::sadistic ophelia::
Sadistic Ophelia has been my biggest challenge out of the Scarybirds illustrations. This is mostly because I suffered from 'Artist's Block' good and proper - I just couldn't visualise her and at one point I just forgot how to start. Yikes. Scary.
This Duchess Of Dark Loveliness is the creation of Yvette Dubel who works with Kerry Santo on the Scarybirds project.
First concepts (1 & 2) went well but were not quite right. The weapon she is carrying in her left hand I intended to be the Yvette's business logo (which looked like a bow) but a bow was too, bowy, so it turned into something a Klingon might use to clean his ears with. The knife took a distinctive Klingon feel to it too (3).
The next issue was what she was going to wear, so I made some sexy concepts (4) and settled on a hybrid of the ones I did (5) then I needed to get that snarling pose right with her wearing the gear we chose (6). It was about this time that the evil tentacles of Artist's Block began creeping around my throat. I had to try and visualise where she was standing and I really couldn't get it! I tried all sorts of settings, I've included my favourite reject of the alien canyon planet (7) but we settled on the more creepy Blair Witch Forest (8).
Then, it was to work rendering her and after a holiday I had I came back with my blockage cleared and I attacked her like a screaming banshee. Heck, I took far too long on her, but she was worth it in the end I reckon.
First Concept
Second Concept
Third Concept
Costume Ideas
Costume Detail
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Final Artwork
Detail