This week theme on IF was fun to illustrate. A moody theme is always welcome. This one generated a lot of ideas but this was the one that I loved most. I just love midsummer nights. And fireflies too.Note1: There was a story that came along the illustration, but I felt it just gave away too much.. I wanted the viewer to make his/her own story.
Note2: The story is back, but it’s not mandatory to read it … hehehe
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Le thème de cette semaine sur IF est chouette à illustrer. J’aime les thèmes qui favorisent une sertaine ambiance. Celui-ci a générer plusieurs idées mais c’est celle-là qui me plaisait le plus. J’aime les soirées d’été… et les lucioles.
Note1: Il y avait une petite histoire qui allait avec l’illustration mais j’ai décidé de l’enlever… pour que vous puissiez imaginer votre propre histoire en regardant l’illustration.
Note 2: L’histoire est de retour… à la demande générale. Mais aucune obligation de la lire.
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Charlie was running, running… the woods were there, just a couple of feet away… she jumped over the dead oak tree, she knew her way through these woods, it was HER woods, the one she grew up in, just behind her house.Almost out of breath, she was smiling, holding the glass jar carefully. The jar that belonged to her brother. She was happy she had managed to get itbefore he woke up from his nap. “He will be mad…” she tought. But she kept smiling, and running .When she finally arrived at her favorite spot, it was almost night. Midsummer night. She quietly took the jar up so she could look closely inside. A lightning dance. Still smiling, she untwisted the cover. “There you go…”And one by one, as if they were saying thank you, the light bugs flew away. They danced trough the night, higher and brighter, winking at the stars above. Spirits dancing their way through the night, the midsummer night.
Charlie courrait vite, très vite…la forêt était juste là, à quelques pas seulement… elle sauta par dessus le vieux saule mort, elle connaissait ce chemin par coeur,cette forêt, c’étais SA forêt. Celle qui avait grandit avec elle, celle juste derrière sa maison. À en perdre haleine, elle souriait, en tenant son pot de verre sous le bras. En fait, il appartenait à son frère. Par chance il ne s’était pas réveillé quand elle l’avait prit. “Il sera fâché”… pensa-t-elle. mais elle souriait toujours, et courrait. Quand elle arriva enfin à son coin favori de la forêt, elle ralentit le pas. Il faisait presque nuit. Comme un songe d’une nuit d’été. Elle souleva légèrement le pot de verre pour y observer son contenu. Très doucement, presque cérémonieusement, elle dévissa le couvercle. “Allez, sortez maintenant…” Une à une, les lucioles, comme si elles disaient merci, s’envolèrent lentement. Une danse de lumières dans la nuit, de plus en plus haut et de plus en plus brillantes, un clin d’oeil aux étoiles. Des âmes dansantes à travers la nuit, le songe d’une nuit d’été.
I will go visit your website now!! I miss checking other websites of illustrators, too!! hehe
13 Comments
I love this moody illustration. The colors are just beautiful. I like how you put the misty forest in the background. ( I do not why but I have to think of Amélie!!)
Artisjokken, must be the hair… Amélie had that haircut… and the fact that she is a dreamer, maybe.
This is so enthralling and mysterious and beautiful all at the sametime.
LOVE it!
Thank you Cynthia! Yes, that’s what I was going for!! A poetic mystery. And I really wanted the feeling of the misty forest to be present.
Oh, the story is gone! What a pity… I liked it.
Such a nice illustration. What I find most intriguing is how the girl is looking at us and not at the escaping fireflies. As if she’s asking us not to tell anyone what she did, making us an accomplice.
Can I ask you something? How long does it take you to make an illustration like this? At the one hand I figure the collage makes it go fast, but on the other I suspect getting it just the way you want it takes a lot of work…
Hi again Gilliom! :–) Yes, the story is gone… hmm.. maybe I will put it online again but with a “read more” so people can choose to read it… or not…
I just felt like I was over-doing it with the story… haha… anyway. About the time it takes me to make a collage… you are absolutly right. Putting all the photos in place doesnt take that much time… but yes, getting it to become exactly (or close) to what I have in mind… texture vs light vs composition… that is what takes the longest. But it’s also the part I like most. I would say it took approximately 4 or 5 hours to make this one.
lovely…… I love your mysterious and subtle background and her enchanting face.
Heisann! Magic ;:OD)
Oh! this is absolutely lovely!! great work!
hummmm…. how ’bout grave of the fireflies???
this is so enchanting!
Fantastic. I really love the colors in this one. I should share some of my old web graphic designs, we’d have a bit in common color-wise. I even did a firefly web design for an e-zine once.
Really beautiful. I love that the girl liberated her brothers trapped fireflys.
Oh! Gorgeous illustration, and superb story…magical work!
Awesome illustration, the fireflies are out and about right now where I live.