Witches...

[secondlina]

 

Just some sketches of the witches of Oz. I,ve been trying to re-read my old Oz books to refresh my memory for Namesake (the plot thickens in the webcomic, btw, things are getting stabby!) I tried to reference the original Oz illustrations for the clothing style. I found the clothing in Oz always looked like a mix of Indian/Asian and Victorian. It's very art nouveau. Behold : 



As a result, it's flowy and crazy fun to draw.

I've been REALLY busy lately. Like, the insane end of busy. I can barely find time to draw, which is pretty much why all my sketches are Namesake-oriented. Mostly, my social life just boosted. Lately, i've had the chance to see many friends I haven't seen in a while. I took the chance to see them because I probably won't see most of them again before another 6 months at least! So please forgive my lack of internet presence, both in the sketching and on the chatting. Work is also real busy. In any case. I,m sorry. I wish I could be everywhere at once. Not because I feel I have to, but because I want to. 

Honestly, I would not be so pressed for time if I didn't have to share my free time between "art" work and fun. Aaah, someday, someday. I,ll be able to draw all day and get my salary that way. I hope.

This weekend, I saw my parents too. and my friend Fauve's brand new house. I still can't believe she got a house at 25. Wow. Some people are organized.

Speaking of organized, while I was gone all weekend to see my parents in Ottawa, here in Montréal, Link re-organized the apartment. The studio looks so much better now. But I can,t find my scissors! And my paint! Argh! I have a bunch of things to find and put away. Oh well. A small sacrifice for a better studio.

I also took the time to watch How to Train your dragon. In two parts (while eating supper). It's... It's so awesome. I love it so. I get the feeling this and Tangled are going to be my favorite animated movies of all time. Why Tangled too? Because i'm super excited for every scrap of animation I see of Tangled. Clearly, the obsession as begun.

- Isa

Comments

[ilikebigtoes.livejournal.com]

Actually to be super,super,super picky the original,original illustrator for the Oz books was W.W. Denslow. John R. Neill came on to work on Oz after him.

SORRY I AM A NERD.

I love our artwork as always. I enjot that your bringing more individual face shapes for the witches with really shows their personality s.

[dqbunny.livejournal.com]

Just the first book. ^_^ I vastly prefer Neill's illustrations to Denslow's. I would love to have prints of all his covers.

(Is a huge nerd too, which is why this project is way too much fun.)

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

Same with me. I didn't like Denslow's Dorothy -- she just didn't look right to me. He does get technical credit as the first, though.

[dqbunny.livejournal.com]

True, he does. I think most people see Dorothy as Neill's version, or Judy Garland (which is what she looked like in my mind before reading 'Ozma of Oz')

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

I grew up with both the movie and the books, which is probably why I've been able to love them both despite how very different they are. Still, to me the "real" Dorothy will always be a ten or eleven years old blonde girl, and maybe more the kind of kid you'd have seen on a real Kansas farm of the time.

If I ever get around to start writing that book I keep talking about, that's exactly how I hope to portray her!

[dqbunny.livejournal.com]

*poke* When you do, I want to read it!

I'm not sure why I never read the books as a child. I didn't read "Alice in Wonderland" either, though I adored the Disney movie. Oddly enough, the books were never pushed on us in the classroom, and I don't think my grandparents thought to place them in my hands - I got Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" series and my mom's copy of "Little Women" and Hans Christen Andersen's fairy tales instead.

It's interesting reading the Oz books as an adult, and it makes me wonder how my reaction would have been as a child (note: I want to turn Billina into fried chicken). I also bought The Real Wizard of Oz yesterday and just dived into it. I love how the cover resembles Neill's artwork.

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

Well, the Oz books are a century old, after all, and they just don't seem to be pushing some of the children's classics in schools. I remember my teacher reading us the "Little House" books, but I had to track down "Alice" and "Little Women" for myself. If my parents hadn't bought a collection of Baum's 14 Oz books, I probably never would have known about them.

I'll tell you the same thing about my Oz book that I tell everyone about "Storm Chaser", the book I've sold that hasn't come out yet: When I have a release date, believe me, I'll be telling EVERYBODY. :-)

[secondlina.livejournal.com]

Really? To me a real dorothy should have braids.

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

I can live with braids, as long as she's blonde -- sounds like a reasonable compromise. But I read those books over and over and over again, from when I was so young that I was basically just looking at the illustrations, so my view of her appearance comes from all those Neil visuals -- shorter, blonde hair. Much as I loved the Judy Garland movie, that Dorothy was just a bit too weak (not to mention old) to be the real one.

[secondlina.livejournal.com]

I love both illustrators. :D

Ah, thanks for noticing the face shapes! I had a lot of fun with that!

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

That's one of my favorite Dorothy-Ozma images (or Dorothy/Ozma, to some). You should redo it in your own style!

[secondlina.livejournal.com]

....Hey, I should. Thanks for the suggestion!

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

I have my moments!

[spankingfemme.livejournal.com]

Nice sketches! It's getting me all in the mood for Halloween! :)

The comic is coming along swimmingly to! You've got me hanging by my seat waiting to see where the story goes next! =D

House at 25? That is damned responsible... I'm happy to just have a car at 32 LOL! ;)

No worries about us, we know how life can get hectic, and definitely take some time aside for drawing! I want to see more HTYD fanart since you're all into the new DVD now *giggle* :)

[secondlina.livejournal.com]

Mwahahaha! I am god of cliffhangers!

I want to draw more HTTYD too! SO MANY IDEAS!

[neocloud9.livejournal.com]

Love the Oz sketches!

[secondlina.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[kuridee.livejournal.com]

AHH NAMESAKE. Very stabby indeed. :o

I cannot wait for Tangled. I wish I could watch HTTYD again but woe, the only DVDs around here are region 2. D:

[secondlina.livejournal.com]

You're still in europ then?

[kuridee.livejournal.com]

I am, but I'll be back in December. :D

[secondlina.livejournal.com]

so stuff worked out okay?

[kuridee.livejournal.com]

Yep, pretty much! :D

[secondlina.livejournal.com]

Yaaay! Good to hear! I'm glad! You sounded so sad before!

[kuridee.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I was rather sad before, but things seem to be looking up. *hugs* :DD

[angelchan-2004.livejournal.com]

Lovely sketches~ Can't wait to see them in the comic<3

I've watched How To Train Your Dragon a few times now since I bought it on dvd, hahaha. It's always amazing<3

[secondlina.livejournal.com]

Ah, so did I! *abuses the blue ray*