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DarkJimbo — Fuchsia

Published: 2007-03-04 14:51:49 +0000 UTC; Views: 1862; Favourites: 21; Downloads: 0
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Description "... a girl of about fifteen with long, rather wild black hair. She was gauche in movement and in a sense ugly of face, but with how small a twist might she not suddenly have become beautiful. Her sullen mouth was full and rich -- her eyes smouldered... Her shapeless dress was flaming red. For all the straightness of her back, she walked with a slouch."




Fuchsia Groan, daughter of the Earl of Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast.

Overall I'm pretty pleased with this. There's still a certain sense of 'roughness' to it in places, but I think that adds to the sense of faded granduer and rotting gothic. I'd like to imagine this could be hanging somewhere in the corridors of Gormenghast castle itself.

Pity it's not a full-figure shot, though, I wanted her to have long stripey ankle-socks and huge clumpy boots, which I thought would have been a really nice contrast to the more 'ladylike' dress.

1 character down, 54 to go...

Character copyright Mervyn Peake.
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Comments: 25

ailime [2008-06-24 16:41:14 +0000 UTC]

you really planned on doing the Whole bunch of them ?? you are one determine fan

and she's lookin' simply gorgeous

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DarkJimbo In reply to ailime [2008-06-24 18:01:06 +0000 UTC]

I still hope to, one day.

What can I say? Gormenghast grabbed a hold of me and wouldn't let go.

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Thwan-Condu [2007-08-21 18:23:13 +0000 UTC]

man, that is wicked, son

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DarkJimbo In reply to Thwan-Condu [2007-08-21 19:29:28 +0000 UTC]

Thanks muchly.

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xxdesire666xx [2007-06-15 17:09:38 +0000 UTC]

I found this song of Lady Fuchsia by the Strawbs in the late 60's, a year after Mervyn Peake's death.

The link is

[link] - Lady Fuschia.mp3

And if that does not work, just go to projectplaylist.com and type in Strawbs

Cheers!

Lyrics:

A child denied all love can't weep
But bravely bears her life alone
So Fuchsia as you try to sleep
You dream of friends you've never known

In troubled years when no-one cared
You searched for comfort everywhere
For heavy burdens never shared
Became too much for one to bear

So much to give
But those who live
Don't know of you
Your fantasy
Of love to be
Cannot come true
Oh Lady Fuchsia
Oh Lady Fuchsia

Now poised above the castle walls
You look your last on lonely skies
Night owls pray for you as they call
Returning ere the dawn shall rise

Your loveless life
Has led you here
Not knowing why
Your troubled mind's
No longer clear
To live or die
Oh Lady Fuchsia
Oh Lady Fuchsia
Oh Lady Fuchsia
Oh Lady Fuchsia

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DarkJimbo In reply to xxdesire666xx [2007-06-16 09:38:21 +0000 UTC]

Wow! Thanks for sharing that, I had no idea about this.

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xxdesire666xx In reply to DarkJimbo [2007-06-17 09:40:35 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome, still waiting for the other Gormenghast characters. However, it would be more helpful if you could delete my other comments I mistakenly left about three times in a row

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xxdesire666xx [2007-05-24 11:27:18 +0000 UTC]

Ah, I do love your rendition of Fuchsia from the Gormenghast trilogies! In fact, I love all of your Gormenghast characters and love how you give all the characters that dark quality about them. I did not like how the B.B.C made for t.v movie made it less morbid and dark--because that is what makes Gormenghast, Gormenghast!

I personally fine Fuchsia delightful. She is the the most sympathetic character in the book, and is loved deeply by Mr. Flay and Dr. Prunesquallor, who called her 'Gypsy girl', so you get a basic understanding of her features. I personally think you hit her looks right on the nail! I however thought she was a little more darker of skin however. Her mouth, her sullen eyes with that smoldered appearance--wonderful!

I really do not get why though, most of the fan art about her, portray her less attractive or 'plump of face'. Mervyn Peake writes in a very 'between the lines' type of style. He describes her as 'In a sense ugly of face, but with how small a twist might she not suddenly have become beautiful'. He never CALLED her ugly, but in a sense she was unattractive because she is always frowning and projecting her lower lip outward which gives some readers the impression that she has a drooping lip.

I really think your sketch of her is actually the most accurate of her so far. You're so talented <33!

