in the woods somewhere - illustrated book
I’ve always been drawn to lyricism and storytelling in songs and poems, especially those that combine classical imagery and the Southern Gothic genre. Singer/songwriter Hozier does this magnificently in his song ‘In The Woods Somewhere’ from his debut album, Hozier. Using these lyrics as my copy, I created an illustrated book that portrays the strange, moody atmosphere that the song has.
research & sketches
My work will consist of muted colors to pass along the feeling of the setting – a night in the woods. The song draws parallels from Dante’s Inferno, where the protagonist is lost in the woods, terrified of some of its inhabitants, and sad for others. I used this classical story as well as the song to develop a sense of storytelling in the book. My illustrations draw upon older illustrations for folklore and classical tales to connect this, as well as using symbolism as these stories did. After a copious amount of research into the story and the themes behind it, as well as book-illustrating in general, I started on the spreads.
select work-in-progress photos
finished spreads (without copy)
The book is unique in its use of detail and storytelling. I drew two to three illustration spreads at a time, and sent them through peer review. After these meetings, I revised accordingly and strengthened the project. All together, I had multiple spreads, a full front and back cover, as well as title pages, a dedication, and various other spreads common to the book format.
all finished spreads (with copy)
I have never illustrated a project to this size. I pushed myself to do detailed illustrations for each spread, which are consistent throughout. I have never had the opportunity to create a visually consistent comic or illustration set. I learned a lot about Procreate and how to apply it to a project such as this.
