Here is my third illustration created based on one page from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. For the third book, 'The Amber Spyglass', I illustrated a scene in which Dr Mary Malone is using two sheets of amber glass to view the magic Dust that the plot of the trilogy is based on.
This was the single most magical plotline of the trilogy for me as a kid, and again when I reread recently as a so-called-adult. The way Pullman introduces and describes this world really stuck with me as an amazing balance between realistic elements and totally surreal elements and I wanted to try to create this dream-like quality in the illustration.
For this page I wanted to create an illustration in which the golden dust was very visible. I featured the Mulefa, a species created by the author with some features of an elephant and an antelope and with a diamond-shaped spine structure. I hoped that the combination of mulefa and dust would create a magical effect.
Figuring out the Mulefa was a whole task in itself. It was a challenge to try to create a creature that looked somewhat anatomically possible, despite having no central spine... I found some great mulefa artwork in my research, different people interpreted Pullman's description of the mulefa so differently from each other! I really wanted to convey the sentience of the creatures, and the warmth they showed towards the human character, so I tried to create this feel with their eyes and facial expressions.
Above: The page I chose to illustrate
Above: My initial mindmap after reading the page
Above: Some initial thumbnails
Above: An alternative idea thumbnail
I chose to create a wide image again, firstly as this completed the set of three nicely. But also as I felt this would direct the viewer's eye from left to right, as Mary looks through the glass. I would love to recreate this illustration in some time when I have developed my skills further. This illustration ended up being finished very tightly in time for the Tragaluz deadline, and so there are some parts where I would like to return and spend more time finishing one day. But for now, this was another really encouraging and inspiring image to create, and taught me so much!
Thanks so much for checking this post out. :) You can see the illustrations I created for the first two books in the trilogy here
https://steemit.com/art/@kristenbruce/a-dream-project
and here
https://steemit.com/art/@kristenbruce/dream-project-continues
Any Philip Pullman fans out there? Anyone read The Book of Dust yet!? :D I added it my audible library to listen to while I draw. I do prefer to read than listen, but I also love to have something to listen to and get engrossed in while I work! Audible and podcasts keep me so inspired! :) <3
