The Fairy Godmother | Teen Ink

The Fairy Godmother

August 7, 2011
By MaryTD PLATINUM, Burns, Oregon
MaryTD PLATINUM, Burns, Oregon
42 articles 68 photos 105 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To be great you must first be good."

"I'm not going to stay dead the rest of my life!" - Theo in The Kestrel


Based on an illustration by Arthur Rackham from teh fairy tale "Sweetheart Roland", this is my version of the infamous fairy godmother we are always hearing about. Who said she was old?


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This art has 37 comments.


Harebelle GOLD said...
on Aug. 16 2011 at 12:30 pm
Harebelle GOLD, Vancouver, Other
14 articles 1 photo 118 comments
This is so beautiful! It really stands out because the lines are so realistic.

on Aug. 16 2011 at 9:51 am
4everyoung15 BRONZE, Moreno Valley, California
3 articles 2 photos 76 comments

Favorite Quote:
"When life knocks you down on your knees, just remember you are in the perfect position for praying"- Unknown

thanx!!! ill keep that in mind 4 my next drawing!!! XD this really helps!!!

on Aug. 15 2011 at 11:22 pm
MaryTD PLATINUM, Burns, Oregon
42 articles 68 photos 105 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To be great you must first be good."

"I'm not going to stay dead the rest of my life!" - Theo in The Kestrel

Hey! (I love your username! Very cool!) My main suggestion on wrinkles is to know where they start and where they end... does that make any sense? Basically if you know where on an object - namely clothing - the wrinkles start from (in this picture, they start at her skirt) you can control their flow. Depending on the fabric - heavy versus thin - and the situation - the wind blowing or not - you can decide if they are deeper at the top or the bottom.

Personally, I think wrinkles are best when shaded. :)


on Aug. 15 2011 at 9:11 pm
4everyoung15 BRONZE, Moreno Valley, California
3 articles 2 photos 76 comments

Favorite Quote:
"When life knocks you down on your knees, just remember you are in the perfect position for praying"- Unknown

u need to gives me tips on how to draw wrinkles on clothes!!!!! 

 

 


on Aug. 13 2011 at 9:05 pm
prettylittlewriter BRONZE, Villa Park, California
2 articles 0 photos 72 comments

Favorite Quote:
These violent delights have violent ends.

Wow, this is really good. I wish I could draw like that. 

on Aug. 13 2011 at 12:16 pm
luckynumber_13, Also Omitting This, Texas
0 articles 2 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you were born without wings, do not prevent them from growing." --Coco Chanel

thank you very much MaryTD! This was worth my while to read, definitely. I've wanted to use fountain pens ever since i started inking my pictures, but after one failed attept I gave up. :P (I wasnt even using the right type-i was using calligraphy pens-- >.< fail)

Soooo, MaryTD and StrangeJade (love the name! XD) could you pretty please take a look at my work and comment on it??? I desperately need feedback. Thank you for your help Mary!


on Aug. 10 2011 at 1:23 pm
MaryTD PLATINUM, Burns, Oregon
42 articles 68 photos 105 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To be great you must first be good."

"I'm not going to stay dead the rest of my life!" - Theo in The Kestrel

So glad it was worth your while to read it! (I know it was long... sorry.)

on Aug. 9 2011 at 10:45 pm
MaryTD PLATINUM, Burns, Oregon
42 articles 68 photos 105 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To be great you must first be good."

"I'm not going to stay dead the rest of my life!" - Theo in The Kestrel

Thanks! I just wish the moon weren't quite so wobbly...

on Aug. 9 2011 at 10:41 pm
MaryTD PLATINUM, Burns, Oregon
42 articles 68 photos 105 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To be great you must first be good."

"I'm not going to stay dead the rest of my life!" - Theo in The Kestrel

Sorry to keep posting so much! I guess I'm just too eager to share...

The only thing I can suggest is to practice until your hand is steady! That's what I did. I never used to use my actual fountain pen on any of myt actual artwork, just scraps of paper, until my pen ran out and I had to use it. I've found that when drawing black and white pictures, I prefer not to use too much shading. The shading I do use is either absolute or the cross-hatching lines (example is the dress). Obviously I'd suggest drafting it in pencil, then going over and doing the inking and shading, and erasing the pencil after about half an hour to be absolutely sure the ink is dry. Normally it wouldn't take that long, but in areas where you  do a lot of inking like hair - or the body of her dress - you want to be safe.

