Gwelf: The Survival Guide: 1 (Gwelf, 1)

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WOW! This book is just gushing with creativity. I'm really just blown away at not only the content in the book but also the build quality of the whole presentation. Yes, I do have a new book coming out and I could not be more proud of it. I started to think about doing Gwelf a few years ago when it became obvious to me that I needed my own project. I have been in the fantasy art business for thirty years now and I’ve not yet told my own story. I’ve spent decades telling everyone else’s story but not yet mine. So essentially what I came up with was a combination of some of my favourite books and concepts and put them into something that is hopefully, at least slightly original, and if not original then totally fun. I’m crossing Lord of the Rings with The Wind in the Willows and The Walking Dead and also throwing in some of my own 70’s based psychedelic references. It’s been a blast to draw so far and we’re just getting started. So, this is a fictional (or factual??) survival guide book to the fictional (or factual) magical land of Gwelf. This guide book is highly recommended for adventurers. Your adventure could be out in the wild with things that go bump in the night, or at an Inn drinking tea or ale, or at a book shop. You decide.

The leaders of Gwelf are magical Sparrows. They however are not politicians. They are researchers and philosophers. Brilliant huh? Mayhap we can try that. No more career politicians, please. And the leaders also know all their constituents by name. hmmm.Larry MacDougall has done that thing—created a fantasy world that is completely believable, super charming, and more than a little bit dangerous. I love it so much. I want to wander around in it but wouldn'want to get caught alone in it after dark." We have a soft spot for hand-drawn animation, what is your opinion about the future of this art form? Tragically, there have been some that have stayed, but not by choice. We, the council, fear that this has cast a negative light on our beauteous realm. Rest assured that should you follow the precautions outlined in our guide, you will be quite safe, as it is the council’s intention to provide this book as a resource so that future mishaps might be avoided . . . I suppose its fiction. But in this world, it could be true. Who knows. I’d believe anything at this point in our existence. For me, the most fun part of the process is improvising. Painting into an area I have purposefully left vague and just letting the paint do what it does and see what happens. Make some marks and see what they look like, what they suggest to you. I compare it to looking at clouds and spotting fish or bird shapes in them. Some artists call it having a dialogue with your painting. You put something down, see what it looks like and the painting will tell you what to do next. What I love about this process is the potential for being surprised. If I can surprise myself then I know I’ve done something right. So conversely my least favourite part of the process is having to follow some kind of predetermined path to a predictable result. This will usually end badly for me. That is why I take very few commissions now.

As I said before the book is gorgeous thanks to the magnificent artwork but it is also wildly entertaining. It also has me longing for Elderflower Ale.CDChallenge F.A.Q. Membership Challenge Rules Rewards & Prizes Critique Videos Theme of the Month Past Themes