Kindly covered corpses

For the new edition we are needed a new cover. The first edition cover of Kindly corpses were too dark – did not reflect the true spirit of this graphic novel. So it was necessary to change the cover. I have done many covers for various books… But when I need to do covers for my own book, it can be much more complicated job. I did not want to fall into the usual trap – to smash my head that it must be kicking ass cover! I did something very simple and graphically powerful – enough to draw the attention of potential readers, I hope...

Kindly Corpses front cover / Second edition

Then I applied the cover design on 3d model book, and I must admit I liked how they look. Much better than the first edition!

Kindly Corpses / 3D model book

Here are the first ideas for the front cover, but I did not like because there are too many stories in it.

The first version of the cover / sketch drawing / pen and ink

Kindly corpses are completed now. Next phase - printing!

There are many interesting book projects ahead of me. Stay online!

Less talk, more work!

Kindly Corpses - Final destination!

Finally, the Kindly Corpses are made up, piece by piece. The first Serbian graphic novel in extended and redesigned new edition! The first edition had 104 pages, and this new edition has an amazing 160 pages! Two bonus stories – Corpses That We Loved and Autopsy of Death! Here are a few page views and some beautiful lyrics from the book:

Death like a little girl / page3 / Kindly Corpses

"When death was a little girl

She wanted eternity as a gift

And with her faceless smile

She took my calendar.

Gallery illustration / page 153 / Kindly Corpses

I felt a scream rise up inside me

Like a child’s terror unexplained

My body is an abyss that hunts me again.

Gallery illustration / page 159 / Kindly Corpses

And whose eyes could bring me back

When only the vagaries of words know of me?

Autopsy of Death - bonus story / double-page 138-139

I scream through the morning hours

Until someone hears me..."

Autopsy of Death - bonus story / double-page 140-141

And as I promised, here are the first two chapters of Kindly Corpses (Serbian language version) in PDF format:

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-d282d2e9.html

Can be kinder than this?

Lambshead Cabinet

Recently, I received copies of great book – TheThackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities. After Steampunk Reloaded, this is the second book by Ann and Jeff, where I participate with two of my illustrations. I was simply delighted to work with fantastic VanderMeer couple on these great projects. 

A sneak peek at The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet Of Curiosities

"The narrative scope and stellar assemblage of writers and illustrators…makes this a book that will be absolutely cherished by fantasy, science fiction, and steampunk afficionados alike." – Paul Goat Allen, B&N Book Club

Grayscale illustration for The Armor Of Sir Locust / Pen and watered ink on paper

"Sometimes I entertain the ghoulish notion that perhaps this armor is no artifact at all, but rather a mummified skeleton, scooped out subsequent to burial and grave robbery." – The Armor Of Sir Locust

Teaser - illustration details for the story Relic by Jeffrey Ford

A carefully selected group of popular artists and acclaimed, bestselling authors has been assembled to bring this cabinet of curiosities to life:

You can order the book at the following links:

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Thackery-T-Lambshead-Cabinet-Curiosities/dp/0062004751/

The Book Depository:
http://www.bookdepository.com/Thackery-T-Lambshead-Cabinet-Curiosities-Ann-Vandermeer/9780062004758

Corpses that we loved

Finally handmade process is completed. What we do next, is a mixing and digital editing, framing, typing text, etc... Yes, the second edition of Kindly corpses is in final stage. I fear that in this last phase, I will spend a lot of time trying to (re)make a comic book pages better than they are! Here are the first results...

Illustration reworked in mixed media technique (digital collage)

This digital collage is actually a remake of an old illustration done for the first edition of Kindly corpses. I love digital collage as an artistic technique, because using this technique you can get unexpected outcomes. So in this case I got a strange creature in the right part illustration.... Until the end I never know what will happen after the digital mixing.

Sketch drawing in watered ink technique and reworked in Photoshop

The following digital collage is made ​​on the basis of the illustration that was made in ink, pen, brush and white tempera on yellow paper. It's bloated corpse!

"You're bloated dead body, like a bubble of lifeless meat."- Andrej Grammatik

 

And at the end of this post, one double page - the beginning of the first bonus stories Corpses that we loved in the second edition of Kindly corpses!
 

 Corpses that we loved / double-page / mixed media technique

Do I have promised the first 34 pages Kindly corpses in PDF format for free? I am, and it will be soon. Be patient!

The Synthesis Of Traditional and Digital

In Belgrade this Thursday, starting the first Balkan Illustration Symposium. Lots of good illustrators, lectures, demonstrations... I will also take part of this symposium (on Saturday), and I will demonstrate my illustration technique. This work is a good example for the synthesis of traditional and digital - my presentation theme at the symposium ...

Super Floating Monkey Boy and the Blonde Girl’s Flying Head

Drawing comes from my sketchbook, and when I finished it digitally, I've used for the Parka's drawing contest #5 Super Lame Heroes...

