Beware the kelpie

As I continue to fine tune King Arthur Returns I'm also continuing work on Merlin's bestiary. This is really making a difference to some of the creature scenes in the book, helping me focus and turn up the volume on important descriptors.

Kelpie - pencil on paper

The kelpie is vastly becoming one of the most challenging of my book's beasties.

My first thoughts about the kelpie were simple "It's a powerful horse - a beautiful but deadly, otherworldly looking horse."

As I started drawing I found the look veering into 'my little pony' territory - focussing on it's beauty and etherealness, creating these over-the-top swirling locks to imply its stormy nature. I almost wanted to put a horn on it and call it a unicorn.

A first attempt at kelpie

Yes, the kelpie is a creature of beauty. But what really matters to the story (and its look) is capturing its otherworldly qualities. But, how do you quantify the unreal?

I realised what actually makes the kelpie so alluring is its danger. It's a princely horse, but it's also a wild and dangerous spirit that will drag you to a watery death. And it's cliché, but what's more attractive than a bad boy. So, I needed to increase the danger and mystery.
A friend pointed me to the work of Odilon Redon, a 19th Century French painter. His work is quite rough and impressionistic and often features horses. She pointed me in particular to his "Captive Pegasus" series which is quite dark and moving. MoMA has a glut of his works online and some great catalogues of his work so check him out.

Firstly, size matters. Highland ponies in general are stocky powerful beasts. Actually the first time I saw one I asked why all the horses were pregnant. The kelpie in my mythology is actually a Clydesdale. They are these gentle giants - statuesque and all muscle. The stallions have necks that are half as thick as their body. But they can be quite docile and sweet horses. But a wild horse of any size charging at you is more terrifying than a speeding train (I  have seen someone attacked by a Shetland pony. They are quite vicious!) So, I had to make the kelpie more wild and unkempt. Muck up the hair, make it less sleek, and a little bit mean looking.

The haar on Leith docks

I also wanted it to have a wraith like quality. My original idea of somehow making the hair look like waves wasn't a bad one, but I changed course slightly. One of the most mysterious and magical things about Scotland is the haar, a sea fog. It rolls in from the water and totally envelopes the land, making it impossible to see more than three feet in front of you. Just like the haar, kelpies are creatures of deceptive danger. It looks silvery and pretty but watch your step. You might be lured to your doom. 

I hope you enjoy my take on the kelpie. There are lots more exciting mythical Celtic creatures to see so watch this space on Merlin's Bestiary and the upcoming King Arthur Returns novel!

Check out more from the Bestiary here!

• Eachy
• Giants giants giants
• Cat sidhe
• Gargoyles
• Chimaera
• Dragons, sidhe (fairies), and trows

Hope you enjoy!
‽


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Back in the queue

So, after 15 years, my comic strip, Back of the Queue, has reared its bumpy, peculiar head.

Back of the Queue started when I was in college, published in the Yale Daily News. It was (mostly) a light-hearted look at university life and bumbling through what is now coined as 'imposter syndrome'. But, as the stress of study mounted it became too difficult to maintain and the comics themselves ended in a blaze of glory.

Alas, I've now jumped into the foray of 'putting myself out there', entering my first novel writing competition and sending samples to agents. It's the first time in a while I feel that giddy exhilaration of the unknown; starting out towards something bigger. I've always enjoyed drawing comics as a way to express what's in my head. I've got a fairly dark sense of humour and drawing means I don't have to tell people what I'm giggling about with a stream of caveats.

Sending off my first competition entry was terrifying and the only way I could think to describe the feeling was, "It's like dropping your baby down a well and hoping it somehow makes it's way back up". You take this thing you love and let it go into the abyss of the wide-world, pitting it against hundreds of other people's beloved, possibly never to see it return with anything more than a "No thanks. Your baby ain't that cute." But still, despite the risk, you hope and drop that baby in.

So, Back of the Queue has returned. Not sure if it's a one off reunion or if more might be waiting to come out. I do have a few ideas for my other comic, Redshirt Dead, that are all sketched out. Perhaps I'll put the finishing touches on those. Who knows? Either way, keeping myself distracted while I wait on competition returns and procrastinating against finishing book edits could yield some interesting results!

Hope you enjoy!
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My fantastic bestiary

So, I'm planning to enter my book into some competitions. The first closing on 21 April.

