Fangirl Monday: Art Special Edition

Aug 11, 2008 03:12

Fangirl Tour

This is an All Art Post. It takes a lot longer to read fic than to look at pretty pictures. Therefore, rather than list 13 story recs, here I present favourite artsies from a baker’s dozen of book-based artistic fandoms including a graphic novel. Art fandom can be a bit different to fiction-writing fandom, in that some sources seem to trigger general creativity rather than things being based on the relationships of particular characters.

Here I recommend work in a range of media inspired by Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter, Peter Whimsy & Harriet Vane, Jeeves and Wooster, Artemis Fowel, Thursday Next & the Nursery Crime Division, Pride and Prejudice, Earthsea, V for Vendetta, His Dark Materials, Alice (as in Wonderland), Watership Down and The Hobbit. With any luck, there is something for everyone amongst these links.

I hope you get the chance to see something you like that you wouldn’t come across during your normal fandom activities. Two things really strike home when you look at a lot of online galleries. Firstly, the deviantart website is where everybody displays their work. They might have their own website, or archive elsewhere, but you can bet your arse they’ve a deviantart profile too. Second, is the way the Harry Potter fandom sucks all creativity towards it in terms of fanart. Many people who have started doing fanart about other things seem to have ended up covering Potterdom too. Is this a positive thing? Personally, I don’t think so. But it certainly is popular.



1. Sherlock Holmes
I’m not a reader of the books. Perhaps when I’m old. But I love the archetypal silhouette and the books inspire really good pictures.

Radojavor
Sherlock Holmes
All done in Photoshop, but references were only used for Holmes’s face and for the dress featured. Atmospheric lighting and attention to detail make this top class and a must-see.
http://radojavor.deviantart.com/art/Sherlock-Holmes-58335554

Thundertori
Sherlock and Watson - NOT WORK SAFE
Yes! Somebody’s done it. I find this Holmes really terribly hawt. The borderline anime style is effective and the figures beautifully rendered.
http://thundertori.deviantart.com/art/Sherlock-and-Watson-52395661

Chris Rawlins
Hound of the Baskervilles
Scary dawg action. Not for very strict vegetarians with weak tummies.
http://chrisrawlins.deviantart.com/art/Hound-Of-The-Baskervilles-66971297

2. Harry Potter
Due to the presence of lots of other ship-oriented art recs on the tour, the Harry Potter recs are more about world-building than characters.

Tessa McGray
Howarts Houses: Slytherin
It’s the glass ceiling and the colours that made me have to show you this. The best rendering of an underwater common-room I’ve seen.
http://www.elfwood.com/fanq/m/c/mcgray3/slythcommonroom.jpg.html

Red Blue World
Gingerbread Hogwarts
Check it out! World building in the tastiest possible manner…
http://redblueworld.deviantart.com/art/Gingerbread-Hogwarts-27146984

Landorie
Hogsmeade
It’s just a nice painting regardless of the supposed location. The looming hills and the blue/grey are very Scottish.
http://landorie.deviantart.com/art/Hogsmeade-29868345

Cambium
Spinner’s End
Classic bit of fanart. Not so hot on some of the figures but the scene is utterly complete.
http://cambium.deviantart.com/art/Spinner-s-End-20729078

Tomscribble
The Order of the Phoenix
Drool! How I would love to have drawn this. It’s just full of darkness and worry and boredom and dissent. Make sure you check out the details. Kreacher is a bonus.
http://tomscribble.deviantart.com/art/The-Order-of-the-Phoenix-60208791

3. Wimsey and Vane
My God! I’ve searched and searched. Where the hell is it, fellow fangirls? Here’s what I did like…

Friede
Harriet Lady Peter Wimsey
This is a recreation of the Chapparelle "Portrait of a New Bride" described in Thrones, Dominations, a Whimsey/Vane book finished after the author’s death. You could say the book is a work of fanfiction. I like this picture a lot because it captures a hint of defiance and a lot of grace.
http://friede.deviantart.com/art/Harriet-Lady-Peter-Wimsey-13412913

Alene
Peter and Harriet
Anyone who has gone looking will have seen this already. But it’s a good pic and the artist also has a bunch of film star portraits that are interesting.
http://alene.deviantart.com/art/Peter-and-Harriet-52166600

4. Jeeves and Wooster (as in Wodehouse)
A bit of a fan of the books. Haven’t read them since I was a kid, though. Again, I know Jeeves and Wooster are popular with the fangirls so I had an explore and found a couple I like.

