Drawing for Dwelling -Mioko's legs

Illustrations for Doug Karr's novel Dwelling

I was thrilled when @dougkarr sent me the manuscript for his novel Dwelling. I printed off the first few pages and eagerly began to scribble my ideas across the text. The more I read, the more visual pictures formed in my mind, and I hoped to capture some of these images through my ink drawings.

I made a few examples of portraits in different illustrative styles and sent them to Doug. I suggested 'slightly dirty paper (coffee stained/ ink splatter) with ink drawings (characters/scenes) in a dark style', and the more I read of the novel the more this seemed the right way to go. We agreed on the style. Keen to get to work on the illustrations I pulled out my drawing inks and dip pen, then I sat down at my drawing desk ready to create my first set of drawings for the novel Dwelling.

She ruffled through old vertical files, the photographic evidence of her existence. A frenzied leap boosted her onto a chair. She fished the forgotten space above her closet. It had to be here somewhere.

@dougkarr Dwelling -CHAPTER ONE The Tenement

Drawing Mioko

The image of one of the novels characters Mioko standing on a chair. Sketched out in pencil then drawing ink applied with a dip pen.

Layers of water and ink are built up with a brush to suggest areas of shadow and light. The background is painted with darker ink tones to make the forefront stand out.

Mioko moved frantically about her apartment, her milky legs covered in Japanese horimono tattoos.

@dougkarr Dwelling -CHAPTER ONE The Tenement

'Mioko's legs' -Ink on paper

You can read the 1st chapter of Doug Karr's novel Dwelling now!

Have a great day and Steem on!

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