Pauly's Novel Pictures

2005-10-19 [shir t.]: One picture that has attracted my eye more than the rest is the b\w one with the two dragons (6 from the top). It seems more carefully detailed than the rest, and the lines in it are very clear.

2005-10-19 [Paul Doyle]: I save the inked versions because my coloring skills aren't very good (I've been tempted to print out inked versions, and re-color them!) , and it's the B&W starkness that make them more striking. I believe I did this one http://elftown.lysator.liu.se/stuff/11046_UnderwaterChase.jpg  in straight 0.25 pen, with the exception of touch-up work and highlights done in 0.7 pen.  The last few I've done in 0.35 and up. Maybe I ought to get back to the 0.25 and smaller inks, and stop buying pens in starter packs (to save money) :P

2005-10-19 [Paul Doyle]: Needless to say, I have a LOT to learn, and I've no illusions I'm on the threshold of a commercialy viable illustration career :S

2005-10-19 [shir t.]: Hahahah, I'm using B2, and they're good for EVERYTHING, if you ask me...Plus, I would suggest that you should try using pencil colours rather than pastels, because you're good with the pencil... and so the colouring will also be better.

2005-10-19 [Paul Doyle]: I've been using regular Prismacolor pencils up to this point :)

2005-10-31 [Zab]: You have a lot of nice details and so in your images, and great expressions! Hm..hower sometimes you seem to have a little problem perspective and angles (I think that's the english names..><) like in the last one here, the head of the dragon: the chin/nose is made from beneth, but still the eye is from the side.. I've alson noticed that the iris and pupil always is in the middle of the eye..but that's maybe ment to be? :) I'm just trying to help you on your way, sorry for my bad english skills..XD

2005-11-02 [Paul Doyle]: Jak'edrac's eyes have lost their focus as he is using his limited psionic powers to temporarily heal the Yourubi (the fallen alien demon creature). If I did re-do that picture (and I may just do that, because there are a lot of mistakes) I would do the following: (1) fix the chin/nose/head alignment ; (2) Fix Phil's face ; (3) make the moon's lighting effects more dramatic ; (4) Decrease the blood loss, because anything that's lost that much blood that quickly will most likely not survive. This scene has happened about ten seconds after Mayx-Fesh has been shot five times by the bad guy's disgruntled associate. Mayx-Fesh is still twitching spasmodically, although in a few moments (MORE)

2005-11-02 [Paul Doyle]: Jak'edrac will have successfully relaxed Mayx's muscles and nerves, so he can (for a short period of time, through psionic powers) clot the blood and bind the fragile, all-but-torn-apart organs.Mayx-Fesh is pretty much "neutral" , but it ("it", because Yourubi are either hermaphroditic or asexual) is actually an honest, sometimes affectionate character who will survive the first novel.

2005-11-02 [Zab]: ok.. Sounds like you can do it all again, and improove^^

2005-11-02 [Paul Doyle]: If possible publishers are interested in including the pictures, I think I will have to re-do some, or all, of them. I also notice the horns are messed up. :b

2005-11-02 [Zab]: Good luck! ^_^ I hope you get them in.^^

2006-09-22 [Lady of Lore]: nice work ^_^ It's good to see a fellow striving novelist ^_^ though you've done many more illustrations than i have...good work, Keep it up :)

2006-09-22 [Paul Doyle]: Thanks :) Life circumstances and a healthy dose of procrastination have had me dragging my heels, but I will try to get the thing published, the old fashioned way :)

2009-03-18 [organicparadox]: do you lay down perspective lines when you draw, paul? i do, and it is instrumental in my ability to communicate my story properly in each piece. you might also want to try a new mediums for the same subject matter. doing 5 versions of the same pic is not uncommon amongst the old painting masters (van gogh, monet, etc). i do it as practice, leaving the last version i make for the medium i love most. that way i am comfortable with my subject matter, i have worked out all the mechanical issues, and can go about the visual puzzles you have to work out with a clear vision of how i want to incorporate deeper concepts (overall hue and tone, atmosphere and bounce light, bllah cla blah)

2009-03-21 [Paul Doyle]: I've never laid down perspective lines . . . that just goes to show how little art education I have. I simply do not know because I have never had the art education (though I am willing to learn, give ample time and energy). I just get something in my head, then I transfer it to paper in a much choppier, less efficient fashion than I do when I am writing.

Given the time and energy, I would do ALL of these pictures over again. When I sent the novel to the US Library of Congress, I deliberately left these pictures out.

2009-03-23 [organicparadox]: well, if you are interested, learning perspective is the foundation of how i learned to drawing everything. from lamps to collarbones, perspective lends itself to every aspect of the visual medium. some people learn through form and colour, others through light and shade. just pick one of those when you get some free time, google it and see which one works best for your eyes. i bet you'd see 1000% improvement in how you translate what you see in your head and what comes out on paper. you render really good, just your base forms are out of perspective often is all. i like your style

2009-03-25 [Paul Doyle]: Thank you, and especially thanks for the encouragement :)