Friede
Taking Care of Bertie
Same artist as Harriet, but this is too funny not to show.
http://friede.deviantart.com/art/Taking-Care-of-Bertie-4614517

Amytaluuri
Jeeves
Spot on!
http://amytaluuri.deviantart.com/art/Jeeves-for-Zandan-40779785

5. Artemis Fowl
I like these books. They are amusing, take about 4 hours to read and are therefore good for train journeys. Eoin Culfer writes rather smugly though. There is a relatively small amount of fanart and most of it is manga-style. Kids today, eh?

Theturtlemoves
Artemis Fowl
This is the best version of Artemis I could find. His sly expression is particularly apt.
http://theturtlemoves.deviantart.com/art/Artemis-Fowl-41482966

L-word
Umb-ber-ella-ella-ella
Woot! Artemis/Holly. The ultimate cradle-snatch. Clever and sweet and the little drabble at the bottom of the artist’s comments is pretty cool too.
http://l-word.deviantart.com/art/AF-Umb-er-ella-ella-ella-77420548

ChessaB (who has been kicked off deviantart)
Goodbye Domovoi
Great illustration of the scene in which Artemis finally gets emotional.
http://artemisfowlfc.deviantart.com/art/good-bye-domovoi-6683633

6. Thursday Next/Nursery Crime Division
Jasper Fforde writes the bestest surreal humour like evah. And he actively encourages fans to illustrate his books by running competitions on his website.

FlamebloodQuickblade
First Among Fanart
This is a great illu of Thursday herself. She makes being a detective in Swindon look much cooler than it probably really is.
http://flamebloodquickblade.deviantart.com/art/First-Among-Fanart-59450604

Madeloupe
I 0011110000110011 You
Ashley is an alien policeman whose native language is binary. Mary is a human policewoman and he wuvs her. The most unlikely romance - especially as he doesn’t back himself up often enough.
http://madeloupe.deviantart.com/art/I-0011110000110011-you-41834516

Maddunkartist
Humpty Dumpty - Playboy
An explanation would take too long! Lovely colours and some serious drawing skill.
http://maddunkartist.deviantart.com/art/Humpty-Dumpty-Playboy-72802839

Jefita
Plock?
The coolest fridge magnet in the world!
http://jefita.deviantart.com/art/Plock-66287876

7. Pride and Prejudice
I’m never very sure whether the book counts as “Regency” because it was mostly written earlier than that but published in 1813. One day I’ll paint a Regency Snape, though…

Sive
Mr Darcy’s Letter
Very good watercolour work. Respect!
http://sive.deviantart.com/art/Mr-Darcy-s-Letter-26167304

Majah
Mr and Mrs Darcy
One hell of a perspective to try. It took her a year to get it finished. Great pencil drawing.
http://majah.deviantart.com/art/Mr-and-Mrs-Darcy-44088111

8. Earthsea
So I read and re-read what was the “Earthsea Trilogy” when I was a kid. But now there’s more.

Wild-E-eep
Dragon of Pendor
Christ this is good. Gotta love the dragon.
http://wild-e-eep.deviantart.com/art/Dragon-of-Pendor-22721187

Agent Elrond
Not Only Irian
This is very colourful and reminds me of one of those psychedelic free festival posters from the sixties.
http://agent-elrond.deviantart.com/art/Not-Only-Irian-85745617

9. V For Vendetta
I adore the look of V. I’ve drawn him myself but I’m not happy with the results. I have mixed feelings about the film adaptation because I discovered that when I could hear all V’s prattling on it was a bit annoying. But most of the film looked amazing.

Ellensama
V and Evey Rooftop Kiss
A pretty one for the fangirls ;-)
http://ellensama.deviantart.com/art/V-and-Evey-Rooftop-Kiss-42994630

Cardinal Biggles
Erik Meets V
Just makes me laugh. Two masked men in Costa Coffee…
http://cardinalbiggles.deviantart.com/art/Erik-Meets-V-32511084

FugueState
Now then, where were we?
If you’re into V and Evey, hers is a must see gallery. But I like my V dark, so this is my personal fave.
http://fuguestate.deviantart.com/art/quot-Now-then-where-were-we-quot-60859988

Yumegari
A Revolution Without Dancing
…is a revolution not worth having. Flowy cloak and big knives. Yeah, baby!
http://yumegari.deviantart.com/art/A-Revolution-Without-Dancing-32058392

10. His Dark Materials
Northern Lights is one of my favourite books. Couldn’t believe how much I was sucked in and had to read with bated breath until I’d finished it. I know it’s children’s fiction but it’s dead exciting! Subtle Knife is great, too. Amber Spyglass less so.

