ART DIRECTION: OPENING UP THE CANVAS

Writer and creator of Erth Chronicles, Richard Johnson and one of the many conceptual artists on the project, Carolyn Gan talk about the constructive process of building a scene.

Art Direction at Erth Chronicles is crucial to the development of the world already set out in Richard’s writing. Having already established the world and its inhabitants in the written format, it has now been taken further with the use of supporting artwork by the creator and fellow artists.

When an artist commits to the project a full Erth Guide is sent, along with branding and further details on the project. Everyone works differently, yet feedback in the form of rough sketches, photography and paint over details are crucial in aiding other artists in refining the ideas and pushing their ability even further.

Carolyn’s initial idea for the scene was inspired by the Rojin missionaries and accompanying scouts exploring the expanse of the dessert.

CG: The Rojin of Erth intrigue me a lot. In my own works I like creating characters with Eastern influences, and the Rojin's Samurai-like society and culture drew me to them instantly.

This scene of the Rojin scouts started out as a plain desert scene because I wanted to depict the nomadic nature of the Rojin, but thanks to Richard's AD along the way it has evolved into a bigger and more epic scene that also shows the hostility the Rojin suffer from the Newtonians.

The first draft is emailed to Richard where detailed feedback is supplied.

RJ: As with the all the artists on board so far, those that succeed in grabbing my attention are those that absorb the material and therefore start off on a solid footing. Carolyn had certainly read the details about the Rojin - however, she seemed to be very much influenced by their somewhat passive approach to life. This had led to the original idea that they’re simply scouting the terrain – a scene that would cause problems in generating enough excitement. So, the first major piece of direction was to open up the canvas to reflect the epic quality the dessert conveys, while adding a major focal point that adds more drama to the scene.

CG: The first sketch that I sent to Richard only had the Rojin in it, with the main focus being the rider and Umah heading forward to meet the others. Basically a rather calm sort of atmosphere, where comrades meet up to exchange watch shifts perhaps. However, Richard suggested some changes that could pump up the atmosphere and tell a different kind of story. In his notes he suggested stretching out the scene horizontally, to capture the expanse of the desert. Also, another element that was added is the Rojin outpost being destroyed by the Newtonian ships. This gave the Rojin in the foreground and middle ground something to focus on, and offered them to be painted in poses that spoke of more caution and danger. The bits of ruined architecture that was also added speak of one of many lost civilisations that had formerly thrived on Erth.

As all Erth artists discover, Richard is a stickler for details; and a sense of history was something that needed to be pushed further.

RJ: This is the Graphic Designer in me. It’s very important that the world is believable and has a sense of culture and history. The symbols of both the Rojin and the Newtonians must look as though they have been embraced and shaped through the centuries. With this in mind, it is incorporated into architecture, clothing and even weaponry.

RJ: It was unfair at this point to assume Carolyn wouldn’t have worked on the details - I know for a fact they would have been refined more in the finished painting, but making sure there was a conscious nod to Erth’s history wasn’t something I wanted to risk being left out of such a potentially strong image. Carolyn welcomes the direction from the offset and adapts while taking all advice on board. This shows a person that clearly wants to carry on improving.

The fact that Carolyn’s taste and influences are very much in tune with my own also made the process far easier to communicate.

CG: The original design of the Umah created by Lars was a huge inspiration for this painting. Browsing through the rest of the Erth artwork online gave me a good feel for the importance of the symbolic elements used throughout the story. Richard's description of the Rojin in his outline of their culture was rich and very helpful with forming my own visuals of the world. Miyazaki's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind influenced the costumes I gave these particular Rojin - this included cloaks, their unusual (and necessary) gasmasks, and head coverings to combat the sand. Last but not least, I liked the idea of a desert with two coloured sands, one with the white sand akin to that of an Arabian desert, and the red sand of central Australia as a nod to where I hail from.

After the feedback and further suggestions on developing the scene, Carolyn’s design shows off the subtle details as they are brought further to life. It's clearer now from the palette that the painting is a reflection of doom - 'Red Sky in morning, shepherd's warning'.

CG: I wanted to keep the palette warm, but only in the sands of the desert. The sky was kept a neutral cream colour to show the calm that was present before the Newtonians came, and to keep the focus on the ground. I added a deep purple and storm clouds gathering a little later, to sort of 'contain' the scene of the dropships destroying the outpost. I wanted the final painting to have the feel of a muggy, stifling kind of heat, with the desert sands stirring up slowly.

RJ: The final tweaks refining the ships, adding gun/missile fire and changing the awkward looking front leg of the Umah. Carolyn’s figurative drawings are very strong, but she was very clear that she wants to push this further - therefore I was very conscious of picking up on certain parts that I didn’t feel looked right – I think it may have been just that Umah’s are not something Carolyn draws every day.

CG: Overall I am very happy with the art direction that Richard has given me; it has improved the scene a lot more and put more story into the painting. What I think could be improved on are the foreground elements like the rocks and sand, perhaps more rendering and more effective use of texture brushes. Also as always I'm working on getting better at both human and animal anatomy. I like how the composition points to the smoke and clouds in the distance, I think it both draws the viewer in but also places them in the eyes of another Rojin observing the destruction.

You can view the full size image of the the scene in Carolyn’s Gallery and Scenes & Environments.

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