Birgit-2

This is one of the inner illustrations of Birgit. The illness is symbolized by blue irises which grow from the girl's head.This number two in a sequence of eight. The technique for the original painting is pencil, pastel and gouache. The color is adjusted later on computer.

final work

pencil pastel and gouache

pencil and first touch of gouache

Journey

Illustration for an article about journeys in literature, more specifically, travelling in tales. It seems it usually implies some kind of prior transformation or shrinking, like Alice, or Nils Holgersson.

The technique of this one is a little messy. I've used a new paper. I'm still looking for a substitute of Grey BFK Rives. I love this paper but it's very difficult to find here. I used to buy it in one shop in Madrid, but they don't have it anymore and it's a big problem for me.

Anyway, I was not very comfortable with this new paper, which is a little more rigid than BFK. It didn't react very well to watercolor or acrylics. The positive side is that the base color is a little darker grey and so, the highlights and whites work very well on it. 

So, as far I remember this is done with pencil, watercolor, acrylic, felt tip pen (water-based) and faber-castell pitt pen (not water based). And then color added in the computer.

A mess, like I've said. It's a miracle it has worked somehow.

Oh, yes, they're pheasants. I don't know why.

final work

original work finished

wash

Ghosts

Illustrations for a compilation of ghost tales published by Oxford University Press España. These images belong to Daniel Defoe's "The Apparation of Mrs. Veal".
Graphite on Polyester. Color and textures slightly modified digitally.

Labyrinth

Illustration for an article about Kafka.

The original drawing is pencil on polyester. Color added by computer.

Fragile

Illustration for "El Norte de Castilla" The article, by Gustavo Martín Garzo, was about fairytales. About the children who survive because they are handicapped, like the little kid in The Pied Piper of Hamelin, who can not follow the others.

Graphite, colored pencil and white gouache on grey BFK Rives, and Photoshop.

Dark Thoughts

Illustration for an article about Werther and suicide letters.

Pencil, white gouache on grey BFK Rives and Photoshop.

Fighting angels

This one is for an article that mentions the old testament, specifically the very abstruse and funny story of Jacob and the angel.

Pencil and white gouache on grey BFK Rives + Photoshop

This is Birgit. I'm delighted with the quality of the printing and the layout. Thanks to Alejandra. I'm very proud of this book.

It's published by "El Jinete Azul". The ISBN. is 978 84 938352 5 5 and you can see some pages here: http://issuu.com/eljineteazul/docs/birgit

Birgit - Cover

Cover for Birgit.

Birgit is a incredibly sad, delicate, powerful story about a little girl whose sister is dying from brain cancer. She relates the facts, her thoughts and her feelings with an honest, not sentimental innocence as she tries to understand what death means. The illustrations build a sequence showing the progression of the illness.

Pencil, white chalk and gouache on grey BFK Rives.

The Gathering

Editorial illustration for "El Norte de Castilla"