I'm putting the finishing touches on the book and including a glossary for some of the more impenetrable Scots terms and phrases such as 'Imbu da fremd' which is a Shetland greeting of hospitality. There are plenty of context clues, but with King Arthur Returns borrowing words from both Scots and Gaelic it will be easier for people to navigate if they get stuck.

As part of this I'm also building a wee bestiary into the book. This isn't critical for entering it into competition, but what kind of author/illustrator would I be if I didn't take the opportunity to do some fantasy creature drawing.

Getting to explore the Celtic and Brittonic myths has been so much fun. It's great getting to put my own spin on these incredible creatures of UK folklore.

Don't mess with the wyrms!

komodo dragons

You've already seen a bit of some of the mythical creatures that will appear in the book. But, these drawings were more for my own reference. The drawings for the bestiary need to be much more polished. I also think they need to be rooted in reality. So I've spent a lot of time drawing real animals and chopping and changing the features into what I think the creatures would look like.

Above is a wyrm. It can grow to the size of a large horse and doesn't have wings like a dragon. Dragons can grow up to the size of a male sperm whale (not including the tail). For the drawing I looked at the likes of komodo dragons and alligators. But, to give it that really fierce look I started playing about with adding horns. I looked at horned lizards (in particularly the thorny dragon) and how their horns grow out of modified scales that overlap and grow into their large spiky protrusions. The worms don't need to be covered in spikes head to tail because, really, who's going to mess with them besides other wyrms or the bigger dragons. I'm not 100% sold on the look but it's pretty close to what's in my head.

My favourite of the peerie folk are the sidhe (pronounced 'shee'). They are the Celtic fairies and there's lots of different types. This is an eunan-sìdhe or bird-sidhe.

In the bestiary, written from Merlin's perspective, the sidhe are described as:
"Sìdhe: (pronounced ‘shee’) Peerie folk that are spirits of nature; the fey folk. The most common sìdhe tend to have wings and take on the appearance of birds or flowers. They can be as small as your finger nail or as large as your hand. There are different types including the eunan-sìdhe (pronounced yoo-nan) which resemble wee birds or the bhileag-sìdhe (pronounced bee-lag) which resemble leaves or grass. The rarest are the daonna-sìdhe – the human-like rulers of the sìdhe. They are actually much taller than the common man. I was sheltered by them when I was exiled to the Caledonian Forest and taught their magic because of my natural gift of prophecy. They used to roam freely but now live mostly on the Isle of Avalon."

My little pal here looks more like a hairy humming bird but his wings are made of flower petals - in particular blue-bells which are prolific in Scottish woods.

I've also been sketching trows and the Lady of the Loch since the very beginning. However, it's been nice to settle on a final design for the trows. They're one of my favourite parts of the story. They're a fantasy creature not widely known outside of the Shetland Islands so it's nice to shine spotlight on the trows and all the crazy stories I've heard about them. Each trow looks different but Merlin came upon this one as he was wandering about the hills in Mull.

The bestiary is coming on nicely and I have a few more illustrations to do. They won't all have their own picture but enough to make it fun for young readers.

Check out more from the Bestiary here!

• Eachy
• Giants giants giants
• Cat sidhe
• Gargoyles
• Chimaera
• Kelpie

Hope you enjoy!
‽


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

A closer look at modern Albion

eunan-sìdhe - A fairy - ink on paper

The King Arthur Returns edits are going well. I've had some great feedback from friends on the story and have lots of bits and pieces to update and add to make the story richer.

One of the best parts of this is really getting into who the characters are and what they look like. I'm picking up lots of small details now that I can see their faces. It tells me more about who they are, how they stand and move when they react to certain situations.

Check out the Lady of the Loch!

One of my favourite characters from the book are the sìdhe. The book is a combination of the modern and the mythical. And what Celtic myth would be complete without a visit from the fae folk. This little guy on the right is an eunan-sìdhe - or wee bird fairy for all you non-Gaelic speakers.  



Pencil on paper

Some of the more human characters are coming into focus as well. I love getting to look them in the eyes and really find out what they're about. One of the characters, Pascent, carries an umbrella that has a story all its own to tell! Hmm....

The details are building and the trick will be deciding which details are necessary to get a real feel for their characters without giving too much away.

Realer than real

The picture below of Miss Yattrick, the infamous history teacher at Ash and Ana's school, really came into focus a wee while ago. I was in a class when a woman who looked like a wicked schoolmarm walked into the room. I actually gasped because it was like someone had taken the ideas in my head and created a person from them!