Fade To Grey

Continue with the drawings for the new edition of Kindly Corpses... Before I fall to pieces and fade to gray, hear what Andrej Grammatik has to say:

"We are doing our best to give up ownership of our bodies…

Sketch drawing in watered ink technique

…We are consumers  who spend our bodies. Running to buy hip products, we are running out of our bodies… The market puts us under pressure: a new kidney design is in, a new type of the lungs is desirable…"

Andrej Grammatik - Detail of the comic panel

"It is as we coexist with our demons. We are simultaneously on the inside and outside of ourselves. We are free, and we are nowhere..."

Sketch drawing in watered ink technique

The first 34 pages of graphic novel Kindly Corpses in PDF format for free download, you can expect very soon!

Winged Nazgul sketches

One very interesting art challenge is now open. The theme is "Eowyn and the Nazgul", and more about this can be found on the blog Muddy Colors. I'm not a big fan of "Lord of the Rings", but the challenge is very appealing to illustrate. So, I began to make sketches of Nazgul’s creature, first...

Fell Beast / pencil, fine liner with black gel ink

There are many brilliant pictures painted and drawn on this subject, so it is very difficult to compete with that. Jack Kirby, a great comics artist, once said that the artist should be trying to be different, not better ...

Left: Sketch of the position Beast's head / Right: Detail of the final composition

I have decided to get horizontal drawing composition as the final. The technique is watered ink and pen, and then I'll use digital coloring.

Eowyn and the Nazgul in work process

I'm in a big mess now, and I hope it will be enough time to complete the picture by the end of challenge...

Touch of Lowbrow

Pop-surreal creature has many names – Juxtapoz, Lowbrow, Suggestivism… – and great preachers – Todd Schor, Chris Mars, Mark Ryden, Gary Baseman and others… I felt a touch of Lowbrow, so here are a few digital painted surreal scenes:

One-eyed Unicorn and Maiden 

Digital paint / RealBristle Brush / Painter & Photoshop

The first thing that I painted on this picture is the eye of Unicorn... then horn, bone instead of the mouth and at the end a young girl... Later, I explained this picture to myself as follows: Young girl in a bowl collects the blood of One-eyed Unicorn. Blood is precious to her. In this blood are her dreams, her youth and innocence.

Blind Bat-Girl

Digital paint / RealBristle Brush / Painter & Photoshop

Blind Bat-Girl says: Get used to the darkness in your stitched eyes, and let the bat lead you to place where the heart begins to beat.

Frog Swallowers  (The Conjurors)

Digital paint / RealBristle Brush / Painter & Photoshop

Are you one of frog eaters? You are?! Quickly, swallow the frog and 15 minutes of fame are just yours ...

Soft side of Edge

So far, you are already accustomed to frightening pieces of my art in previous posts. Now I have the opportunity to show you the brighter side of my artistic creativity - a children's book illustration! Actually, I'm much more illustrate children's books than anything else. Today when I came home, I was pleasantly surprised! Printed copies of picture books that have recently illustrated, finally arrived!

Picture books / Publisher Školska knjiga

Late last year I had a nice cooperation with the Croatian publishing house Školska knjiga. The result of this collaboration are two picture books that I've digitally painted, mostly. I must admit that see my artwork in one of the best print preview, so far. Printed colors are fresh and alive and quite similar to the original colors of the screen display illustrations!

First double-page from the picture book Flowerosaur

 

Flowerosaur – Dinosaur who loves the flowers (not to eat!)

“Small dinosaur Cvjetko (Flowerosaur) loved the flowers more than anything in the world. Then he fell in love with the female dinosaur. Everything would be alright if she wasn’t several times bigger than him. Poor little dinosaur trying in various ways to attract her attention…”

Double-page illustration in the work process

 This sweet story I was illustrated using the technique of digital painting. I put a rough sketch in pencil, then painted in Painter. 

Double-page illustration completed in the technique of digital painting

I used my favorite brush - RealBristle Brush - the result is similar to the technique of oil painting… With RealBristle brush you can easily control the density and intensity of mixing paint layers. And most importantly - you don’t have to wait for the paint dry!

Plamenko (Flame-boy) in the mamooth hunting

“This picture book tells the story of a small prehistoric boy and his search for the mammoth. Wanting to prove to his tribe that it’s possible to find and catch such great mammoth, Plamenko bravely stepped into a great adventure…”

Sketches / Pencil and water brush

In this case I combined water brush drawing with digital painting, and used natural textures (rocks, fur, wood ...). But first, I did a rough sketch of the characters, as always I do.

First double-page from the picture book about little cave-boy

Flame-boy and his father, caveman who is a professional painter (further ancestor-illustrator). They talk about the mammoth…

Night when the cave-boy decides to go in search for mammoth.

The boy thought for wild boars that they are mammoths...

First encounter with the mammoth.

That's all folks for now! 

How to survive an autopsy – Part II – collage

Work on the graphic novel Kindly Corpses, giving me plenty space for artistic experimentation. Actually, working on this project (the first time eight years ago) I started to use the technique of digital collages for some illustrations in the book. I admit that I was quite inspired by the fantastic works of Dave McKean, but I was trying to find my own style of handling ready-made images. So here are two new collage illustrations that should come in the second revised edition of Kindly Corpses.

 

“The image of death is what we needed, not death itself. In the end, it all boils down to the graphic conspiracy…” – Andrej Grammatik

 

So, stay alive and creative!