Tuesday 7 April 2015

Spirit Shear coming soon

The blog title says it all.

Cover for spirit shear

Cover sketch
Sketch of the cover
Edits on the book are coming along nicely but I definitely need to step up my game with the illustrations! As in, none of them are done yet! And I still haven't plotted out what they'll be! With 30 chapters so far I think I'll need at least 15 plates PLUS a new map! And these illustrations are going to be more scenic than the last time so I've got my work cut out for me.

I love the draft of the cover though. It's got me buzzing. It's very James Bond-y. It started out just as a sketch on the side of my draft copy. It gives a nod to the cloak that Gemmy gets when he's on Rheza. The knockout figure is the rune for mysticism (which literally translates to Spirit Shear... hence the title of the book).

Black Star cover
Cover Book 1
I think the figure matches well with the cover from the first book. It shows a kind of evolution of Gemmy. The figure on the cover of Book 1 (right)  is very uncertain and is caught off guard by the lighting strike over head. He's off to the side, the lighting bolt literally chasing him away from centre stage. However, Book 2's figure is centred, poised, powerful and ready for battle. He literally has the power of electricity in his hands. He's still holding back, waiting on the defensive instead of striking out. Not totally a man of action yet, he's slowly coming into his own as a warrior?

Having a visual for the cover has given me a boost and I've had some great feedback about the first book that's really ignited my imagination again. I'm hoping to take some of that and put it into the second book (and then... a second edition Black Star with a whole new cover?).

My next post will likely becoming from my new workshop! Moving house and there will be an office/workspace where I can create. Whoop whoop!

Enjoy!



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Thursday 2 April 2015

Flower power

One of my favourite parts of re-drafting is the chance to explore/expand sections of the book, its characters and scenery more fully. One such place was the development of one minor characters to make a particular section more believable and engaging. Enter Izi!

She has a small role to play but one of her most striking features (besides the purple hair) is her faeli tattoo. It is a faeli floral design. The flower pattern is a common motif in faeli art because it is believed that the faeli are spirits of nature and the particular design (below) is representative of the core of their beliefs.

Flower pattern hieroglyphics tattoo

The flower combines elements of the faeli age of mythology and iconography. The seven large orbs represent the seven chief elements. The flower itself is an amalgamation of the seven elements' symbols.
hieroglyphics
7 Elements of Arbean mythology

flower pattern hieroglyphics tattooWhich symbols stand for which element? I haven't thought that far ahead yet!!

The actual flower then pays homage to the individual elements by highlighting 7 larger orbs within the pattern (left).

The imagery of the faeli art is inspired by both Pictish (Scotland) and Mehndi (Indian henna) art. I find the detailed simplicity of both art styles to be enchanting (the Pictish stones in Scotland are some of my favourite ancient artefacts). I like the glyphic style which I've adopted for many of my own tattoos anyway. And the world of Arbea is already rich with ancient hieroglyphics? (See more about Arbean glyphs)

I can't wait to spend more time with faeli art as it will be an integral part of the series to come. Already it's been fun crafting this one image and discovering its possibilities. I think the plain outline version of the flower would make a great floral wallpaper. Or maybe a new tattoo for myself!

So, look out for Izi in book two. There will be some character designs for her coming through soon. And thanks Katie Chalmers for the great name idea! I hope you like her.

Enjoy!


Buy 'Black Star' on Amazon in the UK and US
Check out Themo on Twitter and Facebook