Before this I had a description of Miss Yattrick in writing and in my head. But, she was still just a nebulous collection of physical characteristics. There in front of me was a living and breathing embodiment of my character. I instantly took a break from what I was doing and started sketching because it was too good an opportunity to pass up (you try whipping out a sketchbook in the middle of a tai chi class). The description of Yattrick in the book hasn't changed much from it but now, when I write I can see her sneer, the darting of her eyes as she looks to find fault, the stooping gate heavy with malicious intent. I don't think this woman would be all too flattered, but hey, I didn't tell her to get that haircut.

Miss Yattrick - pencil on paper

I actually keep seeing people that look like my characters. It's a bit spooky to suddenly bump into someone that was just imaginary. Maybe it's because they're on my mind more now. Or maybe I'm just seeing the world through the lens of Albion. Either way, it's making this latest draft of King Arthur Returns all the richer. Let's just hope I don't start running into some of the more dangerous elements of the book - not sure I'd like to run into an actual dragon without Excalibur handy!


Hope you enjoy!
‽

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What not to wear - Lady of the Lake

What King Arthur myth is complete without a visit to the Lady of the Lake?

An early doodle - pen (2015)

As I'm working on the next draft of Age of Albion I'm clocking up lots of time doing sketches and crafting character details. I've already done tons of wee sketches in earlier drafts. But, I find it's particularly helpful as I'm redrafting to revisit the characters in drawing to make sure what's in my head is reflected on the page.

The Lady of the Lake in most Arthurian legends has a murky (pun intended) history. There are multiple stories that credit her as temptress or a heroine, a human or one of the fey folk. What is her true allegiance in King Arthur Returns? Well, you'll just have to see for yourself! But, she is definitely more fey than human.

Why does that look like that? What's it's purpose?

Not the Lady of the Lake

Some new doodles of the Lady -
pen on paper (2016)

Everything that I draw doesn't make it into the text. Too much detail and the writing becomes turgid and quashes the reader's imagination. You have to give just enough to convey an accurate sense of physical characteristics and personality but still leave some blanks for people to fill in themselves. A little mystery goes a long way!

However, drawing forces me to think about the choices I make about the various bits and bobs that a character wears (I'm a very visual person and need to 'see' things to consider them). When we, real people that don't just live in my head, get dressed in the morning we put on things that are of use to us in our day to day lives. Yes, this is fantasy, but it all needs to be grounded in the character's reality. Would the Lady of the Lake look awesome with a Lara Croft style gun belt on her thigh - the answer is always yes. But... why would she?

Who is the Lady?

Lady of the Lake -
pencil and ink (2017)

The Lady of the Lake has been swimming through my head for the last few weeks and I've been making lots of notes and sketches since finishing the last draft of AoA. I've picked up lots of details in the drawings that aren't necessarily noted in the text - like Pictish tattoos. Many of these details won't make it into the story because, while it's a cool idea, it's not necessary for the reader to totally grasp the character. And besides, this is MY version of the character. Every reader will have their own.

One big design feature is that she always looks like she's underwater, her hair floating about her. She also wears a dress made of tiny mother of pearl sequins.

There are details in some of the drawings I actually don't think the character should have. But, once I've drawn them, each incarnation makes the character fuller in my mind which ultimately adds to the authenticity of her interaction with other characters - just as our history and experience impacts ours.

From AnOther Magazine

A more etherial lady -
pencil on paper (2017)

It's fun watching the character come to life and drawing inspiration from various sources. For one drawing I came across the images of Tilda Swinton from AnOther Magazine which were too incredible not to draw (PS T-biggie Swins - if you want to play Lady of the Lake in the movie of my book... yes... Just yes! Or if you just want to you, ya know, swap numbers and hang out that's cool too). The pose is so dynamic and suggests movement even while static. Reinterpreting the silhouette of the dress begged for some interesting detail that would be relevant to a lake dwelling lore lady's dress (and before you ask, yes, you can get lake foam. So, boom). I don't know if this is what the final character design will be but it's still one of my favourite drawings of the Lady.

The Lady's history is growing in my mind and will help me fine tune her interactions in the book. It will also make a difference to how she engages in future stories.

I'm doing a series of drawings of other characters, so watch this space. This is one of my favourite moments because it's causing me to fall in love with all of my characters again. By learning more about them I can make the tapestry on the page richer and hopefully pass on that passion to the reader.


