Narnia sequence, part 2. Thumbnail votes?

[LauraA]

Before the holiday season I was working on the first of a 3-illustration sequence for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It was a scene in the Beavers' house. Now that I've taken a bit of a break from that, I'm starting on the second piece, which is going to cover the denouement of the battle, in the first part of the final chapter. I chose this scene because it had some moments I hadn't seen illustrated before.

The keywords range from urgent (when characters are in danger from their wounds) to ebullient (as more and more are healed), depending on the moment chosen. There is a lot of potential for running and frolicking here, but also for some closeups that could depend on facial expression.

With that intro, here are my favorite thumbnails (so far), in which I explored different moments and camera angles:

1. Some kind of general triumphant progression, either the battle charge (which actually happens in the chapter before) or a parade of happy, freed Narnians.

2. Various permutations of the post-battle scene in which Aslan is breathing on the enchanted statues to turn them back into Narnians, and Lucy is running around with her cordial, healing the wounded. (I have others of these, but wanted to get your reactions first.) I kind of like Aslan’s healing breath as a motif, but also I just want to draw swirls! Some have the dead witch, but nothing gory.

3. A closeup of Edmund in the moment that he is healed. I kind of liked the weird camera angle.

4. Lucy wants to stick close to the wounded Edmund, but Aslan tells her that there are others in danger of dying if she doesn't move quickly. She is momentarily irritated but then apologizes. She has to put the common good above self-interest.

5. Permutations of the moment when Lucy gives Edmund the cordial, but from his POV.

Sometimes I wonder if the fact that 1" x 2" thumbnails are so small favors closeups, because it can be hard to make the action clear in panoramas, but this should do for exploring moments and camera angles at least and the next round can clarify the action. Which do you think have the most potential? Thank you!!

[Pamela Fraley]

I love the energy of 1a!! I also love the emotion of 3b. Those are the two that are reading the clearest to me. The compositions are great and they give the right feels, I think. I love those books!

[Kevin Longueil]

@LauraA these are really nice!! I agree that the emotion and composition of 3b catches the attention - that is probably the one I would choose if I had to choose just one - so many good thumbnails though!

[MarksByMallory]

I like 1a, 2a, and 2b:
1a and 2a I think read the most clearly of all: you walk up to it and you instantly know what's going on. I really like the almost heraldic feeling of 1a, which fits with the story to me (though I'm not sure what your end rendering might be like). With the flat/white background, it almost looks like a Lyendecker, which is pretty cool too. These both have really great value arrangements that I think would make an illustration successful.

I like the bird's eye view of 2b and 2c. It's tough to show Aslan and Lucy's actions with clarity because you kind of have to know what's going on to "get" the action, and I think the overhead view solves that pretty well. I like 2b better than 2c. The swirl really gives the scene energy and urgency. Another good value arrangement, too.

I think my favorite is 2b. It's the more unusual of the three, and I'd really like to see where you take that! Great job!!

[LauraA]

Thanks for your feedback! I am a little surprised that 3b got so much attention, as it was a little bit of an afterthought. I'll have to work a lot on the expression if I choose that one.

But yesterday while waiting for responses I went ahead and finished up a page of thumbnails for the 3rd (or 1st illustration), and it's rather clear that we need to look at the imposing, 7 ft tall White Witch from below, which may discourage all the 4s.

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@LauraA my vote is on 1b. I just love how festive it is.

[LauraA]

@Nyrryl-Cadiz Thanks! For now I have been working on the witch scene (and revising portfolio pieces) in order to let this one incubate, but I'll get back to it. My reason for leaning away from this one at the moment is that it's not quite the right moment in the story. But who knows? I do like that as a thumbnail and maybe I could eventually do more then one!