Fan Art interview with George

"A lot of drawings turn out differently to how I'd pictured them, and I never have figured out quite why this can happen, but often I think it could be for the best because I end up with something unexpectedly satisfying."

Foto: Versailles portraits inspired by the style of Alphonse Mucha - Copyright: Paint and Roses
Versailles portraits inspired by the style of Alphonse Mucha
© Paint and Roses

October 31, 2017 by Nicole Oebel @philomina_

What is fan art for you and does your style reflect something about your relationship with the character you are painting or drawing?

I came back to drawing at a very low point in my life. Loss, depression, and a soul-destroying job surrounded by bullies in a world I just didn't belong to. Art became a sort of coping tactic - to make a day seem worthwhile, myself less pointless, I'd draw a picture. Then, I'd have something to show for it, a sense of satisfaction and achievement, and for a few hours, an escape. Those of you who know me will know I've found my happiness now, love my little place in the world, and couldn't be more content with life; the trouble's all a long way past. But I will always, always find time to draw. I suppose there's still a sense deep down that a day set aside for creating something, is a day well spent.

What are the easiest and hardest parts of the artistic process?

The easiest is always the idea, every time there's a little scene or pose which catches my eye or pops into my mind from nowhere, or a photograph someone suggests I ought to draw, or a costume which stands out. The hardest, making what happens on the page match the image in my head. A lot of drawings turn out differently to how I'd pictured them, and I never have figured out quite why this can happen, but often I think it could be for the best because I end up with something unexpectedly satisfying.

Also, the Chevalier's hair. It's just so difficult. Every time he's in a drawing, I go through a brief but intense period of hating those blond curls, but it soon passes!

Do you feel like with your fan art you can put a lot of yourself into a piece, tell your own story?

In a way, no, because I'm limited to characters with their own personality and story, and take care to make them pose and behave as we see them on screen. But there's often opportunity to add my own interests to the mix. It'll come as no surprise that I have horses (I've drawn the stunt horse Minos more often than some of the human characters!), and I enjoy working accurate and detailed flower species into the Mucha-style pieces [Ed. note: See picture above.].

What is it about Versailles that inspires you and draws you to share your art with the Versailles Family?

It's just so beautiful - the setting, the costumes, and of course the lovely cast - it's hard to resist wanting to capture some of that beauty in pretty pictures!
There's such lavish detail in every piece of clothing, that really appeals to me as an art subject; I can really spend a lot of time and effort on the fiddly precise details and getting everything just right, and that does make me happy. Ridiculous perfectionist!

And it really isn't just about what I get to draw; the longer it's gone on, the more I've loved the whole experience of being a Versailles fan. I so enjoy sharing the art with everyone, to set these little pictures free into the fandom and be glad that they're making people smile. It's what I can do to show my love and appreciation for the show, the cast, and the fans who've welcomed me so enthusiastically into the Family. The Versailles Family is something amazing, way beyond enjoying a tv show, and somewhere around the end of last year, I think I stopped drawing for myself. I draw for everyone who likes seeing the pictures. YOU are why I do this.

Which is your favourite piece or style (of your own) and why?

It's very hard to choose just one favourite, so I'll pick a set : my series of portraits inspired by the style of Alphonse Mucha. My own style varies a great deal from piece to piece, because I always just draw what I'm in the mood for at the time. I can go from feeling like doing a full-colour painted style which takes a week or more, to a pencilled and scribbly sketch style which can be completed in a day or two, but I often come back to a combination of detailed ink and layered colour, much like my work in the Mucha set.

And last but not least, what are your favourite TV shows and what do you enjoy about them?

I do like a sharply written and visually impressive historical drama with a strong story to tell, "Taboo" and "Peaky Blinders" spring to mind. Maybe it's because I'm so interested in the past, or perhaps because I'm old-fashioned and out of step with progress, but I'll always pick period dramas or history documentaries over contemporary stories or reality tv - I'm just not that interested in watching modern people doing modern things!

Thank you for the chat, George!

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