Spread 03 is one of the more difficult spreads to do. Besides being one with full body shots of the characters, and architectural detailing (that isn’t complete) - the values on the spread were difficult to control. At one end I was trying to get it to be readable, on the other end I wanted the lighting to be logical. I still have to bring out the characters hands some more as they disappear into the sky in the background. This spread is going to take very very long to finalize.
The initial study shows a slightly closer view of the characters but I decided to zoom out the camera a little more because this book is in danger of having too many closeups and midshots - which can get boring. And of course, we got to show some architecture!
Spread 04 is a cold one! The hunchback reinforces his resolve to pursue Marina. Would you like to root for him? I wouldn’t.. For this spread I’ve been feeling this urge to reduce the size of the hunchback. He looks a bit too big for the place and he evens makes the bell look small.
It’s one of my notions (and perhaps it is unfounded) that child readers would be more attuned to the characters in an illustration. I don’t know if they can appreciate the environment/architecture playing a bigger role than the characters. I guess it really depends on whether the story demands that the environment take on more importance than a character. Maybe it’s just me? I like to detail the backgrounds in a children’s book to give everyone a sense of place.
Besides the size of hunchback being an issue in this one, the color too may be a challenge. It is dangerously monochromatic. I don’t know of any monochromatic children’s book spreads. My reason for coloring it that way is that I couldn’t figure in a warm light source at the time. Maybe a candle somewhere in front of the hunchback can warm things up a bit. Perhaps a visual effect of the sound coming from the bell or of the obsession coming from the man’s soul can liven things up.
I’m sure with a few references of bell tower interiors, I can get this to look more convincing.
October 18th, 2006 - 9:40 pm
“It’s one of my notions (and perhaps it is unfounded) that child readers would be more attuned to the characters in an illustration. I don’t know if they can appreciate the environment/architecture playing a bigger role than the characters.”
I think it’s not so for every child. I used to have this little Ladybug edition of The Elves and The Shoemaker. One of my favorites. When I think about it now, what comes to mind was how the shoemaker’s workbench looked like and how I would have loved to haveall those pretty shoes.