Of Time and Planes illustration process

The process of actualising an imaginary landscapes presented some challenges, but the landscapes in New Zealand - or 'Zealandia' in Echoes from a Time Passage - contain many interesting features, least of all the cones of extinct volcanoes.  Above, I took many photos of volcanic cones  and used them as reference for the water colours.  Even though they were not used in the book itself, who knows how they may come in handy in the future?  This one is based on images from the Waitakere volcanic plateau in West Tamaki Makaurau-Auckland. Then I dropped protagonist Markas in for good measure.

Here, I wanted another view of Markas on one of his riding beasts surveying the landscape of the wilderness from where the great pandemic, a focus in the narrative, was to emerge. 

Here is another variation on the illustration above.  A black and white illustration for the book emerged from this study.

 And again - volcanic deposits formed the  distant view for this piece.

Here, Markas and his friend Axzis look out to the Great Waters which surround their vast lands as the Stars of Day rise.  I played around with yet more variations on volcanic plugs - this one features the plugs of Mt Manaia in Whangarei.  Fascinating and mythological.