The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains Project
This project was inspired by The Folio Bok Illustration Awards 2024, which required illustrations for The Truth is a Cavwe in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman. Through reading the book, I highlighted the bits that I found most interesting and then went onto designing the two main characters. The book is based in Scotland and the journey is through the snow-y mountains, so I thought to dress the main characters in attire that fit the cold weather. One of the men has drawfism (and also doesn't have a name), whilst the other is a serious, tall man.
After finishing the character designs, I moved onto creating thumbnails for the full-page pieces I wanted to create, based on the points in the story that stood out. I eventually chose to go with the scene where they are eating food in the mountains and another where they are on a boat to the mountains where the treasure lay. There's a big difference in atmosphere, one of them is warm, peaceful, while the other is dark, stormy, heading towards uncertainty.
Finishing the main illustrations, it was time to work on the comic side of the project. Which was originally supposed to be a single page, but the scene I wanted to illustrate was much longer than that.
It is one of the final scenes in the book, where the two characters fight to the death. Both knowing that it would happen at some point. I found this to be very enjoyable, and it started my love for creating comics.
