New french illustrator for Discworld

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Jan Van Quirm

Sergeant-at-Arms
Nov 7, 2008
8,524
2,800
Dunheved, Kernow
www.janhawke.me.uk
#65
I have to say Kemar that The Luggage is BRILLIANT. The best one I've seen by a long shot - I love how you've got the face in the grain most of all :laugh:

The other characters are inevitably influenced by previous work and the SKY films, so I'm not as truly impressed with them as they can't really be wholly original, but again Cohen - I loved him from the moment his comfy rubber ring was hung from his saddle and it's because of the indomitable irascibility of the character despite all his geriatric ailments and your Cohen has it in bucketloads! :laugh:

All the great Discworld artists bring something fresh and visceral to the genre and you my friend seem to be able to capture the soul of the characters - that expression on Cohen's face, glinting out of his one eye says it all!
 

Jan Van Quirm

Sergeant-at-Arms
Nov 7, 2008
8,524
2,800
Dunheved, Kernow
www.janhawke.me.uk
#67
I don't think Terry's that good at the physical descriptions so much as getting across attitude and the character of the characters (if you know what I mean? :p He does do descriptions more in the early books than the later ones so I can see how you were so anxious about painting these two covers. ;) But that's why painting artists (rather than cinematic ones/casting directors ones :rolleyes: ) very often strike a note far more successfully than the film of the book (most people on here don't like David Jason as Rincewind 'cos he's too short, fat and old, but he's pretty good as Albert in Hogfather :laugh: ).

So I did wonder about the films being an influence (I haven't really seen any of them either) but for most non-artist fans it's the nearest thing to bringing the books to life. Really though, I meant to compare your work to Paul Kidby's and Josh Kirby's who have (had) different approachs and your work seems to bridge the two general styles in some ways with the Kirby-style wildness of the characters and the locations as well as 'the look' of Kidby which is pretty accurate to the novels but (I think) too sedate/static. I really can't find anything not to like about the LF but a very small 'carp' with Sourcery...

It's really just the placement of Nigel and Conina more than the poses - they're just too horizontal? Conina's stance does look more 'posed' than Nigel but with them being fairly close together the strong lines of her leg and his sword look a little too studied? That's the one thing that looks a little off - the rest of the fiery spiral effect is wonderful and I hope the titles don't completely blot out the elemental face by Rincewind's foot! :laugh:
 
#68
Jan Van Quirm wrote:

I don't think Terry's that good at the physical descriptions so much as getting across attitude and the character of the characters (if you know what I mean
I agree with you there. Terry's writing of characters thought processes and dialogue is the main reason DW is so addictive (and very re-readable). However when describing a scene or environment he can sometimes be a tad repetitive. When he first described darkness as not just an absence of light but true dark, I loved the turn of phrase. But after a few books I just thought, yes okay, we get it - no light, very very dark!

There again I suppose it's not a problem if you haven't read all the books, but being as they are so good reading them all is inevitable!
 

kemar

Constable
Sep 26, 2010
65
2,150
france
www.marcsimonetti.com
#69
You both are right, and that's what I meant by "good at describing".
Jan van quirm, you're right about Nigel and Conina too, I may have needed some few days more for the deadline to polish that, for sure.
I see each character in Pratchett world having first an "attitude" and a "move". (for example, Vimes is walking (and smoking), as most of the watch, and Rincewind is running/rushing and yelling at the same time), if we (as illustrators) just add the proper accessories, the discworld is so well defined that everyone that knows it can recognize the characters quite easily. For example, there's nothing special in Rincewind face, as I pictured it, but giving him a weird pose, his wizzard's stuff and half a brick in a sock, and there's no doubt at all.
Considering the vast amount of characters, this is quite something typical of the discworld compared to many other books (try to do the same things with other books, and that's rare)
And I must add that I love the work that has been done previously by Kirby, and Kidby. :)
 

deldaisy

Sergeant-at-Arms
Oct 1, 2010
6,955
2,850
Brisbane, Australia
#76
michelanCello said:
Jan Van Quirm said:
Gorgeous (SG's my favourite)
Tonyblack said:
My favourite book too! :laugh: I love the cover - you've really caught Vorbis's malevolence nicely.
Sjoerd3000 said:
One of my favourites ;)

Great cover kemar! :laugh:
I know it's been said before, but SG's is my favorite too. ;) Great cover!
I love the SG's cover. It captures the book perfectly.
I'm with MichelCello re: Nightwatch. The Rembrandt cover is my favourite cover of all time.
HOW did I miss this thread before now??????
AMAZING ARTWORK! Well done Kemar.
 

deldaisy

Sergeant-at-Arms
Oct 1, 2010
6,955
2,850
Brisbane, Australia
#77
:laugh: When I brought up the link to you work I used my "translator" from French to English. Not sure if it all translated as it was meant to though :laugh:
(Incidentally, it also increased the place visual melons, melons very important to make an enticing cover)
or perhaps it did :laugh:
 
Jul 26, 2008
53
2,150
43
France
www.vademecum-dm.com
#78
The eyes's people who look the two witches are very different and funny the man on the left who look Esmé (or her pins ?) are the best ! lol


DaveC said:
I think we should make a gallery somehow to compare all the covers on the same page.
If you want, we do a gallery of kemar's works on our website for help to compare:
http://www.vademecum-dm.com/galeries.php?cat=simonetti

(you can find the over illustrators : Kirby, Kidby and Player)
 

kemar

Constable
Sep 26, 2010
65
2,150
france
www.marcsimonetti.com
#80
deldaisy said:
:laugh: When I brought up the link to you work I used my "translator" from French to English. Not sure if it all translated as it was meant to though :laugh:
(Incidentally, it also increased the place visual melons, melons very important to make an enticing cover)
or perhaps it did :laugh:
This is almost it, there's something about the "almost sexual attraction of the melons" for one of the monks in "thief of time". (sorry I don't have his original only the translated one). An illustrator has to pay attention to all the symbols carried by his pictures :]
 

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