This week's post is going to be a light
one, as I've been working hard on my senior thesis project. On
Tuesday, I wrapped up my first illustration for the project, which I
introduced here two weeks ago. The
first piece was the book cover for The Argonautica.
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| The Argonautica, Book cover for the greek epic. Watercolor, 9.5x13.5", February 2015.© 2015 Nicholas Elias |
When
painting a book cover, it's important to convey the feeling
of the text, an overall sense
of what the book is about, without giving anything away. The
Argonautica is a greek epic, an
adventure spanning the mediterranean, with moments of joy and wonder
as well as despair when all hope seems lost. It reflects the
mortality of mankind, and emphasizes the roles of friends and family.
Jason, the lead hero and merely a man, is never alone on his quest.
He is supported by his band of heroes, his powerful lover Medea, and
the will of the goddesses Athena and Hera. His great vessel, the
Argonautica, is a physical manifestation of that support, and only
with it can Jason triumph. For me, the choice of imagery was clear. I
used a low and dramatic perspective, with the Argonautica headed
towards it's great quest!
Next
up is my first interior scene for the epic. I finished the drawing on
Friday, and just started painting this weekend. This one took me a
while to find my footing with, as it's a more complicated scene and a
key one at that. It
depicts Medea, Jason, and the serpent who guards the Golden Fleece.
I'll be talking much more in depth about this piece in next week's
post when it's finished!
This
time around I'm taking work-in-progress photos so you can see my
process of taking an illustration from a thumbnail to a larger
sketch, to a full sized final sketch, and finally the painting. I've
shared how I paint in oil when in my posts about figure painting here
and here, but the Argonautica
paintings are in watercolor, a process which I have yet to share!
Join
me on Facebook if you haven't already, because I will be sharing some
of those progress photos during the week!
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