"A Shadow Bright and Burning" is the debut YA novel from my friend Jessica Cluess. It's a great read, with a likable heroine -- the pyromancer Henrietta Howel, who might not be the Chosen One that everyone thinks she is -- and a supporting cast of surreal and original monsters.
As a first attempt at rendering some scenes from the novel, I wanted to make an image of the heroine. Because fire is such a key element in both her personality and the story, it was obvious that I needed to show her working with fire. I've also always loved images where faces are lit by a single light source, such as the works of Georges de la Tour.
DZFire's Torch and Construction Kit gave me a very realistic flame that also nicely lit the subject. I wanted a second figure in the scene for balance, so I added a male in the background watching Henrietta as she demonstrates her abilities. A point light overhead provides just enough light to bring out the details of the room and the watcher, without affecting the foreground lighting.
Comments
"A Shadow Bright and Burning" is the debut YA novel from my friend Jessica Cluess. It's a great read, with a likable heroine -- the pyromancer Henrietta Howel, who might not be the Chosen One that everyone thinks she is -- and a supporting cast of surreal and original monsters.
As a first attempt at rendering some scenes from the novel, I wanted to make an image of the heroine. Because fire is such a key element in both her personality and the story, it was obvious that I needed to show her working with fire. I've also always loved images where faces are lit by a single light source, such as the works of Georges de la Tour.
DZFire's Torch and Construction Kit gave me a very realistic flame that also nicely lit the subject. I wanted a second figure in the scene for balance, so I added a male in the background watching Henrietta as she demonstrates her abilities. A point light overhead provides just enough light to bring out the details of the room and the watcher, without affecting the foreground lighting.