Fuck Yeah Les Miserables

A Group Which Almost Became Historic 

It's been over a decade since I first read Les Mis, and first drew this, (which still floats around in reblogs, the original post now being deleted with my old blog) and I thought I ought to finish this for Barricade Day. At the time, that illustration was the most ambitious I had ever drawn.

In the last ten years, Les Mis has perhaps felt more pertinent than ever. In Australia, where I live, bigoted, far-right political parties that were previously considered fringe are leading polls on the back of racist, anti-immigration rhetoric. I donate regularly to a charity that supports refugees that is local to me, the Asylum Seeker Resource Center, and am going to do so again today. I encourage you to do the same, either to the ASRC, or to an equivalent charity in your area.

yeah i've been convinced. i see the potential

Enjolras was visually inspired by greek statues (specifically statues of Apollo!) and Saint-Just, the young french revolutionary figure. In the book he is compared to both - so it made sense to draw inspiration. I looked at the ideal fashion style of 1832, and put him in something similar - compared to Grantaire he is composed and put together.

Grantaire’s costume design is inspired by ‘La Bohéme’, the opera about a group of failing artists in 1830s Paris. I felt it fit his character. For his body structure I am looking into heavier set boxers with more natural muscle distribution, and facially trying to go as far opposite from Enjolras’ perfect marble-like features as I can - chipped and crooked teeth, freckles, scruffy beard, previously broken nose and messy hair.

As I design them I’ll keep approaching them as a pair every so often - as narrative foils, it’s important that I design them together for cohesion, and similarly I’ll do the same with Javert and Valjean. It is also important that i focus on them individually, to make sure their unique personalities dont get lost in the importance of the duo design.

Thats it for now! Will hopefully be coming to you with more soon, but it’s gonna be a busy month for me as I finish with university.

year 2 of barricade poll baby now with even wackier options (a reminder of year 1)