I found that I have smoother lines when I hold the pen closer to the hilt, especially in important features such as the face or wavy lines. For the slower lines, hold the pen closer to the end of the body.

I guess you would use most of the same techniques you would with a regular pen. The real difference is just how you hold it, because the nib is flat, so you can't twirl the pen. The rest of it is up to you, depending on what style you are going for. This example is based on fairy-tale style illustrations like you might see in the book ofr Grimm's Fairy Tales, which is why the contrast is so stark here. Varied shades look great... if you are going for a picture that has a lot of varied shades, I might suggest stippling, the dot technique... it looks awesome once you get the hang of it!

Anyway, sorry for taking up so much time... I hope I gave you any information you wanted. If not, just let me know and I would be happy to try and answer any questions you have about fountain pens or ink or anything. Thanks. :)


on Aug. 9 2011 at 10:22 pm
MaryTD PLATINUM, Burns, Oregon
42 articles 68 photos 105 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To be great you must first be good."

"I'm not going to stay dead the rest of my life!" - Theo in The Kestrel

(continued from above)... my fountain pen is heavier than most other pens, so it takes getting used to. Different pens are different weights and styles, of course, so some fountain pens may not be that way. I would suggest starting on the side opposite of your dominant hand (for example, I am right handed, so I would start on the left-hand side of the paper and move to the right) because that way you would be less likely to smudge the wet ink by running your arm over it. (I have done that too many times!) A simple tip my dad taught me is to store the pen with the cap facing upwards, because if you store it upside down all of the ink runs into the cap, and then you have a mess when you open it! (I've done this too.)

Refilling and cleaning the ink cartridge is the main source of trouble. If you don't use up all of the ink in the cartridge and you let it set for a week, the ink hardens in the nib. Luckily it can be easily fixed by dunking the head into a glass of water - or be like a pirate and lick the nib, which is how my dad does it - and it will get the ink flowing. Make sure to test it out on scratch paper right afterwards, to avoid dripping water on your picture.

That's the main care of the pen out of the way! I feel like a salesman...:) I have a few more tips on actually wielding the pen coming up...


on Aug. 9 2011 at 10:12 pm
MaryTD PLATINUM, Burns, Oregon
42 articles 68 photos 105 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To be great you must first be good."

"I'm not going to stay dead the rest of my life!" - Theo in The Kestrel

Hey, thank you, luckynumber_13 and StrangeJade! I've had my ups and downs with both kinds of pens. The most noticable difference that I've noticed is that with a fountain pen, the lines are much, much thicker, so if you are doing small details, you might need to use a different pen. Parker ink dries quicker than most, but you still need to be very careful not to smudge it. (See my picture Madara for an example... I smudged it in the final stage.) Also...

on Aug. 9 2011 at 7:22 pm
Serendipity_Pen GOLD, Shakopee, Minnesota
12 articles 28 photos 86 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible."
~ Arthur C. Clarke
"Better to remain silent and thought a fool then to speak and remove all doubt." ~Abraham Lincoln

Wow, I love the fabric and shading in this picture!  I wish I could draw people as well as this. Well done!! :~{D

on Aug. 9 2011 at 2:01 pm
luckynumber_13, Also Omitting This, Texas
0 articles 2 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you were born without wings, do not prevent them from growing." --Coco Chanel

i like this alot, the lines are so neat and clean. :) i havent progressed to using fountain pens yet. im still working with ink pens like pigma micron. :/ any tips on using fountain pens?

on Aug. 9 2011 at 12:32 am
MaryTD PLATINUM, Burns, Oregon
42 articles 68 photos 105 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To be great you must first be good."

"I'm not going to stay dead the rest of my life!" - Theo in The Kestrel

Thank you! I used a Monte Verde fountain pen - the kind that you have to fill with ink yourself - and Parker ink. For her hair and some of the thicker lines, I had to use a sharpie. We recently got a scanner, so I am able to use it instead of my digital camera, and the quality of the image was nice compared to my previous images!