Thank you everyone for the support! I'm using silhouettes for the bulk of the illustrations their dramatic effect, and the fact that the style is period-appropriate. I am also working with an illustrator who is creating full-page images in a line and wash style inspired by Goya's “Los Caprichos” prints.
ssfsx17 wrote:For some reason, the cultist's pose in "Aristocrats at Play" reminds me of "Praise the Sun!" Then again, it could be that there is an original Victorian artwork which both of the other pieces derive from.
Excellent work!
Thanks! The cultist's pose occurs is meant as a general attitude of triumph, which is meant to contrast with the demeanor of the woman on the altar. For me the idea is that the cultist is trying to be serious about what he (or she) is doing, while the woman is barely paying attention.
The woman on the altar is inspired by Francois Boucher's 1752 painting of Marie-Louise O'Murphy (link is possibly mildly NSFW):
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... 9_-_02.jpg
The ambiguity of her attitude is intentional. Maybe she is so jaded and bored with everything that even participating in a black magic ritual is unimpressive. Or perhaps she is so morally bankrupt that she views the whole thing as just another fun game to play after dinner. Ghastly Affair is meant to be about moral horror as well as supernatural horror – as much “Dangerous Liaisons” as “Frankenstein”. Although, there's plenty of moral horror in Mary Shelley's novel as well...
