It´s already Friday. Again! Time flies when you are having fun… Another sketch from last year that I just discovered again. I am so full of new ideas and so little time to put them into practice. But I will hopefully get there eventually.
Next weeks is the fun challenge of 1 week 100 people that I did last 2 years ago. I am determined to take it on this year as it is great drawing practice. So next week you will get to see some newer drawings.
Another story in 3 acts. Watercolour on cold press paper.
The other short story in 3 acts you can find here.
Another older watercolour illustration.
Trying a different kind of spread layout…
Welcome to day 27 of my Inktober story. Missed the beginning? Here is where it starts.
Following the fairy to the end of the dark street, she stops in front of a gully cover. Waving her wand she removes the lid and starts going down.
Grog was anything but delighted about their underground journey, while Sasha felt quite at home in the cave like environment.
“Where does the tunnel lead to?” she asks.
“Have some patience, will you?” the fairy says. “None paying clients are always the worst” she mumbles to herself.
I was a bit at a loss of what to draw for these prompts, so decided to combine them both in the story…
Welcome to day 25 & 26 of my Inktober story. Missed the beginning? Here is where it starts.
“So if you are a fairy, can you make my wing grow back?”
“Ah, I am afraid that is beyond my abilities. However, there might be other solutions. Let me make you a suggestion, I can grant you one wish or I can help you find what you lost,” the fairy says.
“Only one wish? And I cannot wish for a second wing?” Grog asks.
“That´s correct” the fairy replies.
“What kind of fairy are you if you cannot fulfill a wish? I thought that is the purpose of fairies?” grumbles Grog.
“Well, I am what I am. So take it or leave it,” the fairy snaps back at Grog and starts turning away from him.
“Make up your mind,” Sasha hisses at Grog. “The night is almost over and we are still no closer in finding your wing!”
After another moment of thought and seeing his reflection in a puddle of water, Grog forgets about his ego and starts jumping after the fairy who is slowly flying down the street. “ Alright, alright! Keep your wish, but I want your help, if you say you can help” he barks at her.
The fairy turns around and smiles at them. “Alright, follow me.”
Still playing catch up with the inktober drawings. Was a bit stuck with the story and still not quite sure where it will go. Any inspiration is welcome. Have a great week everyone!
Welcome to day 24 of my Inktober story. Missed the beginning? Here is where it starts.
They start walking down the street. Everything is dark and they are not quite sure what direction to take.
Suddenly Sasha spots a tiny light at the end of an alley. Curious, they walk towards it.
“Who are you?” Grog asks.
“I am a fairy” the winged creature says.
“You don´t look like a fairy” Grog says.
“Oh well, nobody is perfect,” the fairy replies. “And who are you, if I may ask?”
Grog and Sasha introduce themselves.
“A bat with glasses and a one winged gargoyle! Seems like you are not perfect either” the fairy responds and smiles broadly.
Welcome to day 23 of my Inktober story. Missed the beginning? Here is where it starts.
With everyone stunned and distracted by the transformation of the dog, Sasha and Grog seize their chance and run. Grog darts out the door first and starts running down the street like he never ran before. Sasha flaps her wings trying to keep up with him.
They only stop when they are both completely out of breath.
Once recovered, they start looking around, only to realize that they are even more lost than before. Nothing looks familiar. Even the buildings in their shape and form look different from before.
Welcome to day 22 of my Inktober story. Missed the beginning? Here is where it starts.
Grog froze when he saw the dog standing at the door. Should he fight him and then try to make a run? The dog was slightly bigger than him. Grog was calculating his chances.
“Get out of the way!” Sasha yells at Grog from behind. In a swift movement, Sasha snatches the magician´s wand out of his hand and points it at the dog.
“Abracadabra!” she yells at the top of her lungs.
Welcome to day 19 of my Inktober story. Missed the beginning? Here is where it starts.
What Grog and Sasha had not noticed when they entered the cellar of the magic show, was the massive dog guarding the entrance. In his attempt to run out, Grog was suddenly face to face with the door dog.
“Where do you think you are going?” the dog barked at him angrily. “You did not pay for the show! Pay up or you will be in trouble,” he continued threateningly.
Welcome to day 18 of my Inktober story. Missed the beginning? Here is where it starts.
Grog is very much unimpressed with the result of the magic trick.
In a fit of anger he rips down the umbrella.
Still playing catch up with my Inktober drawings. I am making slow but steady progress and at this point I am curious to see where the story will go as well. Have a nice weekend!
Welcome to day 16 of my Inktober story. Missed the beginning? Here is where it starts.
They enter the magic show. There are only 5 other guests in the audience, sitting in a dark corner. The armadillo is nowhere to be seen.
