Notes from the Studio

Okay, here is my re-creation of the drawing that I gave to Clare Danes. This drawing is much smaller and bit more refined as I knew it was going to be used as the cover to the new hardcover edition of Stardust that DC/Vertigo will be publishing next March. In a few weeks, a little closer to the actual deadline, I’ll lightly outline these pencils in ink and then build up the image into a full color painting with multiple washes of transparent FW inks. This edition will have, along with all of the contents of the original book, end paper designs that feature a new version of the Fairy Market as well as a 16 page section of bonus material which will include five newly drawn images that I was unable to include in the previous edition due to text and deadline constraints. A sixth image from a possible prequel that is on a far-in-the-future horizon for Neil and myself will also be included. Whether these six images will make it into finished paintings in time for their inclusion is dependent on my many and varied deadlines. They will, however be available next summer as the last plates in

A bit ago, on a certain Tuesday at 2 pm, I got the call to be at the airport at 5:30 pm to fly to London for a visit to the Stardust sets. Neil had called the day before so I was already packed and ready for the adventure. Wednesday morning I stumbled off the plane at Gatwick and was met by a driver and taken, first to a hotel to freshen up, then on to London to pick up Neil, and then to Pinewood Studios where the film was being shot. The cast and crew were scheduled for a night shoot so it was still quiet when we arrived mid-afternoon. We toured the costume and art departments then casually wandered through several gorgeous full size sets. All the photos below were taken by Neil’s cellphone. Top photo: The artist himself, posing by a replica of one of the Lilum, impaled on the wall of the set of the Witch Queen’s palace. Bottom photo: The crew busy prepping a scene on the same set. The re-creation of the Mountain Inn that the Witch Queen conjures up in order to trap the Star was lovely. The exterior looked just perfect for

Welcome to my blog and bid my message board a fond farewell (although you can still access the archived posts from here). I’ll be regularly posting both text and images of everything I’m working on as I work on it right here. By dropping by and reading this board you all should be able to keep track of my crazy schedule of projects much more easily from now on. Enjoy! Charles