Fan Art That Goes Squeek: Illustration From Mouse Guard

Celanawe: The Black Axe

It's that time again and I've managed to just squeeze in some content this month, in between freelance and raising my three spectacular Children :) I thought it was high time I did some Fan Art, and what better world in which to indulge than in David Petersen's Mouse Guard? So with a mighty 'SqueEk!.... I present this offering :) So much of the content we create, especially early on, comes largely from what we like and has it's origins in what we enjoy personally as artists.

There's a big school of thought out there that argues that a concept artist need be well versed in all forms and styles, and that in order to be a viable option for a games development studio one needs to have a handle on a variety of things from industrial design and architecture, to character and anatomy. While its great to be versatile I find its hard to specialise and master any one thing if you try to spread too thin across a broad range of subjects. Not only that, more often than not, our best pieces tend to be those that have a personal significance to us based on our interests. Sometimes we just need to allow some room (guilt free) for 'drawing what we like'.

So draw what you like. Don't be daunted by the fact that you don't have a plethora of interior design, armchairs and funky tables to show off in your folio... just make a start, draw what you like... and let your technique and ideas do the talking. Your style will naturally emerge and the body of varied work will follow over time. At least this is what I'm finding as I progress.

For this piece I wanted to be as authentic to Mouse Guard as I possibly could, while inadvertently adding my own personal flavour to it. (Authenticity above all else is the GO when dealing with brands and licenses... but we'll talk on that later!) Celanawe, pictured above in his frosty fatigues is a personal favourite of mine, and having read all the Mouse Guard books with my Eldest Son, he definitely has that grissled and experienced warrior vibe that so appeals to me. So staying true to the palette, the forms and the textural quality was important to me as I have a deep respect for the Mouse Guard brand and its' look and feel. I did my best, but as always you can be the judge of how I fared :)

Despite trying to understand and nail the style, there will always invariably be differences as I am not the creator in this instance. There is absolutely no substitue for the genuine original, and the work of David Petersen is quite simply stunning. There's a rich charm to the world of Mouse Guard, tempered with culture and history that on deeper reading becomes increasingly apparent. I'd encourage everyone to check it out for themselves:

www.davidpetersen.net/mouseguard/index.htm

So hats off to you Mr Petersen, and thanks for offering something that is truly special. With much respect I present this little work for Mouse Guard fans and hope to do some more down the track :) Can't wait for more Mouse Guard!

Kind regards,
Soulful Savage.

Listen to the Soul: remember always what is most important, and never compromise on it. Defend that like a Savage.....

J S Pullen