Baum by Dahm

[Baum by Dahm]

Just launched the Kickstarter for the print edition of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with the full original text and 88 of my illustrations!!! More on that later.

Here’s the last chunk of chapter illustrations, covering the journey south from the Emerald City (the first part is here, the second part is here). There’s some bits in this last part of the book that are among the weirdest, and most unfamiliar to people because it was mostly discarded for the movie adaptation. The China Country is one I was very excited/daunted to draw; it’s very unexpected!

Oh and I put up a grid of all of the chapter illustrations together but I made it for the Kickstarter and I thought it was fun to look at

[Baum by Dahm]

“Let me have your name, and I will ask Glinda if she will receive you.” They told who they were, and the girl soldier went into the Castle. After a few moments she came back to say that Dorothy and the others were to be admitted at once.

This is the Chapter 23 illustration, though maybe it pertains a little better to the end of chapter 22. Wrapping up the journey through Oz, finally!

I have a couple more illustrations to post, and will be launching a Kickstarter for the Oz book (with Make that Thing, friends who are good at production & fulfillment) in the near future.

[Baum by Dahm]

For three days Dorothy heard nothing from Oz.  These were sad days for the little girl, although her friends were all quite happy and contented.

Chapter 17! Skipping around a little here. This is actually the very last drawing I made for the Oz book: I finished it last week and now the book is DONE AND READY TO GO VERY SOON. I’ve been posting art early on the Patreon.

[Baum by Dahm]

The sun shone brightly as our friends turned their faces toward the Land of the South.  They were all in the best of spirits, and laughed and chatted together.  Dorothy was once more filled with the hope of getting home, and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were glad to be of use to her.  As for the Lion, he sniffed the fresh air with delight and whisked his tail from side to side in pure joy at being in the country again, while Toto ran around them and chased the moths and butterflies, barking merrily all the time.

Chapter 19; leaving the Emerald City on the last leg of their journey. Tried to show a perspective on the wall distinct from this one.

Really in the home stretch, now! I finished the last of the drawing, and everything should be colored this week, before I go to SPX!

[Baum by Dahm]

Before them was a great stretch of country having a floor as smooth and shining and white as the bottom of a big platter.  Scattered around were many houses made entirely of china and painted in the brightest colors.  These houses were quite small, the biggest of them reaching only as high as Dorothy’s waist.  There were also pretty little barns, with china fences around them; and many cows and sheep and horses and pigs and chickens, all made of china, were standing about in groups.

Chapter 20, on the way south. This one is a weird one; one of the little episodes that feels kind of out-of-place and begins and ends abruptly. Very fun intricate drawing that took forever!!

I’ve been posting Oz stuff on the Patreon a bit earlier than here, if you’re interested!

[Baum by Dahm]

The morning after the balloon had gone up with Oz, the four travelers met in the Throne Room and talked matters over.  The Scarecrow sat in the big throne and the others stood respectfully before him.

Chapter 18. Tried to use the same setting as 16 with a very different tone. Scarecrow is the boss now.

[Baum by Dahm]

“It is kind of you to like a Scarecrow,” he replied.  “But surely you will think more of me when you hear the splendid thoughts my new brain is going to turn out."  Then he said good-bye to them all in a cheerful voice and went to the Throne Room, where he rapped upon the door.
"Come in,” said Oz.
The Scarecrow went in and found the little man sitting down by the window, engaged in deep thought.

Chapter 16. This is the first time we see the Throne Room in full, and I thought it would be nice to have little Oz on a tiny folding chair as a counterpoint to the throne.

[Baum by Dahm]

You will remember there was no road–not even a pathway–between the castle of the Wicked Witch and the Emerald City.  When the four travelers went in search of the Witch she had seen them coming, and so sent the Winged Monkeys to bring them to her.  It was much harder to find their way back through the big fields of buttercups and yellow daisies than it was being carried.  They knew, of course, they must go straight east, toward the rising sun; and they started off in the right way.

Always tricky to find something compositionally interesting to do with these “walking in a direction” chapters. Happy with this one though, and it’s the chronologically first time we’ll see everybody in their New Outfits. I like big meaningful costume changes and it’s something I pay a huge amount of attention to in my own work (or I guess the work that is more fully mine, let’s say).

I’m also working lately on some mockups for the cover of this thing. More as situation develops.

[Baum by Dahm]

The Kickstarter for the book has LAUNCHED!

Here’s a recap of the chapter illustrations for chapters 1 through 8 of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the first third of the book! I am very happy with these, and the wide range of color schemes and tones they represent.

I will be done with this project fairly soon, after working on it (off and on) for over a year. 24 full-page illustrations like these, and somewhere around 70 spot illustrations. A print book is being thought of; details will be on this blog before they’ll be anywhere else!

[Baum by Dahm]

They were obliged to camp out that night under a large tree in the forest, for there were no houses near.  The tree made a good, thick covering to protect them from the dew, and the Tin Woodman chopped a great pile of wood with his axe and Dorothy built a splendid fire that warmed her and made her feel less lonely.  She and Toto ate the last of their bread, and now she did not know what they would do for breakfast.

Going waayyy back to the chapter illustration I skipped a while ago, chapter 7. Color here is a little more naturalistic than I’ve been tending to do for this project, but I’m very happy with it!

I love CAMPING!