Final tone study with the final composition done at the actual size the Illustration is going to be (16" x 20").

Pen, brush and ink study on toned paper with a white stabilo carb otello pencil for highlights.

A pen and ink sketch I did before the thumbs below. At this point I wanted to find a feel of what I wanted to achieve with the upcoming illustration. 

Thumbs and studies in pencils and an ink pen trying to develope a composition for a Conan illustration.

A number of sketches and thumbs I did trying to find a composition I liked for a Prince Valiant Illustration. In the end I decided to do the Hal Foster one that I did in my previous entry.

Looking for an idea for my next Prince Valiant Illo, I came across the last page that Hal Foster ever drew (Strip # 1788, May 16th 1971). In it, the last panel portrays Val and his two squires galloping away as they face the landscape before them, with the Pyrenne mountains and Hispania beyond them. This magnificent composition inspired me to create my own version in oils. I know that this may not be what my thesis requires, but the artistry of this piece and the significance of the illustration per se, compelled me to do it anyway. In the end, I came up with the illustration above. I did some changes of course, like portraying Val alone, or changing the composition from a square one to a rectangular space. I also added some evergreens in the distance as well as separate the planes with atmospheric perspective. In the end, I think I achieved an illustration that cements Prince Valiant's indomitable spirit of adventure. With his back to us, he is moving forward, towards the unknown.

Some additional detail plus shadow correction.

Progress on my "Prince Valiant buys a boat" Illo. Got to make Val stand out more as well as add some additional detail to the dock.