Friday, January 23, 2009

Time to get European.

Today being the last day before I trip off to Brisbane to attend the Aurealis Awards I though I would share a bit more of y process with you (how the two are related I do not know, but it makes for a beginning to a post, so I am running with it).

What I have for show and tell today are a couple conceptual sketches completed for Book 3, done to help me get a better "eye" for what Europe is wearing at certain occasions in the story. The first is for a more formal and fancy event.

This second sketch is me trying to get a handle on colour and style for a set of new-made harness for fighting in. Spotting that clipping from the fashion section of the local paper helped me greatly in fixing down the nature of the cloth which I had previously designated as read on the sleeves and blue-grey on the apron. I like the green with red florals much better, though the flowers on the cloth used for the harness would not look or be placed in quite so modern a manner.

Just goes to show how rough my sketches can be, but there purpose is ideation not polished illustration. I heartily recommend little sketches to help with "seeing" your writing.

If you are seeking even more European costuming goodness head over to Monster Blood Cult to see what Erin Montemurro is doing (really, go check it out, 'tis remarkable!)

An enormous grateful tip of the hat to Mr. Bennett Lovett-Graff (aka Polymath Paradise) for his thorough and heartily uplifting insights into MBT Books 1 & 2. For such as you and all the goodly folks here do I strive - such responses are the endeavour rewarded.

Here's a question for you: should I or should I not get a spot on Facebook?

30 comments:

portals said...

Mr Cornish, you should get a spot on facebook. I don't have one yet, but It seems great.

The progression of the sketches is amazing. I usually star mine with shapes, but no colours.
Good Luck with the awards.

Taunic- I sometimes seem to get WVs that are just normal words spelt badly like this and Piaon.

Femina said...

I think you should get a Facebook page (ie fan page) but NOT a Facebook profile. If you get a profile either you will never be on it, making it pointless, or you will be on it a lot and BOOK THREE WILL BE DELAYED! :) Plus I think it's wise to keep your private life private. You need some downtime.

Anonymous said...

Thankyou for posting the art Master Cornish, always nice to see some of your work. It was the illustrations that first drew me to foundling, they are so good.
Good luck at the awards, you certainly deserve to win.

Klesita said...

Mr Cornish,

I cannot believe I will miss you in Brisbane. The only day I'll be away and the Australis will be held then (I'm really upset with myself). Thanks for acknowledging my comment about possible movie project. We'll see what comes from it. Whatever happens the books are a treasure.

To follow up on a comment from previous threads: hardcover whenever possible the feeling is much more sensual.

About Facebook Mr Cornish, don't bother. Your website is so easy to find and so luscious, vibrant, and has everything already. If you get in Facebook something is going to give and it would be either book 3 (nobody wants that to happens) or this website. I am also opposed to Facebook because among other things Facebook owners have the right to use whatever you put on it (artwork, pics, etc) for their own purposes. I don't think that is right unless they pay for it (which they don't). Also although a lot of people has a profile, not everybody does so if you abandon this site in favour of Facebook people like me will loose the opportunity of interact with you. My two cents...

The best of lucks tomorrow!!!!

I'm thinking really hard about possible words... you need some Spanish inspired words and I'll come up with some... soon...promise...

Anonymous said...

facebook will eat you like an oyster. stay away if you know what's good for you.

Anonymous said...

Best of luck at the awards! I'll be rooting for you!

Word verification is REDGEA - small belt worn around the wrist. Origin unknown.

Anonymous said...

This site is an excellent one, but perhaps instead of getting an account on Facebook you could co-operate with MBC? That way you didn´t have to sit and whole day in front of the computor, taking the time from writing (still hoping for a book 4).

Sam Hranac said...

I would like to get updated about you on Facebook, but I don't want anything distracting you from writing. Okay... have a life if you must... but back to the pen with you soon after!

Have fun at the awards!

portals said...

I still dpnt know whether or not i should get a facebook profile. alot of people say its quite good though.

noelle said...

Ooooh. I like these pictures a lot. I am going to school for illustration next year, and Mr. Cornish, your books/illustrations have been very inspiring in helping me get my own characters sketched out. The drawings are what drew me to the books in the first place - I'm still in awe of how nearly every character gets a sketch, even the minor ones.

Idiso: a goddess of the ocean, a minor deity. She "blesses" oyster by putting pearls inside of them. Finding an oyster with a pearl inside is considered a sign of her favor.

Anonymous said...

Hello Mr Cornish,

Hope you had fun tonight at the Awards, I can't get over the fact I couldn't be there. I'm sorry you didn't win, but the comp was good this year!

As for the Facebook page, like the others have said something would sufer, your on personal time, the book, or this site.

Anonymous said...

Portals, Facebook is pretty good if you are looking for old friends. In the last 2 weeks I´ve found a handfull of old school-friends that I haven´t heard from in over 15 years. It was so fun to see if you could recognize them from how they looked before when they were kids.

ms_ventress said...

Hope you have a great trip, and good luck.

