Serafina Pekkala

[Chris Bennett]

I'm building up a portfolio of illustration work and I'm focusing on the Phillip Pulman Trilogy since most agents and publishers will know that story. Here is Serafina Pekkala, the witch. I am focusing on quiet moments that can be read many ways rather than full on depiction of actual events in the books. This is painted in acrylics and is 45cm x 35cm. Feedback would be marvelous. Many thanks.

[Elwell]

Hey Chris,

Speaking from a purely commercial point of view, if you're developing an illustration portfolio, I don't think this is the way to go. There's just not much storytelling going on, and honestly, no matter how much you may enjoy them as literature, I don't see His Dark Materials as a natural match to your style. I think you'd do better targeting literary fiction/magic realism rather than genre work. Have you read any Michael Chabon? Also, ADs don't necessarily need to recognize the source material, they just need to be able to imagine your style as appropriate to their project. A lot of your existing work could be used in an illustration portfolio without any modification.

[Jason Manley]

I agree with you elwell. Though I don't think pullman is out of his reach...it is just that one should think past the traditional figure study/composition, and perhaps reach for more narrative or iconic portions. Illustrators tend to go after the high points, or defining points of the story or iconic easily communicated portions of the story and in this case, I would have had no idea that it was for the Golden Compass even though we have worked on that project twice for two different companies.

Your mood and style will get you far...but communication of idea, and narrative is what needs to be focused on. Illustration is all communication...if you are doing something recognizable to people, ask people if they recognize what it is for, if they say what it is...you got it. If we painted something from narnia, if no one could tell it was narnia, we would have failed as illustrators.

glad to see you pushing....

btw...on a nitpicky point (i just woke up..hehee) the feet are looking floaty and not sitting down in space properly. However, I am liking the face a lot.


jason

[Serpian]

Advice from first Elwell, then Manley. You better take it pretty seriously! :D

[Brittons]

I was looking at your posting and reading the comments... You should check this guy's work out...

http://www.wendtgallery.com/wendtgallery/artists/josephtodorovitch/

It reminds me quite a bit of the image you have there and he's a very developed painter who does nice, illustrative images in the same sort of mood you're capturing with her. Your muted colors/cool light are really appealing.

[dashinvaine]

Chris, not that I know anything, but I think narrative illustration might require a tighter, less impressionistic style. I've just looked at your gallery and it's beautiful, but rather like looking at some half dissolved Jack Vettrianos. (Or without glasses on if I needed them).

[bhanu]

from the visual viewpoint I really love it( actually I love al you paintings at your site). But yeah it really doestn illustrate muchof whats happening to me.Listen to the big guys they know what they are talking about is all I can say.

[grenogs]

chris if your serious about making a portfolio in order to get yourself an agent, you need to also produce other types of illustration. Vary your subject matter, agents like to see that you can do everything, from human figures to fruit.

[Chris Bennett]

Elwell: My thanks and much appreciated. That's really interesting what you say about the storytelling and is just the kind of thing I need to know from people who have a lot of experience in the field such as yourself. I guess I was thinking of people like John Jude Palencar who try to create 'symbols' of the stories they illustrate rather than direct moments from the events described. That said, my image doesn't really go very far in that direction. Connected to this point is your encouragement about using some of the other stuff in my portfolio unmodified - I'm torn between approaching people with the kind of thing I have already made in a 'fine art' mode (although in my mind at least there is no distinction really) since it will single me out a bit from everybody else or produce some things that more literally tell a story. I have included some attachments of some roughs I have done in photoshop to ask if this is the kind of thing you mean. They are all moments from 'His Dark Materials'. None of them are particularly good, even as roughs, but I'm really asking if I'm going about things in the right way.
I promise not to be a pain about this and use the 'Finally Finished' thread as my own private advice centre - it's just that I am looking for some early pointers as to what to concentrate on. Thanks again for taking the trouble to look at what I'm doing.

Jason Manley: Again, it's very much appreciated that you guys are taking the trouble to to help me out with this. You expanded the point made by Elwell concerning much more of a focus on the communication of story and I have included some roughs (as I said to Elwell, not great) to ask if this is the sort of thing you mean. My main difficulty is loss of mood by being too specific, but if that is what the business requires then that's what I'm prepared to do! I guess all I'm doing is checking out the principles before I go full-on, foot to the floor with the portfolio.
Your point about her feet floating was dead right - there's me thinking I could get away with it! It's back on the easel and being sorted....

Serpian: Don't worry, I'm taking it very seriously!

Brittons: Thanks very much for that. I've always found it interesting that say, an apple on a plate painted by one person suggests only it's subject and that another painter (Chardin springs to mind) seems to suggest an entire liftime drama with exactly the same subject.

Dashinvaine: Many thanks. You make a good point and it's something I'm wondering about - hence my answers and questions to Elwell and Jason. You are completely right about the dissolved Vettriano thing as well! Those particular images drive me mad and need removing since they are the ones painted for my publisher who keeps nagging me for them.....the only trouble is they keep paying me for them as well!

bhanu: Knowing that somebody genuinely likes your work is such a beautiful thing. In the most profound sense it is they who one does the work for, just for them.
Don't worry, I am listening to the big guys - I need their advice!

grenogs: Thanks for that. I will certainly be putting all sorts of things in the folio but my experience of the 'fine art' world tells me to keep things within a certain focus. My guess is that they have plenty of people who can do varied stuff already and the only way to break in is to try and give them something they haven't already got. When I am in I'm quite happy to do some 'bread and butter' work, even look forward to it!

[Ellingsworth]

Those roughs are beautiful. I love your color choices. I also like the first one you posted. I would love to see you render out a piece more, like Dashinvaine said, kind of like that one portrait you did. Hope everything is well, later, Chris.

[Seedling]

I’m really looking forward to seeing what you do with this story, Chris!

For the armored bears – try lowering the position of the camera, to make the bears look appropriately titanic. The earth should shake when they hit one-another. :)

Are you familiar with this artist’s work? http://www.ulster.net/~jonesart/

[Chris Bennett]

Ellingsworth: Thanks so much. Yes, I'm fully intending to commit to half a dozen or so pieces pushed the whole way. I'm finding my feet a bit and trying to see what direction feels right before I set sail - small differences in course at the harbour are going to make massive differences once I'm commited to the open sea. Of course, the only trouble is one never really knows untill you are at sea!

Seedling: A million thanks Michelle for that link to Jeffrey Jones! His/her work absolutely astounded me! Tremendous energy yet subtle at the same time and practically every image had a real, commited, abstract identity supporting the figurative content. I'm slightly shell shocked!
I also love the essays and diaries on the site (though not the best website in the world!). I keep giggling about the line: "I never watch a film with more than one horse". Anyway, thankyou so much for that, it went straight to my favourites.
Your suggestion about getting lower on the armoured bears is right - I think it should help me to get hold of a composition that dramatises what is happening better.