Illustrations

Writers: Eimi, Emma
Date Posted: 30th June 2006

Characters: Thanja
Description: Thanja has a meeting with one of her journeywomen about an important project
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 12, day 23 of Turn 3

Thanja put down the hides she'd been looking through when she heard the knock at the door. "Come!" she called.

"Excuse me Master, but I finished that illustration," the young journeywoman said as she walked into the Hallsecond's office. "I think you will like this one much better than the last."

"The last one was good," replied Thanja. "But it lacked something. Put it down here and let me take a look." She cleared space on her desk, and adjusted the lighting in the room so that the drawing could be seen to it's best.

The illustration was laid carefully across the desk to give the Hallsecond a good look. "I made a few changes."

"Much better, you've got the hair right this time. You can see how the wind is blowing it."

"I decided to make the scar on his cheek a little smaller. It was distracting from the rest of his features," the journeywoman nodded.

Thanja nodded. "People will really need to see just what it is that attracts Paela to him. Bear in mind the story so far. Up until now he's been the perfect gentleman, she's been trying to tempt him out of his shell. The readers really need to think that this is it."

"Well, I think the where I have placed her hand here right next to his bare navel might help generate that impression," the journeywoman said, tapping the spot she spoke of. "She could either be reaching for his arm, or reaching for the top button of his trousers. I tried to leave it up to the reader's imagination which."

"That's good. I like that," Thanja smiled, "It will work well with the dynamic of the story. I can see this being a popular book." Then she pointed to the background, "Perhaps you need to work on this a little more, make the sea a little more choppy and not so calm, it will help the readers to understand that they need to find shelter. Let the imagination deal with what might happen when they get there."

The journeywoman nodded. "Perhaps I should add another tiny island in the background here to fill some of that negative space. And the title is '_Islands_ of Desire' so it would make sense to show its part of an island chain."

Nodding, Thanja pointed to another detail. "Can we perhaps hint at there being a cave over here? Give them something to aim for?"

"A rather large crack maybe?"

"That would work."

"I've been thinking we need to make her bust a bit bigger," the journeywoman said thoughtfully. "As it is, it almost looks like his pectoral muscles are bigger than her breasts."

"Perhaps you could make her bodice appear tighter, that would have the same effect." She glanced at the journeywoman, "It will emphasize that area."

The joureywoman nodded. "And perhaps make the cloth look even more tattered? Like it was almost falling off? Or is it already showing too much?"

"I think there's enough damage to the clothing already."

"What do you think of her face? Is that an accurate representation of her, you think?"

"I think so, you've caught enough of the description we've been given, and filled in the blanks nicely."

"Did you read the book yet?" the journeywoman asked curiously.

"I did flip through it."

The woman shrugged. "I had to read it of course. It wasn't bad for what it was, but I'm more of a non-fiction reader myself."

"Nobody expects them to be master works. They are meant for entertainment, and I'm sure this book will do just that."

"True. Just not my kind of entertainment personally." The journeywoman sighed. "That reminds me. I have to finish that portrait of Lord Rentarel's daughter so we can get it to the presses. He wants to start sending it out to potential suitors soon."

"Well I'm sure that won't take you long."

She rolled her eyes. "Its easy to make a fictional character look ravishingly beautiful..."

"She can be perfect, this isn't reality," reminded Thanja. "The readers will want to be in a place with no thread, no sicknesses and no worries.
And in that world, every woman is beautiful, all the men handsome and good always triumphs." "And the sex is always perfect," the journeywoman chuckled. "Ah, the wonders of fiction."

"Indeed."

Last updated on the July 3rd 2006

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