Here is an interesting reference polaroid I came across the other day.
It was the very first time I worked directly from photographs in my illustration work.
The model is a good friend and fellow illustrator, Siobhan Dodds.
I remember I was particularly keen to make the fall of the draperies convincing, but I didn't have access to any costumes back in the mid-1980s, so I made do with a sheet.
The painting is all the better for that. I had to invent details of the dress and Melisande's hair, and the whole of the town was created from my imagination.
Sometimes it's best not to have extensive reference photos, you can end up leaning on them too much. Finding the perfect balance between photography and imagination has been an ongoing challenge for me over the years.
6 comments:
Your illustrations are incredible! Thank you so much for the inspiration!
:)
Hello there.
This is Thanasis, from Greece, hope you remember me. Very interesting this article, indeed. Your works still make people living in a world of fantasy and coulors. I tried to find a page of Siobhan Dodds, but i didn't find anything. Could you help to see her works?
Best Regards
Thanasis
Many thanks Nastya and Thanasis,
Some of Siobhan's books are listed below. You might find something about them on the net
All the best
PJ
GRANDAD POT - Walker Books
OLD MACDONALD - Walker Books
TING-A-LING -Dorling Kindersley
GRUMBLE RUMBLE - Dorling Kindersley
SQUEAK, SQUEAK - Hodder
TIMELESS TALE - LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD -Hodder
Thank you very much for the information Mr Lynch. It was so kind of you. It would be a great idea if Siobhan could create a nice page like yours. Its difficult for us who live miles away to find works of such great artists like you both are. Your page with the exhibition is unique. Hope is not difficult to buy a work from Greece.
(Unfortunatelly what i wanted is already sold, snif, snif.) Keep going this excellent work
Best Regards again
Thanasis from Greece
Thank you very much. That was very interesting.
What size did you paint this one? I really like hearing about how you work. Do you draw a lot of buildings in your spare time? The book I own "when Jessie came across the sea" has always amazed me with the perfection to detail in every part. Not even a single tiny background building's architecture in disjoint.
I've had the Jessie book since I was in 2nd grade. I'm a Junior in Highschool and it's traveled with me through the USA, Korea, and Japan. It's so enchanting!
Melisande is a favorite of mine; one of the very few picture books to survive a decade-plus's worth of periodic cullings of my studio shelves. Thanks for this little glimpse into its creation.
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