The Underliving and "Yidneth" connection and "in my mind's eye" illustration: from conceptual sketch to final drawing

So what's new...

well quite a few thingies... first. I'll be making several ustream broadcasts from my studio playing for you my listeners. So bookmark this link  (you can join with facebook or twitter) and we´ll have a give away for the visitors of the online concerts. They will be simple accoustic solo performances but longing to share it with you.

Also The Underliving  music almost closed but adding a few guest and features as aussie fellow fairy singer Louisa John Krol in the track "One last Hope". We already collaborated together in latest Woodland´s album, and I'm also contributing in her forthcoming song "Fountains". I feel like Louisa, Kelly and me are mingling our projects and it is such a sister feeling. So I'm honored to have them both as guest in my album.

I'm almost done with the artworks of "The Underliving". I still need to paint the CD label and the external cover and digipack structure, but most of the pages are drafter or on its way to be finished.  Main character is this little teenager girl in a nightgown that we obviously find very reminiscent  of "YIDNETH" herself (third album is "YIDNETH" and will rescue the comic" that might be rebuilt.. and why...?  Because in the comic there's a part set in early 80´s where it shows a girl (that could or could not be "Yidneth") that during all her life see "ghosts" from the TRANSIT and other kind of CREATURES (from THE UNDERLIVING) so guess what...? so part of the  Underliving has become sort of a "prequel" (not all of it, but quite a few hints)  taking place  before the final part of the comic ends. And yes, it's all about ghosts, fairies and underlivings... and if you go now to "Ancient Shadows" cd you'll find in the digipack precisely that, a ghost, a fairy and an underliving.... remember?

So sharing now an illustration "in my mind's eye"  from he very concept sketch to the almost final (need to fix the hand a bit) result. I recently was asked if I use photography. I do believe that photomanipulation is also a way of creating art but though I do it for some promotional pictures of myself, I don't do it for the tradtional illustrations. I often like the unclean built up of the rough sketch.

So basic idea, eye within an eye... the song is "in my mind´s eye" featured in my upcoming album "The Underliving".

So let´s start.

basic design of girl hair and vintage nightgown, young around 14 or 15. I like this style better than realistic, but for this one we´ll turn it a bit more "real looking"

Basic idea and sketch... rough pencil on a piece of paper... they all start this way. Good excuse to watch tvs or movies and sketch in pieces of paper while doing it so you don't feel guilty of wasting time.

Then I develop several ideas, eye within eye, the girl, hand... hmmm And I make  rapid wash of coloring with watercolor. After this I scan. Digital eraser to correct

so time do make it "shine" a bit, though finally I've decided I'll opt for the full girl sketch in the left that I'll paint in a different layer to then make a composite of the reflection, rough, but from far away the impression of the color and highlight is already there.

That was a bit too dark, though I'll keep the vignette for the final result, I start to add detail to the iris, I place the girl, the hand needs to be corrected and pop out a bit more.

Then I spend a "few hours" adding details to the iris (this takes quite a long time) and it's not perfect but it is a painting, not a photography (I love to matte paint quickly), and polish  the girl, , lace, highlighted fingertips, and overall result comes as next (that I'll still might polish a bit more for the CD) but well here it is! Sort of proud, and with "red blurred eyes myself" after another painting sleepless night...

Do not waste your time struggling to deny
those things that are real in your mind's eye
Do not fight against a reason to believe all is real...!

Plese support THE UNDERLIVING project to be released within 2011. You can make a donation or you can buy "off the lane" single, or you can comment and rate our videos in youtube, or share them, or retweet them.  We´re almost there. Spread the word!  July is my  deadline to finish all artworks, then we should be ready if project being funded :)