What I’m Working On Now #3

Forgive my recent absence from the blogosphere, but I have been preoccupied with homely matters and also busy on new projects. I needed to make a fresh image for my crib over on the Picture Book Artists Association website. I decided I’d like to do something in black and white for a change, so I got out my favourite tool, the Rotring Art Pen for sketching. It has a lovely shaped barrel with a fountain pen-style nib. It takes easy-to-use ink cartidges, which means no mess. The mess you could ostensibly make, though, is on your drawing, if you don’t work carefully and let the ink dry thoroughly. I have learned the hard way, as a right-handed person, to work left to right so my hand doesn’t smear things as I go along. I have also managed to smear what I thought was dried ink when I went to erase pencil lines. Gah!

Now you may be wondering: who is the Rosmore in the image? She was inspired by a powerful character in the historical fantasy novel I, Coriander by Sally Gardner, published by Orion Books. Sally is also an accomplished illustrator and designer, which comes across in her highly visual writing style.

I enjoyed the book very much and felt inspired to illustrate Rosmore in her feathered stole and head-dress, sitting in a chair with huge carved wings. She regards herself in a mirror. You might guess from the image that she’s not a particularly sympathetic character, but I don’t want to give Rosmore’s role in the story away – so why not read I, Coriander yourself? It’s well worth it.

I have Sally’s subsequent books about the French Revolution, The Red Necklace and The Silver Blade, in the queue of books I will be reading next!