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

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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. The Gwelf's most notable victim is a mean old farmer, known as Farmer Flubb. You see, one day, Farmer Flubb wanted to commit yet again other malefaction in the form of cutting down the treehouse of a squirrel. Unbeknownst to Flubb, the Gwelf was watching him! Flubb tried everything to get rid of the squirrel, but he could not, because his attention had been drawn to the Gwelf constantly. The Gwelf saved the squirrel by gluing Flubb's clothes to the roof of his own house. Subsequently, the Gwelf snatched his megaphone, and yelled, " YOU'VE BEEN GWELFED!". He then performed an abstruse ritual on top of Flubb's head. It is assumed by few that he might have been doing the Do the Wario dance. After that, news of the Gwelf had rised. He often became spotted regularly, though his whereabouts remained unknown. This event is known to this day as the "Farmer Flubb incident". 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.

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. 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. Survival is, of course, the critical term. Gwelf is little known in the Southlands and what is known is tainted by rumour and half-truth. Often described as haunted and perilous, we would like to assure tourist and adventurer alike that the Sparrows and other citizens of the territory have worked hard to create a haven of the riverbank and capital City of Gwelf. It is a place thrumming with activity, rich in culture, and a ready location for vacation, or launching point for voyage. What is a typical day for you, and who are the people you work, collaborate, or share your creative time with? Have you always been supported in your artistic path or has it been challenging to let your family and friends understand your choice?I suppose its fiction. But in this world, it could be true. Who knows. I’d believe anything at this point in our existence. 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. 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? The leaders of Gwelf are magical Sparrows. They however are not politicians. They are researchers and philosophers. Brilliant huh? Mayhap we can try that. No more career politicians, please. And the leaders also know all their constituents by name. hmmm.

As I said before the book is gorgeous thanks to the magnificent artwork but it is also wildly entertaining. It also has me longing for Elderflower Ale. 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. If you love fantasy, beautiful art, as well as detailed worldbuilding, Gwelf is the book for you. There is a lot to read and discover and while the book’s size would ordinarily be cumbersome, I think making it any smaller would lose a lot of detail in the images so I’m happy to have this big book!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. For me, the most fun part of the process is improvising. Painting into an area I have purposefully left vague and just letting the paint do what it does and see what happens. Make some marks and see what they look like, what they suggest to you. I compare it to looking at clouds and spotting fish or bird shapes in them. Some artists call it having a dialogue with your painting. You put something down, see what it looks like and the painting will tell you what to do next. What I love about this process is the potential for being surprised. If I can surprise myself then I know I’ve done something right. So conversely my least favourite part of the process is having to follow some kind of predetermined path to a predictable result. This will usually end badly for me. That is why I take very few commissions now. Delightful read. If you love world-building and fantasy, it’s a must-read. Gwelf is a full, thought out world. Twiba - Twimba - Twomba - Smoking Dig-It - Twibo - Twtll - Twtian - Twtian's Mates - Twibd - Tllwthnm - Twtnslfhm - Sir Twibbleton II - Timothy Twitletwable - Twiborius Twiblibbleson - Twimbley Twalobbletob - Twibarian McTwimbatoes

CDChallenge F.A.Q. Membership Challenge Rules Rewards & Prizes Critique Videos Theme of the Month Past Themes You have a new book coming up soon called ''Gwelf: The Survival Guide'', how did it come to be, and what can you tell us about it (without giving away too much)? 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. 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. 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.Tragically, there have been some that have stayed, but not by choice. We, the council, fear that this has cast a negative light on our beauteous realm. Rest assured that should you follow the precautions outlined in our guide, you will be quite safe, as it is the council’s intention to provide this book as a resource so that future mishaps might be avoided . . . The town has grown, as with many urban centres, out of necessity and not strategy. Our lovely Gwelf is unrefined in that it has grown organically over the decades since the rift between Sparrowkind and Ravenkind, owing much of its aesthetic and construction to the landscape on which it was built and to the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the Badger inhabitants here. The safety is overseen by the Sparrows and their Particle Magics, trust that, at least within the city limits, no harm should befall you. 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 perspective of a potential tourist is a lovely way to share these ideas and histories without being overwhelming. 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'want to get caught alone in it after dark."

Artworks Artist of the Week Art of Animation Winners of the Challenge Challengers Spotlight Best of the Month 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! The Gwelf also enjoys eating turnip sandwiches, and carrying around an instrument he identifies as his "megaphone". Visual Library About the Library Library Directory Character Anatomy Boards Character Design Boards