Gwelf: The Survival Guide: 1 (Gwelf, 1)

Product Information

Two of my favorite features in any book are maps and endpapers. This book has both. And man did they deliver! The maps are like nothing you’ve ever seen before, if I may venture a guess. If you find yourself in Gwelf may I suggest you stay away from the section titled “Here Be Ugly Nasty Things”.

The perspective of a potential tourist is a lovely way to share these ideas and histories without being overwhelming. I loved the fact that the entire book is "in character". It really feels like this book really was published by the Gwelf Council for Tourism. I suppose its fiction. But in this world, it could be true. Who knows. I’d believe anything at this point in our existence. I found a brilliant quote within: “There is wisdom in all knowledge”. I love this! I mean I don’t think knowledge is found in most television today but otherwise I agree with it! If you had to recommend only one art book (a comic book, graphic novel, children book, ‘‘how to’’ book) to a fellow artist, what would it be and why?From the initial client idea to the final work: What goes through your mind and what is the method you use when starting a project? Could you describe it? In your own experience, what would you suggest to someone who is inspired by your work and wants to follows your footsteps:should they work in one consistent style, or work on many different ones? At the moment I’m working on the second Gwelf book. We’re just getting started so there is a long way to go and I’m looking forward to every minute of it. We are going to be in a different part of the Gwelf world so all the environments and many of the characters will be new. There is a lot of designing and drawing to do to prepare the new world. Then it all has to be painted, not to mention the writing and editing.

Small's favourite night-time story book is about the mischievous Gwelf, who sneaks in gardens and eats turnip sandwiches. One evening they hear a whomp, whomp, whomp outside and Small is convinced it is the Gwelf even though Big assures him that the Gwelf doesn't exist. He is only in stories. WOW! This book is just gushing with creativity. I'm really just blown away at not only the content in the book but also the build quality of the whole presentation. Artists, voyeurs, and free spirits are welcome additions in Gwelf, filling our pubs with new faces and stories over homebrewed elderflower ale or becoming a tea afficionado at the Rose and Nettle. Indeed, a free spirit could easily roam the city and surrounding farmlands peddling their artistic skill—be it in poetry, woodcraft, or even philosophy—in exchange for tea, lodging, and good company. More formal tourists will likely seek out a guide as soon as they cross the Grande River, preferring a safer, more catered overview of the civilized areas of Gwelf. If this is your path, be sure to book a visit to the Sparrow Archives, witness an exorcism, and have your guide take you to the Witch Market on Smoke Island at dusk.Larry MacDougall has done that thing—created a fantasy world that is completely believable, super charming, and more than a little bit dangerous. I love it so much. I want to wander around in it but wouldn't want to get caught alone in it after dark. CDChallenge F.A.Q. Membership Challenge Rules Rewards & Prizes Critique Videos Theme of the Month Past Themes Small is a big fanatic of the Gwelf; he reads books about him all the time based off of real life events. Many people are not certain at all of the Gwelf's existence, a notable example of this is Big, who prefers to believe that the Gwelf is only a piece of fiction and not a real being. The Gwelf does not like it at all when others deny his existence. What is a typical day for you, and who are the people you work, collaborate, or share your creative time with? I was born and raised in Ontario Canada. We lived near the woods as do most people in Canada and I spent a great deal of time there as a kid. We hiked and goofed around out there and in the process, I developed a love of nature. Like most kids, I started drawing at a very young age and then just never stopped. For me then, it was just another way to play and I always had fun with it. So when it came time to decide what college or university I was going to go to I chose art school. There was really no other choice for me. I wasn’t interested in anything else… a college nearby offered animation and it looked like fun so I chose that.

The members of the Gwelf Council for Tourism and Trade proudly present the first guide to Gwelf ever formally published and distributed to the Southlands. We have taken it upon ourselves to create what we call a “Survival Guide” in the hope that it will encourage both tourists and adventurers to experience and explore our wonderous realm and learn what we have known for years: that Gwelf is an awe-inspiring land steeped in magic and beauty. By publishing your document, the content will be optimally indexed by Google via AI and sorted into the right category for over 500 million ePaper readers on YUMPU. Delightful read. If you love world-building and fantasy, it’s a must-read. Gwelf is a full, thought out world.The artwork is fantastic throughout, has big Wind in the Willows vibes. Written as a travel/destination guide including many of the shops and locations throughout Gwelf. My biggest issue was with the text being quite repetitive in the first half of the book, constantly reminding the reader of magical candles, sigils, talismans, amulets, restaurants and inns; it felt a little much considering it was mentioned in just about every section multiple times. The interesting parts came in the latter half of the book where some of the old historical battles were discussed, some more of the haunted places, and enemies in the far reaches of the Scrublands. The guidebook goes on to tell you about all of Gwelf’s inhabitants. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. There are no humans. The animals are anthropomorphized. With the exception of beasts of burden such as ponies. They are the regular run of the mill four legged creatures. Finally, where can we see your art online and get in touch with you? How can we buy your creations and support your work? Alas I am currently a stay-at-home cat mom/former Accountant. So no books. But please feel free to continue reading my review at no charge. The artwork is all suitable for framing. Stunning. Amazing artwork. But none of us would take apart a book. We don’t treat our books like that.

Artworks Artist of the Week Art of Animation Winners of the Challenge Challengers Spotlight Best of the Month Larry MacDougall entered the commercial art world approximately thirty years ago and has been very busy ever since. He began working for gaming publishers, contributing work to many projects in the Dungeons and Dragons, fantasy tabletop role playing vein. Larry was content with this work for many years but gradually the games began to take on a violent and darker tone. This is when he decided to leave the gaming world and cross over to children’s publishing where he illustrated many books for publishers both in Canada and abroad. For the last fifteen years, Larry has been working as an animation designer, book illustrator, environment and character designer for games, and fine artist making personal art for private clients. He has also been dreaming up the world of Gwelf. Visual Library About the Library Library Directory Character Anatomy Boards Character Design Boards Have you always been supported in your artistic path or has it been challenging to let your family and friends understand your choice?

We have a soft spot for hand-drawn animation, what is your opinion about the future of this art form? Yes, I do have a new book coming out and I could not be more proud of it. I started to think about doing Gwelf a few years ago when it became obvious to me that I needed my own project. I have been in the fantasy art business for thirty years now and I’ve not yet told my own story. I’ve spent decades telling everyone else’s story but not yet mine. So essentially what I came up with was a combination of some of my favourite books and concepts and put them into something that is hopefully, at least slightly original, and if not original then totally fun. I’m crossing Lord of the Rings with The Wind in the Willows and The Walking Dead and also throwing in some of my own 70’s based psychedelic references. It’s been a blast to draw so far and we’re just getting started.