The magician on stage is in the middle of the act. Grog and Sasha take a seat in the front row and watch.
“For my next act, I will need a volunteer from the audience!” the magician announces.
Grog jumps up and gets up on stage.
Welcome to day 15 of my Inktober story. Missed the beginning? Here is where it starts.
Grog and Sasha relax after eating all the muffins. After a while, they start taking a lazy look around. All the streets are dark and empty except for another dimly lit alley.
“Look at that fella! Where is he going?” Grog asks Sasha, pointing at an armadillo slowly walking down the alley. Curious, they get up and follow him with some distance.
When they get around the next corner, the armadillo has disappeared. At the end of the street they spot a basement entrance. “A magic show!” Grog yells. “Maybe that´s how I can get my wing back!”
Welcome to day 12 of my Inktober story. Missed the beginning? Here is where it starts.
On their chaotic escape from the eagle, Grog and Sasha forget to pay attention what direction they are heading.
Suddenly they find themselves in an area that is not familiar to either of them.
Sasha tries to fly higher up, but all the rooftops look the same to her.
Time for Inktober again! I thought I had a plan for it, but let´s see how it will go. At least I hope I will develop a more steady drawing routine again!
Prompt for day 1 – Gargoyle – What should we name him?
One day an old, old man was wandering about the earth, and he asked for a night’s shelter from the peasant. “Certainly,” said the peasant—”I shall be only too glad; only, will you go on telling me stories all night long?”
“Yes, all right! I will tell you stories; only, let me rest here.”
“Then, pray, come in!”
So the old man entered the hut and lay down on the sleeping bench on the top of the stove.
And the master said: “Make yourself ready, honoured guest. We shall have supper. Now, old man, tell me a story.”
“Wait a bit; I had better tell you one in the morning.”
“As it please you!” And they lay down to sleep.
Then the old man went to sleep, and dreamed that there were two candles blazing in front of the images and two birds fluttering in the izbá. He felt thirsty, and wanted to drink, got off the sleeping bench, and there were newts running about on the floor. And he went up to the table, and saw frogs jumping and croaking on it. Then he looked up at the master’s eldest son, and there was a snake lying in between him and his wife. And he looked at the second son, and on the second son’s wife there was a cat which was yawning at the man. Then he looked at the third son, and between him and his wife there was a young man lying. This all seemed rather queer to the old man, and rather strange.
So he went and lay on the corn-kiln, and there he heard shrieks: “Sister! Sister! come and fetch me!” Then he went and lay under the fence, and there he heard a cry: “Pull me out and stick me in again!” Then he went and lay on the cauldron, and he heard a cry: “I am hanging on the cross-beam! I am falling on the cross-beam!” Then he went back into the hut.
The master woke up and said: “Now tell me a story.”
But the old man replied: “I shall not tell you a story, only the truth. Do you know what I have just dreamed? I went to sleep and thought I saw two candles blazing in front of the images and two birds fluttering inside the hut.”
“Those are my two angels fluttering about.”
“And I also saw a snake lying between your son and his wife.”
“That is because they quarrel.”
“And I looked also at your second son, and there was a cat sitting on his wife, and yawning at the man.”
“That means that they are bad friends, and the wife wants to get rid of the husband.”
“Then, when I looked at your next son, I saw a youth lying in between them.”
“That is not a youth, but an angel who was lying there; and that is why they are on such good and loving terms.”
“Why is it, then, master of the house, when I slipped off the sleeping shelf that there were newts running on the floor; and, when I wanted to drink at the table, I saw frogs leaping about and croaking?”
“Because,” the peasant answered, “my daughters-in-law do not sweep up the lathes; but put the kvas on the table when they are sitting round together without saying grace.”
“Then I went to sleep on the corn-kiln, and I heard a cry: ‘Sister! Sister! come and fetch me!'”
“That means that my sons never put the brush back into its place and say the proper blessing.”
“Then I went to lie under the fence, and I heard a cry: ‘Pull me out and stick me in again!'”
“That means that the stick’s upside-down.”
“Then I went and lay under the cauldron. And I heard a cry of ‘I am hanging on the cross-beam! I am falling on the cross-beam!'”
“That means,” said the master, “that, when I die, my entire house will fall.”
After several edits I am happy and proud to announce that my/our first children´s book is available to order!
With my friend Norbert, who wrote the story, we have been working on it for a while now and are happy to finally have the print version ready!
The story is about two best friends that find out how long a working week can be! A week at work can often feel very long and sometimes, not everyone is happy with it. In the end though, it pays to be patient.… and Kobbi, the little pug, is very patient.
Learn more about the book here or go straight to Amazon to order it.
Melanie Franz 