Dark Fairytales Research

Scans from 'Faeries' by Brian Froud and Alan Lee

[Sorry for terrible scans... Scanner was having a bad day]

Fairytales aren't always about little children and monsters, sometimes FairyTales are literally about 'Fairies', yet most aren't the typical christmas fairy we think off.
The term 'Faeries' is used to describe a whole range of fantastical beings ranging from the cute and harmless to the cut-throat and sometimes terrifying. Brian Froud and Alan Lee describe these creatures wonderfully in this book and the illustrations are as beautiful as they are disturbing in places.

I love the silhouette look of these faerie island, they could be a good background for a fairytale scene. It shows that silhouettes of the mundane, through stylisation can looks magical and unreal. The detailed and intricate shapes make beautiful and otherworldly looking lands.

Creepy looking faerie thanks to the hunch posture and spindly, spiderlike limbs. The green foliage on its back give it a more nature feel and make it seems less threatening, but Its still pretty creepy.

Silhouette again, just the fact that it is black against the blue/grey background makes the scene look instantly darker and foreboding, even though a boy walking up to a tree may not be spooky if it were coloured normally.

Scary goat man. Exaggerated features make him look very spooky, and the white eyes give him an ethereal and malevolent look. 

Elongated claws and extremely large makes this hag look very spooky. The frame around it also bumps up the gothic and creepy effect.

I dont like the eyes, they unsettle me.

And the disproportion of the hands and the thinness of the arms and legs make him look very skeletal.

Ive drawn influence from these character and styles of drawing throughout the development of the characters in the my work, and think they've really helped to make my designs look spooky and gothic.