawing was too rough and that the large amount of digitally added details were, well too bloody digital. I decided with my fly to start off by painting the portrait in acrylics the same way I always do: pencil drawing to mark out basic shape then paint over the top in a relitively realistic manner. Looking at my visual mind-map I used the green which seemed to be very dominant and added what has become a trademark colour, brown ochre :D. I then quickly painted a very rough insect leg and used a black fineliner over the top to test it out before I started on the fly portrait. I then went over the painted portrait highlighting the shapes, adding extra shadow and details such as the hair. I was and am very happy with this result. These really are the two ways of working combined that I enjoy the most and I feel that they really compliment and strengthen each other.
After having down this I photoshopped the painting into a rough template of the cover to see how it would look and I added the sketches of Constatine in the eye. I didn't think it was quite there at first so I enlarged the fly, zoomed in and tilted it. Now looking at it it's actually too close up so I need to get a composition between the two. Obviously the text colour, still needs to be played with and the background will be different, black elements on Mnemoth enhanced etc but that all in the fine tuning at the end.
I then started with the pencil sketch of Constantine. I have a bottle the same shape as the one in the pictures so I take a photo of my Papa holding it so I can get the hand right. Might still need a bit of work round the mouth. I'll then finish the pincture in the same way as the fly, paint and fineliners. I drew him smoking as this is one of his largest character traits. Also then I can position cigarette smoke in the foreground, projecting the viewer into the position of Constantine. In theory Mnemoth should also be reflected in the bottle and so on.. I'll have a look at what this looks like towards completion time, it might be too much, we'll see.
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| WIP Constantine |
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