Assignment from my Intermediate Illustration class to illustrate this poem as a two-page magazine spread, complete with typography.
This piece is...wow. Well, I can't really even begin to tell you how proud I am of this. This took six hours...starting a bit before midnight, and ending a bit before 5:30 in the morning, after a few other long nights of work. I guess this is what you'd call "method illustration"...I poured all my own feelings of complete exhaustion into what I was doing.
This is probably one of the most quintessentially "me" things I've done: emphasis on emotion, depicting humans, working with black ink and eye-searing colors in marker, extreme lighting, cellblock shadows. And it's all clicking, here, better than in anything I've ever done before. I love how things are turning out: the more I work like myself, the happier things work out.
I'm so freakin' happy!
text (c) Cheryl Gatling
art (c) J. E. Seames 2007
Comments
Willgreg123 Says:
O_O As you well SHOULD be! This is really amazing JoJo. It sounds like you poured allot of yourself into this
It looks fantastic, absolutly wonderful.
skinnyvee Says:
I really admire the use of color in this piece, as well as all the feelings you've poured into it. Have a fav.
Yammo Says:
I love the colour and emotion.
elle Says:
This is brutally awesome--the color combos are super slick. Great composition, cutting the fella's face off n' all. All I'd say is perhaps put a stroke outline of black on the poem itself, as it becomes difficult to read in places.
That girl's eye really stands out, too. X) You do such wonderiffic work, and don't you forget it!
Minstrel Ayreon Says:
Very well done...I think you captured the emotion of the poem well. Cutting off the guy's face is interesting...because you can't see his eyes, you don't know if he's doing the stoic guy thing or if he's showing more emotion than that. It allows for a little more interpretation on part of the viewer and I like having that freedom.
Rikki Merie Says:
I really love the strong contrasts of each color, the emotions behind it, and the overall feeling. You really have out done yourself :} , and I agree about cutting the off the guys face it really gets you questioning. And, for pure kicks I just love his large hands ...
Masterpiece i say!
Captain Gauntlet Says:
Very nice. The contrast is so vibrant and awesome. I would love to see more work like this!
benjamin breeg Says:
You are just...a legend
flyingfox560 Says:
Fantastic Illus! Love the choice of colors. Y'know, this could also illustrate a certain song by "Journey"... Just a small town girl, Livin' in a lonely world. She took the midnight train goin' annnyyyywheeeere...
Sana Says: