Narrative - My Process - Illustrations 7 & 8

The Battle of Cowshed

Previous version of the Battle of Cowshed

When I originally designed this scene the perspective was completely different and the image was very colourful, both elements not working well and what I was attempting to communicate was lost amidst that chaos. The scene needed to be completely overhauled and so it was back to the drawing board (literally).

I have attempted to create a more dynamic scene and started with a more unusual perspective. Instead of looking side on at the scene, I have attempted to put the reader right into the action itself. The reader is now facing the mob of angry farm animals directly, with the creatures either rushing passed or towards the reader.

The new sketch feels less flat, with more motion and a more natural stance for Boxer (horse).


The faces of the animals are much more expressive, especially Boxer, who's eyes show a crazed anger, emphasised by a small pupil in a wide white eye. His lips are draw back, baring teeth in a mouth that is large and unhappy. The hair in his mane is much more natural and flows along his neck, a vast improvement to the previous version where his mane was more like clumps of pointy shapes.

The perspective also allows the scene to gradually diminish the further back the reader looks. The two cows are on different planes, the one closer wearing more detail compared to the second, who is almost completely cast in shadow. It gives the impression that the animals are gradually charging towards the reader and out.

This was the first time I experimented with a restrictive colour palette, limiting my choices to the red, black and the empty space of the page. At first I kept the page white and experimented with the application of various shades of red with different brush tools. The splashes and droplet effects offered an exciting and varied stroke to the paint but I soon found the image itself got lost and the two shades of red seemed to clash.

I left this scene until I had a more concrete idea of the colours I was going to use and ended up completing six other illustrations before finally returning back to this image.

I have added the colour, but kept it much more simple, using a brush effect to give the impression of motion. The image is a full two page spread, with an accompanying text. The back of the horse and the rear of the rest of the animals all point towards the centre fold, so that when the page is opened, it is inferred that they are charging from the gutter of the book.

After some initial problems bringing this image to life, I am pleased with the result. It communicates the anger of the animals, in their expressions and stance. It has motion, thanks to the application of the colour and the brush effects. And it also has drama, influenced by the perspective.

Molly

Molly is the pretty white horse who leaves the farm soon after the rebellion because she misses the luxury provided by the exiled human masters.

For this image I wanted to show her beauty (and ultimately her vanity). She has very soulful, dark eyes as she looks towards the offered human hand of friendship. She is slightly back from the offered hand because interaction with humans after the rebellion is strictly forbidden, but the way she looks almost longingly at the offered hand, communicates her hidden desire to have a master once again.

This is to be a half page illustration, for the scene where Molly is seen allowing a human to pet her nose.