Two Slytherin Ladies
Monday, 17 April 2006 05:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
siguneYesterday as I was working on page 14 of the comic I suddenly felt the urge to prove to myself that I can still draw pretty women. I used to draw nothing else, but since the whole Snape thing started I have been drawing plenty of ugly men instead. Before I knew it, I ended up with Narcissa Malfoy, and added Pansy Parkinson for good measure.
It has taken me some time to realise that one of the greatest gifts HBP brought me by way of story is the character of Narcissa Malfoy. I can’t help it: I like her, and I find her relation with Snape intriguing. Ever since Septimia De Quincey disappeared from the Snape backstory, she took her young husband Rabastan with her, and I needed someone else to fulfil his part in my WIP Art of Darkness. Well, here she is: Narcissa Malfoy.
It is really funny how closely drawing and storytelling are connected for me; I experienced it again while doing this portrait of Narcissa. I found I really got to know her, just thinking about her looks and the way she wears her hair and such; things about her person that were hazy suddenly started to take a solid form. She has become interesting to me both story- and picturewise – maybe there is a one-shot here somewhere, and I should like to picture her alongside Snape as well. – Actually I do have a picture of Narcissa and Snape, based on “Spinner’s End”, but it’s for the Snape the HBP fest and so I can’t post it yet.
One thing I have decided (and that strikes me as important) is that I definitely won’t go for décolleté!Narcissa. Don’t ask me why, but she really doesn’t strike me as the type, though this is the way I have mostly seen her done in fanfic. I have found a model for her that I think much more useful: for those of you who watch Desperate Housewives, I’m thinking more in the direction of a witch version of Bree Van de Kamp – beautiful and sexy, but in a dignified, expensive, classy sort of way, and a devoted wife and mother, with all the positive and negative traits of someone who is socially and financially privileged. I don’t think Narcissa is as sharp-tongued as Bree, and I’m certainly not going to copy her or anything – it’s just the type that strikes me as right. Any relation with Snape has to be seen in its light as well. I picture her as his dream woman, in an intangible, ideal sort of way.
Narcissa equals perfect breeding. She doesn’t wear showy things and doesn’t need to draw attention to her bosom in order to be beautiful and remarkable. I tried out a simple dress with a square collar; I’ll have to think about the witch version of Chanel ;).
Oh, and I remembered Harry's observation in GoF that Narcissa looked as if she smelled something unpleasant - that's what the mouth is all about.
Another picture I have long wanted to do is of Pansy Parkinson – a full-length portrait vaguely inspired by Whistler’s Miss Cecily Alexander. I have done several sketches, but none ever looked right. Yesterday I finally drew one that seems to be going in the right direction; I hope I’ll get there in the end.
Below is a close-up of Pansy’s profile as I want it in the portrait, and another Narcissa – I like her! :)
Edit: I just took the Leaky Cauldron quiz - boy, do I really *want* to know the answers to those questions?! Anyway, this is what I got:
It has taken me some time to realise that one of the greatest gifts HBP brought me by way of story is the character of Narcissa Malfoy. I can’t help it: I like her, and I find her relation with Snape intriguing. Ever since Septimia De Quincey disappeared from the Snape backstory, she took her young husband Rabastan with her, and I needed someone else to fulfil his part in my WIP Art of Darkness. Well, here she is: Narcissa Malfoy.
It is really funny how closely drawing and storytelling are connected for me; I experienced it again while doing this portrait of Narcissa. I found I really got to know her, just thinking about her looks and the way she wears her hair and such; things about her person that were hazy suddenly started to take a solid form. She has become interesting to me both story- and picturewise – maybe there is a one-shot here somewhere, and I should like to picture her alongside Snape as well. – Actually I do have a picture of Narcissa and Snape, based on “Spinner’s End”, but it’s for the Snape the HBP fest and so I can’t post it yet.
One thing I have decided (and that strikes me as important) is that I definitely won’t go for décolleté!Narcissa. Don’t ask me why, but she really doesn’t strike me as the type, though this is the way I have mostly seen her done in fanfic. I have found a model for her that I think much more useful: for those of you who watch Desperate Housewives, I’m thinking more in the direction of a witch version of Bree Van de Kamp – beautiful and sexy, but in a dignified, expensive, classy sort of way, and a devoted wife and mother, with all the positive and negative traits of someone who is socially and financially privileged. I don’t think Narcissa is as sharp-tongued as Bree, and I’m certainly not going to copy her or anything – it’s just the type that strikes me as right. Any relation with Snape has to be seen in its light as well. I picture her as his dream woman, in an intangible, ideal sort of way.
