The Last Illustrations
- Kindrie Grove
- May 12
- 4 min read
The Last Illustrations
Final drawings for the second edition of The Messenger From Myris Dar, Book One of The Stone Guardians
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The Process
Graphite powder is tapped onto the page, and a soft brush swirls the dark shadow over the paper, rubbing it in so it creates a deeper sense of chiaroscuro, a deeper feeling of gravitas.
I erase the main highlights, pulling the darker values back to the neutral grey of the paper, and then work into the drawing with white pencil crayon and heavier Pitt Matt graphite pencils, to build up the full details of the image.
A landscape emerges––the silhouettes of trees, and hills rising out of layers of mist.
The Task
Illustrating a novel is accompanied by a weighty sense of responsibility. To the reader, yes, but more importantly, to the story itself––its characters and places. It is so easy for illustrated matter to become a hindrance to the writing, a detraction, rather than a complement to add nuance and depth to a novel.
I suspect most novels are not illustrated for this very reason. How can drawings or paintings perfectly convey the essence of a scene, or a character, better than the reader’s imagination, especially if the writing is well executed?
In short, I am not certain they can.
But, if done well, I do believe they can add to that imaginary picture, broaden it, make it richer, fill it out and add more emotional depth. As such, it is important to consider what should be illustrated and what shouldn’t. This is difficult when all of the pieces of this dynamic puzzle are entirely subjective.
One reader’s dislike of the illustrations, is another’s love of them. An so, ultimately as the creator of the work, I have to put faith in the vision that I have been given, and try my utmost to be true to that, trusting it finds its way into the hands of those who resonate with it the most.
Currently
I am putting the final touches on the last of the new illustrations for Book One.
And because of the task above, I am finding it hard to release them from the studio. There are still little things here and there that need perfecting, and feel the urge to fix or refine them before signing off.
I am getting there though, only a few final strokes left to complete.
I will be honest, I am feeling a little overwhelmed. This second edition hardcover version will be everything I have been dreaming of for this book, but because I have not yet seen that final version, with all these new drawings added, and everything put together, a part of me is feeling trepidation.
As always, when creating in solitude, it is easy for doubts to creep in. My goal for these drawings has always been to infuse them with a combination of realism and the classical storybook feel of old engravings. This process was not an intellectual exercise, where I ended up with the style I wanted. No, it was an amorphous and meandering one, where I was driven to capture a feeling––a resonant partner to the story.
As a fine artist as well as an author, I suppose it was inevitable that I would be inspired, or rather driven, to create artwork of the characters and places as I envision them. Part of why it has been taking so long to get this second edition completed is to ensure that those illustrations do the story justice.
Ultimately it is the readers that will decide, yet I do feel that I have achieved about as close to my vision as it is possible with my skills.
Where the doubt comes in is perhaps tied to my publishing as an indie author, where the first iterations of the books were easily modified with new illustrations, typo corrections or revisions. Now with my new publisher, that will not be possible.
And so I am feeling the pressure of getting it perfect.
About Eryos
Many of the new pieces are intended to convey the scope of this world I have been building for so many years. The landscape looms large in the writing, from dense forests, to snow-capped mountains, to endless plains––I wanted to show that beautiful, often wild nature of Eryos.
A Thank You!
... These drawings are for me, but they are also for you, the reader, to help you enjoy and connect with the story as much as I do.
As such, you are a part of my team too!
I so appreciate the comments and feedback I get from you, and people who follow this work. Please let me know what you think, or visit my books website through the links below to learn more.
Subscribe, or follow me on Substack to see more about the creation of this illustrated fantasy novel series.
All my best,
Kindrie
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The Last Illustrations. Fantasy illustrations for The Stone Guardians by Kindrie Grove All art work and illustrations by Kindrie Grove. All written content and characters related to The Stone Guardians Books by Kindrie Grove are protected under copyright law.
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Copyrights: ©Kindrie Grove Studios Inc.
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