Hope you enjoy!
‽



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Age of Albion: Excalibur

I've finally written a polished draft of Age of Albion. Reading through the story and updating and editing it has turned out a draft where the characters are brighter and the story is richer. It's also given me a chance to produce a raft of exciting images, something that I usually do in the first draft.

Part of Ash and Ana's quest to find King Arthur and Merlin also means they need to track down their legendary weapons.

Excalibur is a solid golden bronze sword with a simple silver edge use for slaying mythical beast. The sword itself is blessed with other magical properties that you'll just have to read about.


It's described in the book as, "The two handed great sword was very plain. The hilt had a curved guard made of gold with a rectangular piece of silver at the middle. The handle, wrapped in leather, ended in a thick gold disk with a cross in the middle. Each point of the cross had a different colour stone on it. 


"The most amazing thing about Excalibur, though, was the blade. It was about a metre long, made of the shiniest and smoothest golden metal Ana had ever seen. One side of it was trimmed in silvery steel with runes carved in it that she knew said ‘Caliburn’, the sword's much older name."

The spear, Ron, belongs to Merlin. It has the ability to change between sword and spear form. In it's native form as a spear the golden bronze spear tip is comes out of the dragon's mouth like a belch of flames. In sword form it has an unbreakable dragon stone blade (a blade forged in dragon flame).


It is described in the book as, "The sword looked much older than Excalibur, more unpolished and natural – the most beautiful sword Ana ever seen. It’s blade was made of a smooth black stone, shorter and thinner than Excalibur. A thin strip of white-gold metal ran along the edge making it look needle sharp and dangerous somehow. Both the blade and handle were carved with Pictish swirls and leaf patterns. Its guard had a large purple stone in the centre with three smaller rubies creeping up the blade. A jagged quartz crystal burst out the end of the pommel like a rocky flame."


I think this method of blitzing a draft then going back and doing my drawings as part of the redraft has produced a much fuller (and quicker) story. It's meant that I got the story down, the characters aligned. And then I go back and improve the detail and really round out the characters and places in the story.


What do you think of my take on these mythical weapons?

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Arbea or Albion

It’s been a hectic summer and early autumn. I got my UK citizenship, started a new job and just finished the run of the show I directed, Sunshine on Leith! So, now that that's all over and done with there will be a large chunk of time where worrying about the future and the show used to be. So, it’s time to turn back to my worlds of fiction!

Sold out performances of Sunshine on Leith in Edinburgh

I’ve just finished polishing the outline for Emersus Project Book 3. I also have ideas for the second instalment of the Age of Albion series bumping around in my brain bin. But which do I pick up first? What is the decision making process version of writer’s block?

One of the best lessons that I got from write a novel month last November is that, when I put my mind to it, I can turn out a fairly decent draft in a short time. So, feasibly I could just blast out Emersus book 3 and keep going. There are so many characters in Arbea that I miss and I’m keen to see how they get to where they’re going, new characters and creatures to discover and even some returning faces that I can’t wait to meet again! I’ve managed a few sketches of one of the new feline friends we’ll see in Book 3.

But, after a lovely trip to the highlands in August, I feel the call of Arthur and Merlin again. The picturesque landscape of the highlands, the misty lochs and verdant glens themselves conjure up ghosts and phantasms as easily as a haar rolls out across the shore. There are pixies and giants and were-beasts tramping through my imagination and they’re fighting to get out. And of course, more trows!

So, who wins? Well, first things first. I need to finish the edit on the first Age of Albion book, King Arthur Returns. That will be my November. It will be a year since I churned out the first draft and I’ve only made it half way through a first edit. The story is great and the characters deserve a proper showing before I move on the next anything. Then I think changing up the process and blasting out a draft of the third Emersus Project book will be in order. After that I can go back and do the drawings and character designs in the rewrite. I’m also toying with the idea of doing a new edition of Black Star, the first Emersus Project book, with new illustrations and edits that will make the story richer.

Sometimes it’s hard having so many ideas kicking about in my head. They all want attention and I can’t do it all at once. But, now that I have an idea of the road ahead I’m feeling excited for the journey. Gemmy and Sem are ready for action again and I can’t wait to properly introduce you all to Ash and Ana our new heroes from Age of Albion!

Hope you enjoy!
‽





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