New Literary Portraits, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Franz Kafka and H.P Lovecraft

Wow, time sure has flown by. It's time to rip off my band aid of procrastination and get writing again. So sorry, it has been so long.

In the last 6 months, I have been finishing up a book project and working on a bunch of new portraits. In case you missed them in the shop, here are a few of my favorites.  I hope you like them!

F. Scott Fitzgerald!





F. Scott Fitzgerald is best known for works the "Great Gatsby", The Beautiful and Damned" "Tender is the Night" and "This Side of Paradise" as well as many short stories. As a reader, Fitzgerald opened my eyes to the incredible hidden world of the 1920's. He will always be an inspiration to me and I am so happy to paint his portrait.

He is available here in the shop!

Next up Franz Kafka!

Kafka is another favorite writer. He brings out the goth in me. Kafka is most know for his stories, "The Trial", "The Metamorphosis" and "The Castle". Kafka is regarded by critics as one of the most influential writers in the 20th Century and he is beloved around the world.

I drew him here with a homage to the Dung Beetle wrapped around his neck.







 He is available here in the shop!

Last but not least, Say hello to the incredible and strange H.P. Lovecraft!

Lovecraft is such a inspiration to me, although I came to know him later in my literary life. I love the way this mind works, digging deeply into the psychology and heart of reader. His life was full of tragedy which influenced the way the wrote. Although he became most known after his death, I couldn't imagine the world of horror with out him.  Below is my illustrated ode:





Isn't his little Cthulhu cute? You can find them both in my shop here!

Now that I am officially blogging again, I promise not to take so much time between post!

Thanks for reading!











My Illustrated Ode to Arthur Rimbaud

Here's my latest Literary Portrait.

Rimbaud has always been one of my favorite poets, he was a true, Enfant Terrible.  The I was so excited to create a portrait of him with all his teenage angst. He was truly a wild one! Sadly, he did all of his incredible writing between between the age of 17 and 20, after that he seemed to fall of the face of the earth. He traveled extensively throughout the world, working at very non-writing jobs such as an accountant, mason and coffee exporter.  Rimbaud abandoned his life of the libertine,  never recording any of his any dark dreams or surreal verses again.

He remains one of my literary heroes...

I hope you all enjoy my portrait of him. 

Rimaud as a sketch

“I turned silences and nights into words. What was unutterable, I wrote down. I made the whirling world stand still.”
― Arthur Rimbaud, A Season in Hell/The Drunken Boat  


Debra Styer, Arthur Rimbaud Soleil et chair ("Sun and Flesh"), 2015




“A poet makes himself a visionary through a long, boundless, and systematized disorganization of all the senses. All forms of love, of suffering, of madness; he searches himself, he exhausts within himself all poisons, and preserves their quintessences. Unspeakable torment, where he will need the greatest faith, a superhuman strength, where he becomes all men the great invalid, the great criminal, the great accursed--and the Supreme Scientist! For he attains the unknown! Because he has cultivated his soul, already rich, more than anyone! He attains the unknown, and if, demented, he finally loses the understanding of his visions, he will at least have seen them! So what if he is destroyed in his ecstatic flight through things unheard of, unnameable: other horrible workers will come; they will begin at the horizons where the first one has fallen!”
― Arthur Rimbaud

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Arthur Rimbaud, age 17.
“By being too sensitive I have wasted my life.”
― Arthur Rimbaud

If you would like to learn more about Rimbaud, I highly recommend the book, "Time of the Assassins, A Study of Rimbaud" by Henry Miller. It is one of my all time favorite books. 

So here's to the young rebel in all of us....and here's to Arthur Rimbaud. 

A limited edition print of my original watercolor painting of Rimbaud is now available in here my etsy shop! 

p.s. Who should I paint next? Who is your favorite writer?
 

Victorian Goth Love...The Brothers Grimm and Bram Stoker

Here are my latest illustrations for my Writers Portraits series. This series is a ode to my literary heroes of the (mostly) Victorian Era. These authors help us all celebrate our inner goth hearts and souls.

First off,  say a hearty hello to the Brothers Grimm!

The Brothers Grimm brought German and Eastern European folk tales to the world. Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm dedicated their lives to researching and rewriting some of the most macabre and spooky tales the world has ever known. Without their hard work, I wonder what kinds of stories we would be telling around the campfire and scaring our kids to death.

