One of the fun and new things about Aleks’ most recent adventure is that both Eoghan Kerrigan and I drew illustrations for it. Join me at Brenda’s blog, The Log Cabin Library, to learn more about my process and see examples. Drop a comment if there’s anything else you’d like to know about the books. |
Blog Tour Stop: Interview with Eoghan Kerrigan, Part 4
Keira Gillett (Author): Greetings everyone! The second book in the trilogy, Zaria Fierce and the Enchanted Drakeland Sword features some amazing artwork from Eoghan Kerrigan. Be sure to check out the other parts of this interview series to see more of his artwork. We’ve been having a lot of fun talking about the book and the artwork. So Eoghan, what is the hardest part of illustrating a story?
Eoghan Kerrigan (Illustrator): The hardest part is challenging yourself to draw things out of your comfort zone if the story demands it of you. These drawings take a bit longer because you need to gather reference material to make the drawing more convincing.
Keira: I laughed when I saw your Twitter status on drawing ships. I knew you were referencing Zaria’s adventures in book two. So what is the easiest? The most fun?
Eoghan: The easiest and most fun are the same thing – drawing fun and visually interesting characters and creatures.
@EoghanKerrigan This is your doing @keiragillett
— Eoghan Kerrigan (@EoghanKerrigan) August 31, 2015
Keira: I really love your characters and creatures. They have such life to them. It’s been a lot of fun to see what you’ll come up with for each chapter. Do you ever experience a creative block similar to what authors call writer’s block?
Eoghan: All the time! I don’t think there is a single creative person who doesn’t experience this at some point.
Keira: How do you get past it and what do you do to stay motivated and fresh?
Eoghan: Various things can knock me out of it. Some fresh air, listening to music, seeing a piece of art I really admire. But the most effective way I think is just to take a break. Forcing yourself to do something doesn’t always help, but the desire will always return eventually.
Olaf the troll from @keiragillett ‘s Zaria Fierce trilogy which I’m almost done illustrating! pic.twitter.com/f3URontTDr
— Eoghan Kerrigan (@EoghanKerrigan) April 6, 2016
Keira: I did something similar when I was stuck on a scene in the first book. I’d stop writing for the day and focus on other things so I could start fresh the next day. For book two when I was stuck, I sat down and plotted pieces of the story that I wanted to see. Not all of it stuck, but it did help to unstick me. What type of drawing tools do you use to create your illustrations?
Eoghan: Pencils! That’s really it. A blue or orange pencil for the rough under drawing and a 2B graphite pencil for the finished lines. I’m very comfortable with traditional media.
Keira: I can tell! You could knock me over with a feather if readers aren’t as thrilled as I am about the work you’ve done. Thanks for joining us today! Eoghan and I look forward to seeing readers’ reactions to the new illustrations.
Blog Tour Stop: Interview with Eoghan Kerrigan, Part 3
Join me at Brooke’s Blog for another interview segment with Eoghan Kerrigan, the illustrator behind the Zaria Fierce Books. We’ll be talking about the artwork from the second book. There’s also a great giveaway opportunity!
Interview with Eoghan Kerrigan about Zaria Fierce’s Drakeland Sword Adventures
Welcome everyone! This is part two of a four part interview series with Eoghan Kerrigan, the illustrator of my Zaria Fierce Trilogy as we discuss his work for the second book. He’s marvelously talented (just scroll down and you can see some of his illustrations). You can read the first part of the interview series with him here.
Keira: Eoghan, were there any new characters to the trilogy that you loved reading about and/or drawing?
Eoghan Kerrigan: Bjarke, the benevolent troll, was a nice surprise after all the baddie trolls in the first book.
I also liked reading about minor characters like Granny dwarf. It’s a shame I didn’t get to draw her!
Keira: I’m glad you like Bjarke. I enjoyed meeting him too. He’s a fine scallywag pirate. It was important to me to not make all trolls be the bad guys. As for Granny, you never know who might make an appearance in the third installment of the trilogy. Which character from the trilogy (that you’ve met so far) are you most like and why?
Eoghan: Probably Zaria. She has a love of fantasy and a revered appreciation for the strange denizens she meets. She can be self-conscious and has a tendency to overthink, but is brave when she needs to be.
Keira: It’s so fun to see that you relate to her. She loves maps and uses them as artwork on her walls, but if she saw your art and how you’ve depicted her adventures around Norway, you’d get prime real estate. What do you most want to happen next in the next book? Where do you hope book three takes us?
Eoghan: It’s going to sound horrible, but I hope all the dragons are released so I can draw them!
Keira: That would certainly be something! I’d enjoy getting those illustrations as I loved, LOVED, your Koll. If you could be a magical being from the book, which would you be and why?
Eoghan: I’d be a troll, no question. I’ve always identified with them. Not particularly pleasant looking, a little grumpy, a little misunderstood, but not all bad.
Keira: I thought you might say that! When I saw your illustrator head shot with you talking to a troll, it made me smile, because it felt so you. And no, trolls aren’t all bad as we’ll find out in Zaria’s second adventure. Were you surprised, scared, disappointed, etc. with any part of the second book?
Eoghan: The finale where Zaria enters the Under Realm felt very uneasy. You can tell something really bad is going to happen and just like Zaria I was not expecting what happened next to happen. I always worry for Zaria and the consequences of her actions.
Keira: Oh, that’s good to hear! I hope it will surprise readers, too. Thanks everyone for joining us today! Eoghan, it’s been a pleasure. Be sure to follow along with the blog tour for upcoming information on the next segment with Eoghan about Zaria and her adventures to find the Drakeland Sword.
Available in E-book | Print | Audio Book formats.
See if you’re eligible to get a free copy of the audio book here.
Illustrator Bio: Eoghan Kerrigan is an illustrator from Kildare, Ireland who draws primarily fantasy characters and creatures. He studied illustration in Ballyfermot College of Further Education and has produced work for various independent projects. He has two cats and a soft spot for trolls.
Website: http://eoghankerrigan.blogspot.ie/
Social Media: Twitter (eoghankerrigan), Facebook (eoghankart)
Blog Tour Stop: Interview with Eoghan Kerrigan on Zaria Fierce Book Two
Eoghan and I are at Kelly’s blog Live, Love, Read talking about the artwork in the second Zaria Fierce novel. Meet another of his trolls and see a scene from the book!
Never Before Seen Developmental Artwork from Zaria Fierce
Eoghan Kerrigan just updated his blog with a ton of his artwork from recent projects, including Zaria Fierce (near the bottom of the post). Click over and see another mock-up for Zaria, Olaf, and the fated bridge where they meet.
An Interview with Eoghan Kerrigan the Illustrator of Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest – Part 3
This is part three of three of an interview series with Eoghan Kerrigan, the illustrator of Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest. See the previous parts here and here.
Keira Gillett: If you could visit one place in the book where would you like to go and see in person?
Eoghan Kerrigan: The underground troll town. It was very vivid in my mind while I was reading that part and it would be cool to explore the markets and palace and see how the trolls live.
Keira: I feel the same way. I would love to try to barter and trade with them. Was there any particular challenge in illustrating Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest?
Eoghan: The biggest challenge is the same challenge I face when drawing something for anyone. Am I good enough? Will they like it? I’m my own worst critic.
Keira: You are great! Your artwork is wonderful and you are amazingly talented. (I’ll be on your cheerleading team. Grin.) Do you do other types of drawing outside of book illustration? What’s been your favorite project to date?
Eoghan: My style generally stays the same, but I’ve drawn illustrations for various independent roleplaying and miniatures games. If I had to choose a favourite it would be for a game known as Maze Scale. The characters were very fun to draw and I was personally satisfied with the results.
Keira: Satisfaction with your work. That’s always important. What is your dream art project?
Eoghan: I think it would be the same as most artists, one where I get to decide on everything!
Keira: That’s why I chose to self-publish, because I wanted to be in charge of all creative aspects of the book. What other art projects are you working on now?
Eoghan: Currently I’m working on commissions and my own stuff which I will hopefully publish as a sketch or art book.
Keira: I would love to own that. Thank you so much for sharing your talents with us.
Available in E-book | Print | Audio Book formats.
See if you’re eligible to get a free copy of the audio book here.
Illustrator Bio: Eoghan Kerrigan is an illustrator from Kildare, Ireland who draws primarily fantasy characters and creatures. He studied illustration in Ballyfermot College of Further Education and has produced work for various independent projects. He has two cats and a soft spot for trolls.
Website: http://eoghankerrigan.blogspot.ie/
Social Media: Twitter (eoghankerrigan), Facebook (eoghankart)
Blog Tour Stop: Interview with Eoghan Kerrigan (Illustrator) Part 2
Welcome everyone! Join me over at Meredith’s blog, All ‘Bout Them Books and Stuff for part two in an interview series with Eoghan Kerrigan, the illustrator for Zaria Fierce! Learn Eoghan’s favorite characters and see some of his favorite drawings.
Meredith also reviewed Zaria Fierce and had this to say:
Overall, this was a fantastic read with likable characters and an engaging story line. I am most definitely looking forward to reading the second book in this series. There is going to be one, I hope! Otherwise I would be very sad. If you’re looking for a fun, easy read filled with fantasy check out Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest!
Thank you so much Meredith for hosting us!
Blog Tour Stop: Interview with Eoghan Kerrigan (Illustrator) Part 1
Eoghan and I are over at Sanovia’s blog Creatyve Books. This is part one of three. Join us to learn how Eoghan got into illustration and graphic design, designs characters, a typical day illustrating, and more.
Illustration – Zaria and Olaf
A little while ago I shared Eoghan Kerrigan’s Zaria Fierce. Here she is again, but this time with her nemesis Olaf, the river-troll. Just what is he after?
Isn’t Eoghan’s work stunning? I love it!
To learn more about Eoghan Kerrigan, check out his Facebook page, Deviant Art Profile, and his blog, Under the Bridge.
Illustration – Meet Zaria
Earlier this week, I shared how I found Eoghan Kerrigan, the talented illustrator of Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest. Below is his illustration of our plucky heroine, Zaria Fierce.
Isn’t she gorgeous? I love her!
To learn more about Eoghan Kerrigan, check out his Facebook page, Deviant Art Profile, and his blog, Under the Bridge.
Q: How did you choose the illustrator for Zaria Fierce and The Secret of Gloomwood Forest?
A: I was looking for troll art on Google Image Search. It started with John Bauer and then I thought I saw someone emulate his style on Deviant Art.
When I got to Deviant Art I did not find the piece that I remembered, but I did find a few artists that I liked better with their own drawing styles. From there, I scoured multiple profile pages, Etsy accounts, blogs, personal websites, Facebook, and more to learn more about these artists and their work.
Then I reached out to the few I liked best to see if they were open about commission work. Of the artists I reached out to I really hoped Eoghan Kerrigan would be interested in working with me. He was! And I am so thrilled with every sketch he’s shared with me. It’s so much fun to see the book come alive. I am truly grateful to have such a talented artist illustrate my book.
To learn more about Eoghan Kerrigan, check out his Facebook page, Deviant Art Profile, and his blog, Under the Bridge.
Check out his illustrations of Zaria and Zaria and Olaf for the book.