Tyger by William Blake
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I'm creating an illustration for this month's tiger-themed contest based on William Blake's poem, Tyger.
The poem is about creation, creativity, and questioning the cohabitation of good and evil. It directly questions how God could form something so terrible, scary, and powerful in such a beautiful, majestic, fiery form. This poem is usually paired with an illustration of a tiger creeping through the jungle, and I'm attempting to show the deeper meanings within the poem of a cosmic being gazing upon its newest creation: the tiger--all stars, fire, and cosmic dust.
Here is the thumbnail that I settled on.
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Here is the poem:
The Tyger
BY WILLIAM BLAKE
Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp!When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry? -
Very nice @elinore-eaton!
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Just over here, shooting my own reference, like a loon.
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@elinore-eaton what a brilliant idea, and the thumb is great!
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aaaand...we have a WIP! Just WIP, there's still lots to do.
I actually started in digital, but have been genuinely annoyed with myself in how tight everything I've been making has been looking, and this one started out as no exception (I don't even want to show the ugliness of that start), so I pulled out the ol watercolors in the hopes of having a little more fun. Yesterday, I even did like a wild landscape kind of painting while watching Lee's awesome "Loosening up in Watercolor" video. I have to admit, it really helped me have some fun with painting again. I had been in a funk a lot lately, just feeling like art is too hard lol. So, Thanks @Lee-White.
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@asyas_illos Thank youuuuu!
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@jeremy-ross Thank you!
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@elinore-eaton awesome! love it!
I think you could even go way darker with your blue areas to make the warm tones in the tiger really pop out!
SVS Faculty Instructor
www.leewhiteillustration.com -
@lee-white fantastic advice! Thank you!
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I think it may be done? I'm going to at least sit on it for a day. Suggestions and comments welcome!
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@elinore-eaton there ya go! nice! : )
SVS Faculty Instructor
www.leewhiteillustration.com -
@elinore-eaton wow nice! Great advice from @Lee-White
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@lee-white Thank you so much!
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Wait wait wait! I think nowwww done.
Even though the godlike being was made of stars and huge and all that in the previous comp, they didn't feel cosmic and epic enough, and the whole image needed some tightening up, the tiger needed to pop and sparkle, and color correction things.
I had some fun mixing some vintage vibes with modern fantasy digital, and loose watercolor. I definitely said "F it, try it," with this one.
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@elinore-eaton wow really beautiful! Love the new addition!
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@asyas_illos Aww shucks, thank you so much!
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i really love to see the progress here and how far you took it from first sketch to finished work.
Great
Website: www.von-Nimmermehr.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/von_nimmermehr_illustration/ -
@von_nimmermehr Awesome! Thank you!
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@elinore-eaton this is so beautiful, love the contrast and magical feel
