Tuesday, March 01, 2005

I'M GOING REVOLUTIONARY!

Here is the latest illustration I am doing for a series on the American Revolution in South Carolina. It's for a book that is going to be published by my mom and dad's small press. It's supposed to be a picture book for young students--like third graders. They're going to pay me which is cool and I really dig the subject matter. It just means I have to put all the other stuff I'm doing on hold for awhile.

This illustration is of a colonial partisan--or the 18th century equivilent of a guerilla fighter. The illustrations in this piece have to be more graphic looking so that we are able to highlight certain aspects of the illustration for pedagogical purposes... You'll notice certain touches like the wrapped flintlock which keeps the moisture and elements off the locks and prevents them from misfiring. Also, he isn't wearing a uniform because militia units were a voluntary force that fought in homespun and generally returned to their homes and farms after the battle was over.

4 comments:

Jared Chapman said...

Too cool James!
I too am a history fan and book like this sounds really cool. Be sure to keep your faithful fans up-to-date on the book status.
I can't wait to see more!

Ward Jenkins said...

Yes, yes, very nice. I like the very clean look of the image. Clarity works very well for children's books, especially when they are history-based. And I love all the small details when it comes to these things, too. I hope that what you've mentioned here-- that these guys did not have official uniforms, about the wrapping of the flint, etc.-- will be in the final book. Stuff like that I think is very interesting.

Excellent work!

James Palmer said...

Thanks guys! Ward: I am most definitely going to include those little details... They're what makes studying history so cool!

And Jared, I am going to be posting a ton of stuff on this book... No worries! Thanks for the comments guys!

Don Tate II said...

very nice. You should post some step-by-step painter techniques