Kushiel's Dart - Portrait Sketches - Young Phèdre, Hyacinthe, and Dowayne Miriam

It's been a little while since I posted last.  Life keeps throwing surprise punches at me, but I'm back at the drawing desk again with some warm up sketches inspired by re-reading Kushiel's Dart!  Consider these 'getting to know you' sort of sketches while I figure out the look for each character as I go along.

HB and 6B graphite drawing pencil on 60 lb paper.

Phèdre definitely has shades of Eva Green, who I once saw in a fan casting call for the series and thought her quite fitting for the role of Phèdre.  I tried to give her French features as Terre d'Ange is the quintessential fantasy France.  I think I'm close to that mind's eye image I have of her here in her first sketch, but I'll keep plugging along and seeing how she develops in future sketches!

Hyacinthe is a bit goofy.  Smiles have always been so difficult for me to draw!  I tried to keep in mind his ethnic features as well, considering the Tsingano are very close culturally to the Rom (Gypsy).

As for Dowayne, I'm rather happy with her!  She reminds a bit of Susan Sarandon, despite the fact I did not think of this visual connection until after the fact. I find this quite fitting, however, considering her propensity for playing the part of iron-willed gracefully aged women.

I expect I'll keep sketching characters as I read along!

On a parting note, notice on the top of the blog there are tabs for page sections now!  You can check out the Art List to see what other illustrations I have planned or see the Gallery for other Kushiel-related art I've already finished.

I'm having so much fun with this side project and  I hope you all will enjoy the journey with me!