Cover painter Adam Hughes joins the royal blog party by providing colorful answers to some spectacularly tame questions about FAIREST.
Adam, What was your first painted cover job?
I can't recall; it was in the late 1900s. I don't remember what I had for breakfast today.
Was it difficult to go from being predominantly a line artist to a cover painter?
Not so much that I recall. Not NEARLY as difficult as going from being a cover painter back to being a line artist.
When you're asked to do cover sketches, what's the first thing you consider?
What's already been done. Avoiding repetition can help, because knowing what NOT to do helps narrow your options and focus your ideas.
What determines your palette? For instance, are you more likely to let the art dictate the palette based on how you light the piece or are you prone to choosing palettes based on inspiration, say from a classic painting, and then go from there?
Yes, to both. I don't have a set of rules; I go with the principles that will work best for a given assignment. One thing I almost always do: pick the focal point of the piece. Once I know what color it is, I know that all other colors in the palette will be subordinate to it.
Walk us through the steps from approved sketch to finished art for FAIREST #1.
I talked with the editor & writer about what they wanted. I then did 2 sketches based on the ideas all three of us came up with. When the final design was approved, I then started sketching each character. Since it was a 'painted' piece, I worked from life models when I could. I then rendered the characters in COPIC marker, scanned it into Photoshop, then colored it there.
How long did it take to paint the wraparound cover?
Far too long.
Play Favorites!
Who is your favorite female character to follow in FABLES or Fairest and why?
Rose Red. She's such wonderful trouble.
Who is your Favorite to paint?
Probably Snow White.
Do you dream in color, black and white or sepia tones?
Color! 1080i, enhanced for 16 x 9 viewing.
BONUS ALERT! Adam puts on his writing glove to give the ladies of FAIREST some lines to remember them by:
1: The Snow Queen: Seriously? The BACK cover? Am I not hot enough for the front?
2: Cinderella: Here! I think THESE will fit even YOUR enormous clown feet...!
3: Princess Alder: If I'd known, I'd've grown myself some pants.
4: Beauty: I guess some us actually NEED our beauty rest...
5: Ali Baba: I never realized how blonde this place was.
6: Miss Leigh Duglas (Nurse Spratt): Sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesomely thin I am. Now.
7: Bo Peep: THIS stuff can wake the dead!
8: Rapunzel: Can we speed this up? I have a haircut at 3.
9: Snow White: Wakey-wakey! Eggs and bakey!
10: Briar Rose, our Sleeping Beauty: I'm up, I'm up. Give a girl a minute, hunh?
11: Rose Red: You snore, you know that? Something fierce.
12: Ozma: We're not getting any younger, you know!
13: The Book: The title is: "Hair Care Do's & Don'ts For Narcoleptics"
14: Thumbelina: I'm a big fan of small talk, but let's get this party started!
