I have had the privilege of visiting the great Namib-Naukluft Desert in western Namibia. The extraordinary, mountainous size of the sand dunes has stayed with me, my memory of standing in a great swale, surrounded by gigantic arcs of sand rising above me, is as vivid today as it was years ago while I was there.
The distinctive plain between the great dunes was filled with flat, oval pumice-like stones of a dark charcoal colour, which contrasted the bright orange-reds and beiges of the sand.
This experience has greatly helped inform the writing of Book Three, where Rowan finds herself in a huge expanse of desert. Advice for authors often includes the saying 'write what you know', and ultimately I could not have created the scenes of the desert, had I not experienced them first hand, felt the crushing heat, the dryness of the air, and the sheer immensity of the dunes myself.
I have included a selection of the drawings and sketches I created for the books here. Some are quick with bold strokes, and some are more considered, with gradual layers of tone on tone and white highlighting.
Scenes Of Ralicus: The Great Southern Waste: Fantasy book illustrations by Kindrie Grove
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All art work and illustrations by Kindrie Grove.
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