WIP: Aeneid (need help)

[Zergaloth]

Some people (including my dad) are making a schoolbook around the Aeneid and they chose me to make the illustrations. (competition wasn't very hard, I guess)

First image I want to discuss is Aeneas in the storm, at the beginning of the book. He's holding his hands above his head, asking the gods why this has to be his fate.

Both of these are only sketches, so don't mind the blank space in the second one, the hand has yet to be drawn. Also, I forgot my brushes in my university city, so the second one isn't 'colored' yet.
As for the first one, the waves were too busy the first time, so I just took some ink and painted half of them black, as to make them more dramatic. Doesn't look nice on this one of course, because it has the other waves still under it.

Any help whatsoever, any tips, any tricks, any thoughts are very welcome. If you feel like drawing the subject yourself, please, post it here. I won't copy, but I might learn from your skill.

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/3293/aeneas1a6zu.jpg
sorry about the quality - it's a scan of a scan. Will post better one.

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/116/aeneas11hh.jpg

Other subjects I will post later are:
* Dido's suicide as Aeneas leaves.
* Aeneas fleeing the burning Troy, with his father on hisback and his son by his side.
* Aeneas in the underworld, where he meets his dad who shows him his future.

They have to be black and white.

[Idiot Apathy]

I definetly prefer the first one, it's got a good style to it. The style seems fitting to the subject, a bit classical.

I'd consider perhaps some crosshatching or another way to bring the most out of black and white. Think like etchings and lithographs.

[stoph]

youve got a few anatomy issues in the first one, though it is the stronger of the two. check out his outstretched arm - its got no soulder. whats more is that it sits very high above the general position that it should connect. its completely different in proportion to that of his arm thats holding onto the boat. my advice? reference, reference, reference. overall the image is quite good, its just the raised arm that throws it all off. take a picture of yourself in the same pose (hug a table leg, i dunno), and go from there. take particular care to note where your deltoid, bicep and tricep are plotted and their relations to each other. also, the rotation of the forearm in relation to the humerous (upper arm) and that of the hand. personally i think any appeal to the gods would have his hand turned with his palm inwards, so the viewer only sees the back of his hand. congrats on the gig, i look forward to seeing the progress :D

[madster]

The first one by a mile!
It's very powerful, especially the way you are handling that much black. It strongly reminds me of some of Aubrey Beardsley's work.
http://www.tate.org.uk/collection/N/N04/N04172_8.jpg
http://www.beautyandruin.com/findesiecle/beardsley/arthur/vraph4.jpg
http://www.giant.net/~amphagorey/beardsley/salome/salome11.jpg
http://www.oraculartree.com/beardsley_Tannhauser.jpg
As you see, you don't need to go to cross-hatching for a good, solid, illustration, as you have going for you here. You just need to make sure your linework is strong enough to hold it's own (which is a bit hard to tell with the scan of a scan, but appears to be).

I would suggest you spread his fingers a bit, as it looks more like he's waving, than pleading "WHY?".

You also need to better define the main mast in this piece, as the base of it is behind the figure, creating confusion to the eye. I didn't connote the large white shape as a sail until I looked at the second version.

I personally think you could lose the waterspout, as it doesn't add much to the drama, but the expression and pose of the first one is much more dynamic than the second, especially the way he grasps the prow.

~M