Bohemian Weasel

Cardan with his soft-mouth, little smile, gold-rimmed eyes, black curls, diaphanous shirt, ridiculous ornamentation, and wicked intentions. :)

Drawn for my October drawing challenge using 3 prompt words: peacock + eyes (his jacket) + crown.

Made the traditional way in pencil, acrylics, and watercolour with gold paint and (less traditionally, but very aptly) eyeshadow. On A5 size 300gsm watercolour paper.

A few of the experimental sketches of Cardan Greenbriar, from 'The Cruel Prince' by Holly Black for LitJoy Crate.

They asked me to illustrate the tense scene where Jude holds a knife to Cardan's throat and reverses their positions of power. I hoped to capture something of his emotions at that time: drunken disdain shot through with a growing genuine fear, and yet over everything a sort of reckless despair.

I also had to figure out what to do with a character who's described as wearing fabulous makeup, a crown, *and* a mask - so the mask ended up in his hand. And then I had to pinch myself that I was officially being asked to draw a faerie prince with cheekbones forever by one of my favourite authors, bloody hell. 

'I press the tip of the knife against his skin so he can feel the bite. His black eyes focus on me with new intensity. “Why?” he asks. Just that.'

Illustration for 'The Cruel Prince' book by the deliciously magical Holly Black for the illustrated box set by @litjoycrate - available September 29th. And! This version with the shiny gold leaves will also be an art print included with the set. :D

The original painting was done in pastels, pencils, acrylics, watercolour, (and gold leaf for the art print version) on paper.

I loved drawing this *so much*. :3 Details I wanted to include:

Jude's (very specifically described) dress with the ombre colour and wintry trees; as well as her hair down, her black velvet mask, her dark(ish) gloves, and her general (slightly blood-spattered) appearance);

Cardan's crown, curls, silver-powdered cheekbones; his excess of jewellery; his silver fox mask (in his lower hand so we can see his face); his crow-feathered collar, and 'silly white shirt' underneath the doublet; and his hair being turned 'bronze' by a nearby brazier;

' Nicasia puts her hand against my cheek, smooths back my hair. “Worry about yourself.” '

Another illustration for Holly Black's 'Folk of the Air' series, this time a tense little scene for 'The Wicked King' with Jude and Nicasia. This will be in the illustrated special box edition coming soon from LitJoy!

Also included, some of the thumbnails I sent for them to choose from; the winner being a mix of #1 and #2.

"You ought to concede, but I'm delighted you haven't."

An illustration (pastels, pencils, acrylics and watercolour) for 'The Queen of Nothing' from the 'Folk of the Air' series by Holly Black - part of a special illustrated box set coming soon from LitJoy.

To show you his undying (literally) devotion, Cthulhu's made you a thing, and it's hand-crafted from locally-sourced materials that were conveniently sailing overhead at the time.

Acrylics, watercolour, pastel & pencil, 5x7 inches. Prints (and cyclopean artefacts of monstrosity), available here:

This is how the Faerie Queen entices you to Elfland.

“There is a bower between the rowan and the hawthorn, the elder and the oak. Wait for him there.”

Original character from a thing in progress.  

The Proud Queen of Faerie.

"Those who met her, and survived, couldn't agree if the Queen was exquisitely insane or just fantastically evil. Some said both. Yet amid the tales of carnage and curious horror are accounts of a few mortals upon whom she lavished gifts and affection. Whether they were her lovers or just favoured pets we may never know. But it's recorded that the Queen gave them lands and fine houses, though nothing remains of them now, and that with easy violence she destroyed their enemies and rivals, and indeed anyone else her chosen ones pointed a finger at. In those fairy-haunted lands of medieval England, it was well known one must not upset those who are loved by fairies." From ‘All Fairies Are Bastards’ by Prof. Jakob Fluffington-Smythe.

Pastel pencils on A3 toned paper. Prints available here.

Today is Hobbit Day! (Sep 22nd) the shared birthday of Bilbo & Frodo Baggins, so finished this morning is this sketch of Bag End, inspired by the countryside around me (and with bits of said countryside littering the photo, complete with all the tiny creatures I unwittingly brought in, and had to capture and put outside again), drawn in pastel pencils on toned paper 21x29cms

Hello! And thank you, what a lovely thing to say. :) I have one of each, though both are sadly neglected at times, my Facebook art page tends to get updated first and most. I’ll just leave all the socials here and let you pick whichever one’s most useful. 

https://www.facebook.com/BohemianWeasel/

https://www.instagram.com/bohemianweasel/

https://twitter.com/BohemianWeasel

I need to post more often, but for now please accept this fairy princeling side-eying you from some ivy. He likes you; sneering is just fairy foreplay.