Debra Styer, A Moonlit Tale of Grimm, 2015

Grimm Sketch...Wilhelm on the left, Jacob on the right

Brother Grimm Print
Look into their eyes...Closeup


The next portrait is of the incredible Irish novelist, Bram Stoker. Stoker, of course, is best known for being the creator of Dracula. Like the Grimm Brothers, Bram had a love of German folklore. Count Dracula is one of the most wicked yet loved literary characters of all time. Could you imagine a world without Vampires? Thank you for all the nightmares,  Mr. Stoker.

Debra Styer, Bram Stoker and the Vampire's Kiss,  2015




Bram Stoker Print

Bram Stoker Sketch
The original illustrations were hand painted in layers with watercolor and gouache over my graphite drawings.

The Brothers Grimm print and the Bram Stoker prints are now available in the shop.

Who should I paint next?

New Writers Portrait... William Shakespeare

Just a quick post to show off my latest writers portrait illustration, William Shakespeare! He was really fun to draw and it was great to break out of the Victorian era for a bit.


Debra Styer, Much Ado About Shakespeare, 2015


It is a special challenge to draw portraits of people before the invention of photography. All of the existing paintings of him done are so different. For reference, I used the younger Cobbe portrait from 1610,


and the more traditional Droeshout Portrait from 1622. I suppose I like the older version of Shakespeare myself. I think we all have a certain vision of writing legends in our minds. I hope I was able to capture a good creation of the Bard.


Of course, he is now available in the shop! Hope you like him!

New Writers Portrait Illustration: Miss Emily Bronte!

Here's my latest painting in my Writers Portrait series, the lovely Emily Bronte! She is best know for writing one the classics of English literature, the heartbreaking book, Wuthering Heights!

Debra Styer, Emily Bronte and her Wuthering Heights, 2014





When painting her, I imagined her standing amongst the windswept moors features at the center of her book. She is hand painted with watercolor and gouache on illustration board. It was pretty interesting to try to get a good likeness because all the portraits of Emily are different. But I feel that my painting managed to capture a good glimpse of her. What do you think?

In reality, Emily Bronte died young, at age 30, of tuberculosis, and sadly didn't have much a love life of her own (that we know about anyway). But she managed to created two of the most passionate, yet sad, characters ever created. Heathcliff and Catherine will remain one of the worlds most beloved romantic, and tortured, couples in literature.

You can find my Emily Bronte portrait in my shop!

Hope you like her! Who should I paint next?

New Writers Portrait Illustration: Lewis Carroll Portrait

Here is my latest portrait for my illustrated watercolor series, "The Writers Project". Say hello to Lewis Carroll, one of my all time favorite writers. I was always in love with his writing as a teenager and as I grew older, I found a deep love of his photography.
 “There is a place, like no place on earth. A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger. Some say, to survive it, you need to be as mad as a hatter. Which, luckily, I am.” 
Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll and the Cheshire Cat



Lewis Carroll byOscar Gustav Rejlander, 1863



Lewis is now available in the shop here.

In other news, I've started working at my husbands' sign shop part time. And I must admit, I think it will be really good for me. As a freelance illustrator, I spend a lot of time by working by myself. I think you really need to have the right personality be able do that well. I given my freelance illustration world  almost four years of my life trying to make it work, and I think it does to some point, but now I am ready to get back to working and being around people. I truly am a people person. I think I have learned enough to be able to balance my illustration career with my job.



Quick question...Is anyone else more successful at getting work done when they have less time to procrastinate?

So...here's to more work, excepting new challenges and finding a better balance in my life.

Introducing Virginia Woolf and Charles Dickens...My New Writers Portraits!

Here's my latest illustrations for my series, "The Writers Project". I'm having such an amazing time creating  these portraits. It gives me time to study the faces of my literary heroes. It is kind of like reconnecting with old friends.

Meet Charles...

Charles Dickens started my obsession with the Victorian Era . He showed me people and world I'd never new existed  and he did it with such compassion. Something that seems pretty rare these days. He grew up poor and spent his life trying to help those he could.

"A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to each other".
Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens in Blue by Debbie Styer 2013


Charles Dickens by Herbert Watkins, 1858


Charles is now available here in my shop!




And welcome Virginia...

Virginia Woolf has always been inspiration. Her courage and ability to speak the truth in her writing is both courageous and so sad. Virginia's writing paved a way for me find away of taking myself serious as a artist and a women. I'll always be thankful for her brilliant essay, "A Room of One's Own".
"For most of history, anonymous was a woman."
Virginia Woolf

The Sad Eyes of Virginia Woolf, by Debbie Styer 2013



This lovely Virginia Woolf print is also available in my shop.

I would love to do a bunch of these writers portraits. Who is your favorite writer? Maybe I'll paint them next...