Narcissa equals perfect breeding. She doesn’t wear showy things and doesn’t need to draw attention to her bosom in order to be beautiful and remarkable. I tried out a simple dress with a square collar; I’ll have to think about the witch version of Chanel ;).
Oh, and I remembered Harry's observation in GoF that Narcissa looked as if she smelled something unpleasant - that's what the mouth is all about.
Another picture I have long wanted to do is of Pansy Parkinson – a full-length portrait vaguely inspired by Whistler’s Miss Cecily Alexander. I have done several sketches, but none ever looked right. Yesterday I finally drew one that seems to be going in the right direction; I hope I’ll get there in the end.
Below is a close-up of Pansy’s profile as I want it in the portrait, and another Narcissa – I like her! :)
Edit: I just took the Leaky Cauldron quiz - boy, do I really *want* to know the answers to those questions?! Anyway, this is what I got:
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
LOVELY!
Date: Monday, 17 April 2006 04:13 pm (UTC)Narcissa - she's perfectly poised and simply elegant. Her eyes are lovely, and I like her mouth and hair as well. Oh, and the pointy chin! I agree with your observation of Narcissa, she would wear understated clothing that would enhance her beauty. (In my fic, Pure & Proud, I have Pansy saying something along these lines.)
Pansy - lady-like and snooty, perfect! I love her feminine skirt and her stance. She's wearing pearls, which are very appropriate. (Hmmm...I haven't worn my in a very long time. They somehow make you feel beautiful.)
Anyway, thanks for sharing them! I hope you will continue to draw Pansy and Narcissa. I'd love to see more.
Re: LOVELY!
Date: Monday, 17 April 2006 04:55 pm (UTC)Re: LOVELY!
Date: Tuesday, 18 April 2006 09:07 am (UTC)Re: LOVELY!
Date: Tuesday, 18 April 2006 09:06 am (UTC)The shape of Narcissa's chin took some reworking, as did the cheekbones; I couldn't get the right 'feel' immediately, and in drawings that are no more than a few clean lines, these things are important.
I hope to finish the Pansy drawing; I've wanted to do it for a long time and should like it to be something nice. But it's trickier than it looks, so it may take time to get it right. As for Narcissa, she's my new favourite (though not dethroning Snape, of course), so I do think there will be more of her.
no subject
Date: Monday, 17 April 2006 06:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Tuesday, 18 April 2006 09:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, 17 April 2006 06:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Tuesday, 18 April 2006 09:09 am (UTC)Thank you!
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Date: Monday, 17 April 2006 07:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Tuesday, 18 April 2006 09:10 am (UTC)I'm a bit worried about getting Pansy's dress to look 'light' in the final drawing though.
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Date: Monday, 17 April 2006 09:32 pm (UTC)You've captured the beauty and slight cold distance of Narcissa here wonderfully. These are exquisite drawings. I don't get that sense of 'something smelling bad under her nose' though. I totally agree that Narcissa would not feel the need to put herself on display - so vulgar.
I had a look at the Whistler:
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3DMiss%2BCecily%2BAlexander%2Bwhistler%26sm%3DYahoo%2521%2BSearch%26fr%3DFP-tab-img-t%26toggle%3D1%26cop%3D%26ei%3DUTF-8&w=240&h=436&imgurl=www.marcelproust.it%2Fimagp%2Fwhistler.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marcelproust.it%2Fproust%2Fwhistler_2.htm&size=36.1kB&name=whistler.jpg&p=Miss+Cecily+Alexander+whistler&type=jpeg&no=1&tt=1&ei=UTF-8
I can see how you saw Pansy in her.
How did you get so low in the Potter IQ? I like the Makani illustration, even if Harry looks very old in it. *goes off to try the difficult quiz*
I am dreadful
Date: Monday, 17 April 2006 10:54 pm (UTC)I was a dreadful Ron! That was such a hard quiz, and it didn't read some of the right answers I got as well (not that there were many anyway). Cute pictures.
Re: I am dreadful
Date: Tuesday, 18 April 2006 09:23 am (UTC)Makani does funny noses :).
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Date: Tuesday, 18 April 2006 09:19 am (UTC)I'm beginning to doubt whether Narcissa will look good when inked. The soft pencil texture suits her better, I think; Pansy could do with ink though. She seems harder.
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Date: Wednesday, 19 April 2006 02:23 pm (UTC)Oops - just noticed sylvana suggested this too. Well, it must be a good idea then.
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Date: Tuesday, 18 April 2006 02:06 am (UTC)Thanks for sharing :)
When I get some time I should take that HP Quizz :D
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Date: Tuesday, 18 April 2006 09:25 am (UTC)Let me know how you fare with the quiz. It's horribly difficult!
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Date: Tuesday, 18 April 2006 04:14 am (UTC)I've read a couple of Snape/Narcissa stories but none that really struck me as being "right." There is a lot of potential there if one is careful.
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Date: Tuesday, 18 April 2006 09:31 am (UTC)I have every intention of being veeeeery careful about Snape/Narcissa :D...
Death Eaters love their children, too
Date: Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:43 pm (UTC)Bellatrix: fanatical war woman. Like: come back with your shield or on it.
Throwing a tantrum now: Pansy is blonde. Blonde. Blonde. BLONDE!!!
(cough, sorry, had to get that out. I know, I know, the movies...)
Oh, an in that silly quiz I scored 145, got a Percy. I'm not impressed, that's the type of stuff you look up when you need it. You memorize the important stuff, interactions, relatives, connections, politics, deception and such. Not that i did too well on the WOMBAT, mind, I scraped a meager Acceptable.
Oh-- not to forget: a gorgeous, gorgeous Narcissa. She grew on me a lot, too. Especially since I became aware as to how her motherly love is indeed mentioned as early as book 1 with the sweets and all that. That's why that scene is so convincing, IMO. I think a very light water colouring would go well with her. And I wholeheartedly agree on her not dressing provocatively. If you look at the way the real rich and powerful dress (and not some actors or wannabe celebs) -- those are usually very classy, expensive in cut and fabric but not too revealing. Which makes it a lot more exciting and interesting.
Re: Death Eaters love their children, too
Date: Wednesday, 19 April 2006 02:42 pm (UTC)Well, since you are a Percy among HP fans, I wouldn't dare to contradict you on facts, but I'd really like to know where in canon it says so. Just curiosity, because I missed it completely. And I'm annoyed, because I don't want my characters to appear as if they were based on the films rather than the books.
Throwing a tantrum too: it's the marvellous and handsome STING, not Billy Joel who sings about Russians loving their children too, and the song has a delightful Prokofiev theme in it.
(I had to prove that I know something, you will understand ;P...)
Glad you like my Cissy! :)
Re: Death Eaters love their children, too
Date: Wednesday, 19 April 2006 04:14 pm (UTC)Sting! I knew that Billy Joel didn't sound quite right. At least your rant is justified...
mumble... Pansy... blonde... books... grmbl...
Re: Death Eaters love their children, too
Date: Thursday, 20 April 2006 10:23 am (UTC)While I found a few sites, where Pansy is described as blonde (without reference); I can't find it anywhere in canon or on the website, or on the lexicon, or in the quotes. That bugs me. I was so certain she is blonde... Where did this come from? I hate this, LOL. Maybe I should give you 20 of my points?
Re: Death Eaters love their children, too
Date: Thursday, 20 April 2006 10:24 am (UTC)Re: Death Eaters love their children, too
Date: Thursday, 20 April 2006 11:56 am (UTC)I made the icons myself, having browsed the Net for some of my favourite artists. I have more of them too; maybe I should post them and let people take their pick. But they're really very simple so I didn't think anyone would be interested.
Re: Death Eaters love their children, too
Date: Thursday, 20 April 2006 12:27 pm (UTC)We can take this to mail if you want help with the layout. I want to ask you a favour anyway. :-)
Re: Death Eaters love their children, too
Date: Thursday, 20 April 2006 12:37 pm (UTC)Re: Death Eaters love their children, too
Date: Thursday, 20 April 2006 02:11 pm (UTC)I feel like such an idiot - I don't know half the options of even the free accounts, let alone that I should be able to customise a paid account the way I want it :/.
Re: Death Eaters love their children, too
Date: Thursday, 20 April 2006 11:57 am (UTC)Re: Death Eaters love their children, too
Date: Thursday, 20 April 2006 12:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Tuesday, 18 April 2006 01:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, 20 April 2006 11:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, 20 April 2006 03:35 pm (UTC)(and I got a D for Dreadful in that test >< )