War Horse Final Designs

Here are my finished three page inserts and my cover design for War Horse.

Evaluation

Overall I am pleased with these designs, as so often my practice resolves around very un-composed images. Composing decent finished images is something I have always struggled to do much to my own disappointment. I do believe that a lot of this is because of the nature of my practice. My most successful images are when my drawings are expressive and free, and this is something that can get lost when I try to apply it to a well constructed and balanced image (which I am capable of as you can see at least a tiny bit from my scamps and early compositions.) I just find it hard to translate this into the aesthetic and image making approach to my final images. I feel with this brief I have begun to bridge something of a compromise between the two. The drawings themselves aimed to be sensitive, simple and raw (whilst also to be in keeping with the aesthetic desirable of a children's book.) Yet there is also a more composed element to them that aims to depict moments of the story with the surrounding scenes. It was hard to find the balance of it when staving for minimalism, and this is where the images are still not quite right. 

The simply draw horse and figure has big potential to be striking and engaging to a wider readership. It is not exclusively children aimed illustration, but more aiming for simplicity, emotional engagement which I hope can be appealing to readers of all ages.

These were the sections of the book that I decided to base my illustrations on:

"Next to me old Zoey leant over her door to try to touch me, but our noses would not quite meet."

"I turned once more to Topthorn, still licking and nuzzling him where he lay, although I knew and indeed understood by now the finality of Death, but in my grief I only knew that I wanted to stay with him. To comfort him."

“The horse is yours. Take good care of him, my friend,” and he picked up the rope and handed it to the welshman. As he did sos he held out his other hand in a guesture of friendship and reconciliation. A smile lighting his worn face."

Here is it applied to context: