Clapp's "Tears"

John Clapp
Illustration

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(30 k), large version (97 k)

Seen in Society of Illustrators Annual #40

T e a r s

Interior art for The Stone Fey
by Robin McKinley

Publisher: Harcourt Brace
Editor: Allyn Johnston
Designer: Linda Lockowitz

Watercolor on paper

"But the tears on her face were her own..."

Problem
This was the moment in the book where Maddy starts having nightmares about her human boyfriend being crushed, etc. All in all not a good omen...she starts to ignore the Stone Fey despite his magical entreaties and she begins her slow "recovery".

Solution
I wanted to make this scene nightmarish but "realistic". I was aiming for the feeling you have when you wake up in a cold sweat and it takes you a second to realize you're okay.

A friend of mine made my day when they got "creeped out" by it the first time they saw it...and they hadn't read the story yet.

This one is probably my second favorite from the book. I'm really happy with how the hair turned out as that kind of thing could have easily wrecked the illustration and you only get one shot at it.