When I turned my attention to the cover design for my self-published novel The Dragons of Bloodrock, I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted: a giant grey dragon speeding over a desert, with a huge wall of red rock looming in the background. I roughed out a few pencil compositions before settling … Continue reading “The Dragons of Bloodrock – Creating the Cover
Category: Artwork
“Perilous Crossing”
Typical, isn't it? You trek through an alien wilderness for untold weeks, take a rest stop at an ancient waystation on the brink of a fathomless canyon, restock your rickety wagon with supplies and an unusually large number of oversized firebrands, feed up the strong yet grumpy ultra-oxen ready for the next leg of your endless journey, then … Continue reading “Perilous Crossing”
“What’s in the Temple?”
There's something in the temple, that's for sure. Don't ask me what. I only drew the outside.
The Picture Strikes Back
Rummaging through the attic, I came across this half-finished painting. I started it in 1983, but despite an initial youth-fueled burst of enthusiasm, never summoned the energy to complete the damn thing. If you're a movie buff or science fiction fan, you'll see immediately that it's a hodgepodge of ships and characters from popular films including Star Wars, Blade Runner, … Continue reading The Picture Strikes Back
“Wasteland Transaction”
This sketch is called Wasteland Transaction, although I've no idea what the transaction actually involves. Why is the woman who's rocked up in the crazy off-road vehicle handing an ornate box up to the guy in the post-apocalyptic lookout post? Or maybe he's the one handing it down to her. More to the point, what does the box contain? I … Continue reading “Wasteland Transaction”
“Lana in Orbit”
Sometimes when you sketch you screw things up. This was meant to be a drawing of a ship called Liana, which features in an abandoned manuscript that's currently gathering dust on my hard drive. Just before finishing the sketch, I decided to print the name of the ship on those pod-like things running down the side … Continue reading “Lana in Orbit”
“The Push”
Today's Birotech sketch is a scene from my 1999 novel Stone & Sky. It illustrates the moment where, having survived both the eruption of Krakatoa and his unexpected relocation to a strange and inexplicably vertiginous alien world, Victorian explorer Jonah Lightfoot finds that his new companion Annie West is not all she seems. I've always enjoyed … Continue reading “The Push”
“Kurosawa Lander”
Here's a time-lapse video of my latest Sunday sketch, which I've called Kurosawa Lander. The title's a total cheat, since the subject isn't Kurosawa-ish at all. Nevertheless, just like last week's sketch, it's inspired by the images still sloshing around inside my head since my recent viewing of the master Japanese director's 1980 movie Kagemusha. This is first time I've tried a … Continue reading “Kurosawa Lander”
“Kurosawa Watchtower”
Last night, I found myself alone in the house. An unusual situation which, on the rare occasions it occurs, usually sees me frittering away the hours by completely failing to decide what to do with the unexpected me-time. Should I read? Write? Watch a movie? Lie in a semi-comatose state and relish the peace and quiet? For once, tonight's decision came easy. After … Continue reading “Kurosawa Watchtower”
“Strange Cargo”
My latest Birotech drawing took me an hour, using the cheapest, nastiest ballpoint pen I could find. It appears to show some kind of strange containment apparatus disgorging an even stranger item of cargo. I've no idea what that thing with the tentacles is but, fortunately for all concerned, the team appears to have it under control.
Graham Edwards 