Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The art of Fallon

My first manuscript actually started with a book called The Adversary. In writing that book I was possessed by a side character named Fallon. She is a young girl, 15 or so that essentially took the story over. It was not my original intention to let her do this, but she kicked and screamed until she took the spotlight.

Fallon Gets Angry
Keep in mind Fallon has basically unlimted and unpredictable abilities which she can only sometimes control, yet she is a 15 year old girl. In the middle of writing The Adversary, Fallon demanded that she have a back story. Well, of course what I am I going to do? I can't argue with a moody 15 year old that can summon savage shadowy creatures now can I?

The Process
So off I went, making a huge manuscript about Fallon's early life that took about a year and a half to write. But what did she look like? How can I show you what she looks like without you reading a word? I called on my bud Will Routon again. (This was technically the first time but you get the point.) After our customary Sake, Sushi and some character descriptions, Will comes back with illustrations of exactly what the characters look like. Here Will breaks out some sketches of Fallon with slight variations as he tried to capture exactly what she looked like form different angles.
Page 1


Here is a second sheet as Will started to shape her.
Page 2


And from these ideas came the master work. The actual physical embodiment of this strange little girl.


Here is another version of a whole body.


Fallon still wasn't happy
I am an art nerd to a degree. I love different styles of art and I love to see what is floating around in everyone's head... especially when it comes to material I have written. While Will's work is what Fallon looks like, I wanted to see what other artists thought she looked like. So I asked Alex Eckman Lawn and Daniele Serra to put their spin on a scene that I sent them.

Alex Eckman Lawn's piece on on of the last scenes in Fallon.


Daniele Serra's piece on the climax of Fallon. (This will also be featured in an art book featuring Dani published by Black Coat Press.)


Fin
The original works by Will were originally done for the novel The Adversary but apply well to the latter part of Fallon (Which is her origin novel)and in doing these pieces, he also did several other characters Alex, Colin, & Aleser. I will make a separate blog about that as I really wanted to focus on Fallon this time around.

For further links, check out these talented artists here:
Daniele Serra
http://www.multigrade.it
Dani's Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/multigrade

Alex Eckman Lawn
http://www.alexeckmanlawn.com
Awakening
http://www.myspace.com/awakeningcomic

4 comments:

  1. Nick, When you say you were possessed by Fallon, do you mean literally or in a sens of not being able to put the image down?
    In other words, do you hear voices and feel as if, or just can't part with the character.
    Interesting stuff, a tad spooky I might add. You're remind me of Edgar Allen Poe.

    --Martin

    http://martinbartloff.blogspot.com/

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  2. Great blog, Nick. Makes me want to read more about her.

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  3. Hey Martin and Teresa!
    I meant possessed as in Fallon was constantly in my thoughts. She haunted me... With 1.5 books left to write in the trilogy, she still haunts me. I haven't actually had a physical conversation with her, but her character is always in my mind. Remind me one day and I will tell you the even stranger story of when I met her in person. Her name wasn't Fallon, but I actually ate sushi with the person she was modeled after. I about fell out of my seat.

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  4. Nick, The reason I asked was not to put you down as in "hearing voices" I'm completely shook up as I feel the very same with my character. I thought I was going nuts. When I read my book today I sit here wonder where all this information came from.

    --Martin

    http://martinbartloff.blogspot.com/

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