Thank you for the kudos on the Europe costume. Your books have been a great inspiration for creative costuming juices to flow. :) And it is great to read that the creator of the character is liking what I am developing. I am convincing my friends to make some costumes of the other characters. I am going to attempt to have the costume completed for the end of March.

And... I am very addicted to Facebook (in a good way)... it is in my humble opinion one of the best ways to communicate/connect with people other than normal conversation or the telephone. So yes, I think it would be great if you get a Facebook account. Plus it is another area/section on the web to get people interested in the wonderful books you write.

Erin Montemurro

RottenPocket said...

...Trust me to be out partying when the awards were on...

Good tip, concerning the rough sketches, to see one's writing. I for one have myself a small notebook dedicated to it. Confidential of course. Aside from the few that I feature on my sites.

Okay, to be honest, half the time I misplace one notebook and start in another so there are several full ones and a couple at random, here and there.

As to facebook, I don't recommend it. One true source of Monster Blood Madness is richer than many small ones.

But that may just be me...

Upiterma: also known as.... 'Monster Blood Madness'! An ailment of the mind, theoretically caused by the poor application of a Monster Blood Tattoo and severe blood infection, in effect causing cancer or strange growths on one's back.

portals said...

E N Reinmuth- Yeah ... this will always be the best MBT place, but still, facebook seems pretty handy.

Anna- Thanks, I may use it now.

Funny, discussing internet communication on an authors blog ...

Klesita said...

Dear Mr. Cornish,
The beautiful world of Rossamund, Europa, and all the others is the winner in my hart and I'm sure in the harts of many more. I hope you had a great time in Brisbane anyway.

Calondo: breed of sturdy horse with a rally steady temperament. Very useful to work in the fields where there is constant threwd

Anonymous said...

I personally don't like Facebook, so my vote is nay on this issue. But I love the working sketches. I can't draw to save my life, but I love art in general. So I congratulate everyone who has an ounce of artist blood!

Pundaill: a rotund, sweaty, short man who is usually second to an important person and either is ridiculous worried about apperences or is incredibly unctuous. Think akin to Peter Pettigrew

Anonymous said...

Mr Cornish,
Would love to see you on facebook, but if you do my advice is to let it serve you, not the other way around. I think you have a great communication medium already and you may end up with so many "friends" that it doesn't add anything to your ability to communicate!

Ferd.

portals said...

Mr Cornish- I notice that when you ask the questions, we take them seriously and actually get comments going. The only thing I can think of that you didn't ask was about rossamunds belly button. Please ask some more questions, it makes the commenting so much more interesting.

Anonymous said...

Aaah yes, the good ol' days of Rossamund's bellybutton. Honestly though, I say no to Facebook. It can consume you. I've seen too many people lose their ability to communicate coherently off the internet, or even on it. Nobody likes a bad communicator. That aside, we don't want to share you if we can avoid it.

As for the sketches, I apluad the new designs and look foreward to the finished product. Your works in both art and world building often motivate me to resume work on my own clumsy projects, and for this I thank you. If you still do, enjoy your writing this week.

nudgill: a convex, circular shield composed of an iron hoop, specially treated furs and hides, and a long strap akin to that of the ancient Greek shields.
-Ben.

portals said...

See, Look? We're all talking about facebook now.

Emperor said...

Portals- You should get a Facebook Bredan is my only friend so far!

Mr Cornish I would use sketches to picture my characters but anything any more advanced then stick figures is too hard for me. I am jealous of your excellent drawing skills!

Differlot said...

Word of inspiration



Wow

Differlot said...

u know what planet is the half continent?

Klesita said...

Portals - I don't get the bellybutton issue. Why it can't be that monsters that resemble humans have bellybuttons. They already have the rest of the stuff, ears and earlobes, eyebrows, eyelashes, finger and toe nails. Why bellybuttons should be different? because it is the remnant of the umbilical cord connection? It should be completely irrelevant if the monsters are resembling humans outwardly this is one thing they should try to emulate. I'm much more intrigued about the possibility that internal organs may be different and that they may be natural fulgars or wits or other things...

Anonymous said...

Facebook = evil.
Continued focus on writing = good.
Was sucked into the evil vortex of Facebook momentarily - but escaped it (just).
Your current web-presence is great and your fans all seem happy with it - as it is.
Thank you for the breakdown of the sketching process!

Differlot said...

I wonder what Europe does in her free time hmmm?
what happens if a wit or Fulgar gets turned into a monster do the monsters lear how to use the artificial organs, or since they have been put in maybe they are dead and the monster only posses natural parts since it probably wont be able to take treacle till found by somebody. they might just die from not having any.

D.M. Cornish said...

I am thinking Facebook is a no-go for now, better (as Mr Brand and others suggest) to keep up my presence here. No use spreading things too thin.

Kathryn said...

that's probably a good idea. you have a good set up here why not use it to it's capacity!!

Kathryn said...

oh and i love your drawings!! they give good insight as to what goes on in making a book like MBT