Comments on: Intelligent Plant

By: Intelligent Plant, part 2: The Inkning : Zack Rock’s Illustration Blog

Intelligent Plant, part 2: The Inkning : Zack Rock’s Illustration Blog — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:19:00 +0000

[...] creating a detailed sketch of the illustration (see part 1: The Pencilning), I confound and frustrate my wife by busting out the lightbox, placing a high quality watercolor [...]

By: Zack

Zack — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:13:52 +0000

Alex – Thanks a bunch! And anyone wanting to read up on contemporary illustration would do well to visit Alex’s site, Ape on the Moon: http://apeonthemoon.com

Liza – Danke! And I agree that some illustrators should be sent back to art school to learn how to hold a paintbrush. Many illustrators chose a more simple way of rendering a scene in order to focus on some other aspect of the piece children would be more enthralled by; colors, line quality, the overall energy of the image, etc. But some just plain suck out loud.

Dan Dirty Dan Construction Man Dan – Glad you like the progress report! And thank you for pointing out the lack of safety gear the lumberjack has worn in his attempt to fell the tree. Unfortunately, when you speak of goggles, chaps and gloves, I believe you’re thinking of the accoutrements of a CANADIAN logger, not a 100% freedom-loving AMERICAN lumberjack who eschews all precautionary measures and usually wields the chainsaw with his teeth when he’s not mowing down trees with his semi-automatic rifle. You see your mistake now, oui?

In all seriousness, none of the reference images I found showed the loggers wearing anything you mentioned. I suppose I shouldn’t have gotten all my references from http://www.futuremaimedloggersofamerica.com

By: Daniel

Daniel — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:46:56 +0000

Hey, both the illustration and the progress reports are great!I love both, but I definitely love the picture more being let into the world of zack and the process of how this illustration came about. I can’t help but wonder if part of the stern look the tree is giving is due to the fact that not only does the logger intend to cut down this beautiful oak forest. But he also intends to do it without chaps, gloves or safety glasses.I guess disregard for the earth and diregard for the self go hand in hand.

By: Liza

Liza — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:21:13 +0000

I like the progress report and I like the final product, but I miss the face. I wish you had done the illustrations for the books I read Claire… maybe they are *trying* to make it look like it was done by a child?

By: Alex Mathers

Alex Mathers — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:15:54 +0000

These drawings rock – I can’t wait to see them coloured in and completed – love the crumbly style of that tree

By: Zack

Zack — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:13:50 +0000

Thanks, V-ron! And Melissa, Amber and I learned about martens from the Planet Earth documentary series. We both thought they were adorable at first, but then one of’em ate a squirrel! Amber was fine, but I was absolutely livid.

For the record, the marten pictured lives off berries and sunbeams, never harming another living being.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:57:06 +0000

A marten?! Have you guys been reading Inkheart? That book is the first place I ever heard of martens.

As for the drawing, I agree with Leah — I like that the tree’s badness doesn’t jump out immediately, but gets more menacing the longer you look. The spidery branch holding the chainsaw is awesome! Overall, it leaves me with a quite a different feeling than the initial sketch where the tree has a deranged jack-o-lantern face. I imagine that the marten knows something but isn’t about to tell … befitting a marten, if the nasty one in Inkheart is accurate.

By: Veronica

Veronica — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:49:05 +0000

Hey — late to the party. Surfacing from zine work and checking out blogs again.

I love the progress reports. Gives me a greater appreciation for the tremendous amount of work you put in. And I’m a big fan of this end result. Clever without being heavy-handed.

By: Zack

Zack — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:56:41 +0000

Thanks guys! And Amber and Zach, thanks for reminding me that I wanted to list all the animals in the tree. To the left we’ve got the Spotted Owl, House Finch (same exact bird as in my recent gnome painting, in fact) and a crow. To the right, Dougie the Douglas Squirrel (recently met him camping), a banditry of Black-capped Chickdees, and a Steller’s Jay. And right in the middle is a marten, one of Amber’s new favorite animals (cute as a cat, but more weaselly).

By: Amber

Amber — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:41:54 +0000

I’m not just saying this because I’m contractually obligated, but I definitely like the progress report! It adds a depth of perspective for your readers, allowing us to watch your sketches move from an idea to execution.

Also, love the douglas squirrel and the spotted owl!