Holiday Story. The end.

The very last illustration is finished. I hope you have enjoyed this series of illustration, and perhaps piqued your interest enough to pick up the book!
It's called "The Holiday Story" and the link is at the right!

Holiday Story no. 22

Slowly bringing the last illustration into focus. Suddenly that hanging garlic reminds me of a noose.

Holiday Story no. 21

The destruction.

Holiday Story nos. 20 and 22

This is it! I am putting the paint down on number 22, the end illustration. Here is how number 20 panned out. It is the most violent illustration in the story. I have led you down dark hallways, I have shown you knives, and I have promised you blood. Now, it is delivered.

Holiday Story no. 21

I worked a lot on the background and concentrated on the dark-haired girl today.

I know I have set this to publish in April, but as I type this, today, it is February 13th. I have been working with mad speed to turn these illustrations out, and setting them to publish in a way that makes sense chronologically. I thought today, that if I should drop dead or get hit by a bus, it will look like I kept working two months posthumously!

Holiday Story nos. 20 and 21

I began the 21st illustration while waiting for the 20th to dry. I still need to put the crackle patina and glaze highlights on the plate in no. 20.

Holiday Story no. 20

This got a little more involved when I wanted to build up the sky with darker clouds. It obscured my sketch so I had to draw it back in as best as I could remember it. Luckily, it is a very simple composition with few elements. I would say this picture and the next are the climax of the story.

Holiday Story no. 19

More progress pictures, showing how I built up the layers and textures of the plate. It is a different sort of folk tale, I think. The bear is the monster-symbol, eating up the rabbits, but he is not the actor/perpetrator of the violence. What I thought was a very simple story, as I've taken in all the comments, seems to have a lot of misdirection and complexity that I did not see at first. Glee.

Holiday Story no. 18

I think I could have done the floor tiles a little better. They are a bit wonky, but since they are not the main focus, I'll leave them alone.

Holiday Story nos. 21 and 22

I re-drew the last two illustrations.

Holiday Story no. 18

Work in progress. I decided to shift the staging, it gave me the opportunity to paint the sharp knives again. Glee.

Holiday Story no. 17

Here is a pivotal moment in the story, wherein the blond girl is rebuffed, the other children want to put the plate back.

Holiday Story nos. 20. 21, 22

This is it. There are 22 illustrations in this story. I've tentatively sketched out the last three.

The Holiday Story no. 18

Oh no! What's going on here? The bear is eating up the rabbits on the magical plate!

I promise the story makes it sound much more charming. You'll have to read it for yourself.

Holiday Story no. 17

Our heroine doesn't want to give the plate back. Uh-oh. Confrontation ahead. This one still needs a lot of work.

Holiday Story no. 16

The three children enjoy looking at the pictures on the plate.
If you enjoy looking at these illustrations, why not get a copy of the book to keep?

The Holiday Story by Julie Schuler | Make Your Own Book

Holiday Story no. 18

Fighting over the enchanted plate. The sketch begins.

Holiday Story no. 17

Sketch for number 17. The cousins want to put the plate away. The heroine protests.
If you want to find out what happens next you can get the book at the link below.

The Holiday Story by Julie Schuler | Make Your Own Book

Holiday Story no. 16

Blocking in the color. The least impressive part of the process. It will get better.