These are thumbnails for the Illustration Master Class project. I've chosen the Lady of the Lake assignment (I'm also working on the children's book option...perhaps more on that later). The challenge with this assignment is that there are many different stories and depictions of the Lady of the Lake. I have chosen to go with an older, slightly less romanticized version. Rather than the oft-seen arm rising out of the lake to give Excalibur (the sword) to Arthur, this version depicts the Lady (who also goes by Viviane, Nimue, etc) as a priestess of the island of Avalon, a place somewhere between the world of Man and that of Faerie, where Excalibur is forged. Merlin (a magician and bard) is in love with her, and teaches her all of his magic. So, the Lady, Merlin, and Excalibur, are inextricably linked. My idea is to have the Lady standing in the lake (she doesn't live underwater), holding Excalibur in its sheath, with Merlin watching from the banks of Avalon, somewhat hidden in the trees and melting into the background. I think #5 is my favorite in terms of the Lady's pose - I like the idea of seeing her legs underwater, with fish swimming around, but I'm having trouble with where Merlin would fit into that composition. Ideas??