Ldiehl
Northern Lights
Not my style of art at all, but a very good illustration. In fact, Philip Pullman requested a copy of it. O_O
http://ldiehl.deviantart.com/art/Northern-Lights-21889674

Rohanelf
Lyra’s Hiding Place.
Yup. So this is more how I see Lyra. Scabby-kneed and grubby. Brilliant lighting in this picture too.
http://rohanelf.deviantart.com/art/Lyra-s-Hiding-Place-67872414

Kate-Kyrillion
The Retiring Room
This is so good! Vibrant colour and endless detail. Done in acrylics, which are a bastard. And it isn’t finished and the scanner wasn’t cooperating.
http://kate-kyrillion.deviantart.com/art/The-Retiring-Room-82293706

Thundercake
Some Book Cover
Wicked take on the Amber Spyglass. Says it all.
http://thundercake.deviantart.com/art/Some-Book-Cover-78546876

11. Alice
There are things that inspire artists and books like Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are those sorts of things.

Maryanne42
Wonderland
Unbelievable. Incredibly annoyingly displayed so it’s tiny or huge, but fuck me sideways! You have to look at this pen drawing!
http://maryanne42.deviantart.com/art/wonderland-69625952

super-sheep
Alice and the Cheshire Cat
super-sheep has a monster gallery full of spooky original stuff. But they’ve also done a couple of great Alice illustrations, my favourite of which is this. Because the cat does not look at all benign…
http://super-sheep.deviantart.com/art/Alice-and-the-Cheshire-cat-22760945

MAD-PROPZ
Of Cabbages and Kings
The oysters are so cute! Brilliant illustration of a scene from Through the Looking-Glass
http://mad-propz.deviantart.com/art/Of-Cabbages-and-Kings-84864907

12. Watership Down
My favourite book when I was a kid. Really. I used to finish it and then start it again immediately. A surprisingly popular choice on deviantart, but I’ve tried to steer clear of stuff based on the shite cartoon with the annoying, whiny tune.

Kittehness
U ni-Frith U fu-Inle
Nice design and good digital skillz
http://kittehness.deviantart.com/art/u-ni-Frith-u-fu-Inle-3333664

Zackules
Keehar Attacks
Keehar holds a permanent soft spot in my heart, owing to the fact that my first encounter with the book was through my big brother reading it to me when I was seven (he liked reading me “big” books in Jackanory instalments). He put on the worst German accent ever when he read Keehar and said the word ‘shit’. Which was the coolest thing in the world when I was seven.
http://zackules.deviantart.com/art/Keehar-Attacks-81457657

Shadyufo
Stopped Running
Watership Down meets Donnie Darko and a jolly good Black Rabbit of Inle is created.
http://shadyufo.deviantart.com/art/Stopped-Running-51509657

13. The Hobbit
Don’t kill me but… I actually prefer my Tolkein not epic, complicated and LOTR. I loved this book when I was a kid and spent an awful lot of time drawing Smaug and fangirling (wince) Fili and Kili. I could also write fluently using the runes printed at the beginning of the book.

BenHouse
The Hobbit
An attempt at a front cover and very good it is too! Spooky and cleverly lit.
http://benhouse.deviantart.com/art/The-Hobbit-69846764

danielpapen
Fili from The Hobbit
Fangirl squee!
http://danielpapen.deviantart.com/art/Fili-from-The-Hobbit-40494542

Dark-Angel-90
Smaug’s Treasure Horde
Finally, I’m pushing the definition of fanart right out to the very edge with this one. Inspired by a literary reference and no more. So far up my street it’s settling down with a mug of tea in my kitchen as I type. Because there are patterns and colour. Mmmmm.
http://dark-angel-90.deviantart.com/art/Smaug-s-Treasure-Horde-54973041

watership down, pride and prejudice, !official fangirl tour stop, v for vendetta, his dark materials, harry potter, alice in wonderland, artemis fowl, sherlock holmes, earthsea, jeeves & wooster, the hobbit, thursday next, lord peter wimsey

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