"Fuchsia turned her face up to his [Dr. Prune] and parted her lips in a smile of such dark, sweet loveliness, so subtly blended with her brooding strangeness, that the Doctor's hand clenched the handle of the door...etc...etc" ;]

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DarkJimbo In reply to xxdesire666xx [2007-05-24 19:42:08 +0000 UTC]

I honestly believe that Fuchsia is one of the most well-written characters in the whole of literature. I've never felt like I knew a fictional character as well as I did her, and - yeah, I know she's not real, but - part of me really does love her. How sad is that?

I'm usually quite modest about my art, but I don't mind saying that I'm hugely proud of this. She came out exactly as I intended, and I seemed to capture her character and facial expressions exactly right - the way she looks sultry but innocent, dark but naive, caught awkwardly on the brink between childhood and womanhood and not sure which she fits into.

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Elenai [2007-05-05 09:59:23 +0000 UTC]

I love the design and the technique and the colours, but something seems wrong (but that's just my opinion - I really like your vision, it's only my vision is a bit different) - I think the ribbon in her hair is a bit too much - Fuchia was too wild and untidy to think of such things.. I think you wanted to show her naivety and young-spirit by it, but I just think it doesnt fit.. And the ribbon is too symetric.. But like I've said, that's just my opinion, besides that I really love your Fuchsia

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DarkJimbo In reply to Elenai [2007-05-05 10:23:37 +0000 UTC]

Don't be afraid of constructive criticism, it's fine. I know exactly what you mean, actually, although I personally like the ribbon too much to lose it. Perhaps if half of it was unravelling down past her face...?

Even though I'm still HUGELY pleased with this, something's never felt quite 'right' about her - but I can't work out what it is. Possibly the hair. But I love Fushcia so much I've got no problem with drawing her over and over until I get a design I'm totally happy with!

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Elenai In reply to DarkJimbo [2007-05-19 10:30:01 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, I know what you mean, I love her too Keep drawing her, then. I sure will be viewing it with pleasure

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PsychoSlaughterman [2007-03-12 12:45:58 +0000 UTC]

awsome i want to see the other 54 asap ha ha

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DarkJimbo In reply to PsychoSlaughterman [2007-03-12 13:12:45 +0000 UTC]

I'm working on it.

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PsychoSlaughterman In reply to DarkJimbo [2007-03-12 13:17:55 +0000 UTC]

work quicker, if i have to stand over you with a whip i will ha ha

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DarkJimbo In reply to PsychoSlaughterman [2007-03-12 13:22:49 +0000 UTC]

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PsychoSlaughterman In reply to DarkJimbo [2007-03-12 13:28:13 +0000 UTC]

ha ha yeah you better work ha ha

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RivkaZ [2007-03-08 20:35:15 +0000 UTC]

FUSCHIA!!!
Oh, Gormenghast, my love! It deserves so much more fanart than it recieves... TT^TT

This is so lovely! To me it gives the impression that she's about to cry...

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DarkJimbo In reply to RivkaZ [2007-03-08 21:15:53 +0000 UTC]

It really does deserve much more, which is something I'm trying to correct. I'm planning to attempt EVERY character, but it's going to be a hell of a long project...

I wanted to make her seem quite sad and tragic, bearing in mind what eventually happens to her, even though she's trying her hardest to be happy. Bless. Poor girl.

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FuzzChile [2007-03-07 03:45:23 +0000 UTC]

beautiful really nice..colours work really well the flower is great really leaps out nice usage of background ..your on a roll today bro arc:

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DarkJimbo In reply to FuzzChile [2007-03-07 09:25:26 +0000 UTC]

I only added the sunflower because she carried one around at one point in the book, but by a stroke of luck it really balances out all the red.

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Mortis-of-midian [2007-03-05 12:28:56 +0000 UTC]

awsome!

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tiamat9 [2007-03-04 14:52:41 +0000 UTC]

Nicely detailed and colored. I really like the linework and saturation. The dress is pretty. Lovely pose.

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DarkJimbo In reply to tiamat9 [2007-03-04 14:59:14 +0000 UTC]

Crikey! That may just be the fastest comment I've ever had!

Thanks a lot, I was quite pleased with the pose myself. With the dress I was going for a sense that she's kind of cobbled it together with other bits of various red dresses that have taken her fancy, a bit like a magpie.

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tiamat9 In reply to DarkJimbo [2007-03-04 15:01:26 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome. Nicely done.

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