I
researched ancient Babylon and found these friezes with
intricately carved, cartoonish characters. Many Babylonian
artifacts featured similarly rendered people.
We
had decided to do a cover that utilized the "flip"
style, but using one continuous piece of artwork. I proposed
that the unifying element be a carved frieze with scenes
from both stories.
This
is me starting the picture. I always keep reference photos
posted near my drawing board. On the base of the easel,
you'll see my weapons of choice: chalk pastels.
You
may notice in this image that the artwork is not drawn
in black and white. Instead of working to maintain a solid
50% gray, I chose to use a brownish red that I knew would
look 50% gray when converted to grayscale. I used a light
purple for light grays, and shades of brown for shadows.
In
order to advance the drawing consistently, I had to flip
the picture as I was working on it. I'd develop one half
for a while, then turn it and draw the other.
Here
is a detail showing some partially done areas.
You
can see through the unfinished areas that the paper
I used isn't white. Since I usually cover every inch
of a drawing, it isn't necessary to start with a white
page. Often, it's easier to build highlights and shadows
out of a middle-toned background.
This
is the final finished picture in color.
This
is the final image once converted to grayscale.
