Watch Your Step!

This illustration is the second in a series of four, for an ongoing story in Guide magazine. I think I was channeling some Ligne Claire artists in the handling of the background elements; that is unavoidable for somebody like me, who reads all of his Tintin books several times, each and every year.

This story is about a butterfly expedition and there are a few moments I am illustrating that involve some hair-raising near misses, accidents, and surprises. I will post others when they are finished. The first in the series is included below. I admit that as a series, these may not hold together, when I am finished, because I am bouncing back and forth between large areas of heavy blacks and more daring color (the jeep image) and more conservative colors and descriptive linework with fewer blacks (boy falling). But, I am enjoying myself, so what the hey...

Thanks to Brandon for the job!