Over the retiring few months , we’ve featured Hugo - constitute creative person John Picacio ’s fascinating tutorial on the process behind the artworkin his 2012 calendar for George R.R. Martin ’s A Song of Ice and Fire . Now , at last , here ’s the 6th and final outgrowth post — which might be the most exciting yet . For it have Arya Stark , Ned Stark ’s unseasoned girl . Here ’s how Picacio take to draw her with the pointy end .
In late weeks , io9 hasfeatured outgrowth Emily Price Post behind my artworkfor Eddard Stark , Bran Stark , Sansa Stark and the Hound , Jon Snow and Ghost , and Melisandre . Today I ’m break to portion out some of the inspiration and key decisions that helped mold my Arya Stark artwork for the 2012 George R. R. Martin / A Song of Ice and Fire Calendar .
Arya Stark is known for her impetuousness and her sheer emotional state . And the initial light of divine guidance for those thing get along from this little one — my daughter Samantha who was born during the outgrowth of make the calendar graphics .
I require to do an iconic image of Arya with her blade Needle , but initially , I think it might be fun to show a cat or two that she chased while hone her fighting ability , and refining her mental quickness and reflexes . The idea was interesting , but I think this crude resume was deem questionable as it suggested that she might in fact be threatening the cat with the sword . I ’m not indisputable whether Anne Groell ( George ’s editor ) articulate it first , or Dave Stevenson ( Random House artistry music director ) , but I think it was a good point ( no wordplay intended ) .
I tried a birds’-eye opinion instead that might show a duo of cats scurry away as Arya spun to face a possible threat . This was n’t illustrating a particular view from the books , as much as just suppose a moment that would be complementary rather than literal .
A good friend name that two of his good champion had a daughter that resemble a possible Arya Stark . Bear in mind that this is several months before the HBO show Game of Thrones even ventilate , and I ’m not trusted if HBO had even upchuck Maisie Williams as Arya Stark by this point . At any rate , my job was to not care about the TV show that was in yield , but work up my own vision of the characters and options as per George ’s volume . And that was what I prepare out to do . I shot some quick reference photos and this tremendous fille was a great springboard toward me figuring out what I wanted my own Arya to look like .
Next , I did a terminal pencil drawing of Arya on Strathmore 500 illustration table . By this point , I decided that the CAT might be more distracting than enhancing . So I egest them in favour of simpleness .
Here ’s a closeup detail of that pencil work before I spell it into my Mac and commence compositing colour on top of it . Much of this pencil work was done in the hospital after Samantha was born . The calendar work was a marathon and I was juggling other even cover work during the devising of it , so it postulate me to keep working , non - quit . The Arya Stark graphics is dedicated to Samantha because of both miss ’ coarse spunk , but also the fact that both drawing and daughter fare into the world during the same week .
Here ’s the final nontextual matter . Notice one pregnant move that I made from the initial pencil drawing . observe that in the pencil drawing , Arya palpate like she ’s less dynamic because she feel like she ’s not poised on the balls of her feet . However , in the last , she is . I digitally rotated the physique portion of the pencil drawing by about 5 degrees and that made all the difference in the world . The final color version of Arya look much more poised for action .
And here ’s a closeup point from that last colour nontextual matter for Arya Stark .
It was a bully honour to live for a class in Westeros and create the artwork for the 2012 A Song of Ice and Fire Calendar . I learned so much as an artist . Thanks to io9 for giving me the opportunity to share these posts with you these last several week !
BooksFantasyGame of ThronesGeorge R.R. MartinTelevision
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