The Old Lion

After a long wait, I chose the old lion fable to illustrate. But I yet again fail to do the fable justice. My over complicated design idea and fondness for that white line has overwhelmed the image and left it looking not so great. I used some computer added shading to put the two characters in a little more context, but I do it every time, I just over do it!

The old lion’s head rested on the path leading into his cave, the faint tracks of the doomed animals in the soil and the fox’s reluctant stance — I cobbled this image together using the same materials, watercolour, pigment, ink and coffee.

I need to get in more practice on simpler subject matter before conquering another Aesop so it may be sometime before I have a collection I am happy with, but hopefully it will be worth it. I like the lion’s face though, I’m pleased with him!

“A Lion, enfeebled by age and no longer able to procure food for himself by force, determined to do so by cunning. Betaking himself to a cave, he lay down inside and feigned to be sick: and whenever any of the other animals entered to inquire after his health, he sprang upon them and devoured them. Many lost their lives in this way, till one day a Fox called at the cave, and, having a suspicion of the truth, addressed the Lion from outside instead of going in, and asked him how he did. He replied that he was in a very bad way: ‘But,’ said he, ‘why do you stand outside? Pray come in.’ ‘I should have done so,’ answered the Fox, ‘if I hadn’t noticed that all the footprints point towards the cave and none the other way.’”

The Wolf and the Crane

The Wolf and the Crane involves a delicate procedure where a crane attempts to remove a bone from a wolf’s throat. Using coffee, watercolour and a touch of white pigment I came up with two slightly different compositions. I have used the common crane in the first illustration and the sandhill crane for the second due to the geographical compatibility, which I shouldn’t probably take any notice of since this is an Aesop’s fable, never mind!

My second attempt is probably the one I prefer, I enjoy the subtle detail of animals faces, plus I bought some different pens which are waterproof so I don’t have to wait a few hours for the ink to dry, resulting in less Skyrim time in between drying…

“A Wolf once got a bone stuck in his throat. So he went to a Crane and begged her to put her long bill down his throat and pull it out. “I’ll make it worth your while,” he added. The Crane did as she was asked, and got the bone out quite easily. The Wolf thanked her warmly, and was just turning away, when she cried, “What about that fee of mine?” “Well, what about it?” snapped the Wolf, baring his teeth as he spoke; “you can go about boasting that you once put your head into a Wolf’s mouth and didn’t get it bitten off. What more do you want?”

The Tortoise and the Eagle

After much agonising on how to portray my third Aesop Fable I think it was time to put this story to bed for now. Over many sketches and compositions I evolved the story into an admittedly busy idea. In the image below I have incorporated a story within the body of the eagle, the left wing joint depicts a soaring eagle, below you can make out the tortoise making his descent into the rocks depicted in yellow below him.

I went with this idea as I think it was a springboard for different media. I have used coffee (which smells real good), inks, pastel pigments and this white outline which I’m really liking! Although I feel this image could leave you confused it allowed me to experiment and go a little nutty.

“A Tortoise, discontented with his lowly life, and envious of the birds he saw disporting themselves in the air, begged an Eagle to teach him to fly. The Eagle protested that it was idle for him to try, as nature had not provided him with wings; but the Tortoise pressed him with entreaties and promises of treasure, insisting that it could only be a question of learning the craft of the air. So at length the Eagle consented to do the best he could for him, and picked him up in his talons. Soaring with him to a great height in the sky he then let him go, and the wretched Tortoise fell headlong and was dashed to pieces on a rock.”

The Gnat and the Bull

My second Aesop’s Fable, and I thought I’d show the ‘making of’ the illustration.

I start off by trawling the web for the one photo that captures my imagination. I then blunt all my pencils by drawing the subject matter, over and over.

And when I get that perfect composition, I rush to draw it out on watercolour paper, and ink over the design before my spark of creativity fades. After the ink is dry, I apply watercolour and, when that has dried I add the finishing touches with white acrylic and more ink to pattern.

“A Gnat alighted on one of the horns of a Bull, and remained sitting there for a considerable time. When it had rested sufficiently and was about to fly away, it said to the Bull, “Do you mind if I go now?” The Bull merely raised his eyes and remarked, without interest, “It’s all one to me; I didn’t notice when you came, and I shan’t know when you go away.

We may often be of more consequence in our own eyes than in the eyes of our neighbours.”

The Fox and the Grapes

Aesop’s Fables are the most beloved fables of all time! To draw attention to the less well known ones I set about about trying to illustrate them. The fox and the grapes was the first one I was drawn to.

I designed three images to match the fable and I played with different ideas for each one, I can’t leave watercolour alone at present so two feature a watercolour element.

Illustrating these fables will allow me to build up a portfolio of work so in time I may well be able to approach authors to show examples of my work, plus I can get in lots of illustrative practice!

“A hungry Fox saw some fine bunches of Grapes hanging from a vine that was trained along a high trellis, and did his best to reach them by jumping as high as he could into the air. But it was all in vain, for they were just out of reach: so he gave up trying, and walked away with an air of dignity and unconcern, remarking, “I thought those Grapes were ripe, but I see now they are quite sour.”

The Old Lion

The Wolf and the Crane

The Tortoise and the Eagle

The Gnat and the Bull

The Fox and the Grapes

Oddkness