A lil’ piece from my exam! 3rd year at TAW done, only 1 more to go!
The goal was to pitch a Young Adults comics franchise so besides this there was a ton of text with the plot, character descriptions, themes, etc. It has parallel worlds, a quirky neighbor and M U R D E R
Head empty, only Charmed Life thoughts when I sketch. Some Janet and Gwendolen sketches.
Gwendolen and Janet are such interesting characters. At first, I thought Janet was supposed to come off as “not like other girls” but it’s just that she’s so overwhelmed by trying to pass for Gwendolen and absorb the facts of an alternate universe (e.g., says she doesn’t know where Atlantis is in geography class, “How was I supposed to know it’s what people in my world call America??”). So we don’t get to see much of Janet’s personality except her problem-solving skills, because that’s chiefly what has her attention. She’s really grounded and practical! And that’s also how Gwendolen is, except Gwendolen is in her element and can come up with some pretty ambitious plans with more confidence.
I wonder what Janet and the alternate Gwendolens would have been like if they had had their own versions of Eric.
I’ll let you all decide which is Janet and which is Gwendolen. It seems more fun to make them hard to distinguish.
OKay I’m finally doing my chrestomanci read through and starting with Lives of:
- Tacroys type being girls who play the harp is so funny to me ajsjdsjfdnasjdnsafas also him and Miss Rosalie deserve all the happiness!!!
- I rly like the fact that Chris gets called out on being an asshole to ppl but also that he actively does become better and you can tell even if he’s still a dumb idiot
- Its the bit where
tacroy; oh yeah this sea captain found me when i was a baby i have no clue who my parents are Christopher: is that why you’re always so cheerful!
on one hand JNDKSJANKFJN on the other </3 chris has no world awareness. kid thinks he’s going to be a missionary. clearly all parents are like his
- okay but the bit where his mama visits him near the end when everything is Really going to shit is so </3 because Yeah his parents care about him but not enough and also neither of them really know him!!
- the fact that christopher sees people who treat him like a person instead of a child and immediately gets emotionally attached is so funny please but also Mood
- also like? chris isn’t the sort of person who’s Going to see his parents much after the books finish especially as they’re in Japan now???? It feels so weird
- also the vague look beginnings omg
- chris is simultaneously incredibly op and yet also a dumbass child
- okay reading lives of and then the rest of the series is so nice because you see chrestomanci as a person and not just a really confusing adult and we love that
- im so Sad about the mermaids thing like he Specifically notices their absence because they were important to him and I don’t think chris is ever gonna eat fish again!
- millie <3
I have more I might add to this at some point but brain dead
Well three of you asked for Chrestomanci art (haha)
So here’s the first batch? Just some adult Christopher putting on gloves and making fun of someone. Also young Christopher at no particular moment in the story? Just after he’s died in a dream or something.
From The Chronicles of Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones
I have a really bad habit of starting things with the intention of selling them and then keeping them once I’m finished… Cat is an example of one of those instances. He was originally intended to be a sample dolly (much like PennyandGloria), but then I realized after I had given him blue eyes and blonde hair that he could easily be Cat Chant from The Chronicles of Chrestomanci. And so, instead of making the more modern-looking outfit as I had originally intended, I put him in shorts and a vest and changed colors on his legs so he looks like he’s wearing white knee-socks.
When I made the Christopher Chant doll (pictured above), I followed a rather detailed description of his appearance from Witch Week. I couldn’t remember reading a really detailed descriptive paragraph describing Cat’s appearance, aside from a few sentences describing both Cat and his sister, Gwendolen, in the first chapter of Charmed Life:
“They were both fair and pale, with blue eyes, and looked good in black. Gwendolen was very pretty, and tall for her age. Cat was small for his age.”
—Diana Wynne Jones, from Charmed Life
Seeing as how this was right after Cat’s parents died, however, I figured that the only reason he was described as wearing black was because of the funeral, so I didn’t want to make his clothing all black. Instead, I made his outfit sort of based on the cover of my copy of The Pinhoe Egg (which can be seen here) as well as the image I always get of Cat whenever I read one of the Chrestomanci books. This was actually the first time I had ever made pants for a doll that were not attached to the legs, but I would say that his shorts turned out quite well!
Features: Removable vest and tie.
Cat and Christopher belong to Diana Wynne Jones!
Doll made by RED of Designed by RED in June of 2013!
i’ve been reading diana wynne jones’ chrestomanci series out of order because of lack of availability at my library and the pinhoe egg is the first book i’ve read with cat in it and it’s taken me like 60 pages to be 100% positive that cat is in fact not a cat but a person
Since it’s taking me forever to start a proper Review, I’ll just write down reasons why I liked the book with long explanations why. I promised myself I would be more bookish this year, and somehow I did manage to finish Charmed Life and Lives of Christopher Chant on January! I brought the Volume 1 of the Chrestomanci series that had both stories in them! On to the list then!
Why I liked Charmed Life
- The narration was witty, engaging and as magical as the characters.
- I loved how they live in an obviously different world from ours, but DWJ refrains from making grand explanations why this particular world is so. She never goes out of the way and let’s the story breathe and come to life on its own, in a natural way.
- Cat Chant’s character is interesting. The narration gives enough of Cat’s perspective for us to know that he’s a “clinger”, he doesn’t think he can handle it being left alone without his sister and is quite a fearful character. I found it kind of endearing and interesting because at the start he’s sort of fumbling about, like you could imagine big scared little eyes (which I could right now thanks to a fanart of him I remember seeing. I might reblog it here).
I love that he underwent a change not because of knowing he was to be Chrestomanci really, but because that thing he had been clinging on had left him and some issues came about and he was forced due to circumstances to deal with it. I noticed that this time the tables have turned and from his fumbling about he seemed to have learned the ways in the Castle and learned to adapt to situations, thinking quickly when necessary.
It brings the fact that because Cat’s character is this way, he’s not only relate-able but you sympathize with him. I read Charmed Life when I was undergoing an internship in a city a couple of hours ride away from home, and I guess Cat’s ability to learn from routine and adapt to what he’d learned is reminding me now about what I had undergone myself.
- I love how I don’t love Gwendolen…but I like her character! I know this is funny, but I love the fact that someone was able to make a character I seriously found annoying. She was so full of herself at some extent, I guess it’s why I like her. She’s different and so caught up in her own pride and selfishness that her personality had depth even though it’s somehow plain simple that she’s just wicked.
-I LOVE CHRESTOMANCI. Ugh! SERIOUSLY! THAT MAN! Halfway into finishing the book I’ve convinced myself I wanted to marry Chrestomanci (probably in the same way DWJ described some girls wanted to Marry Howl Pendragon). I’ve read Conrad’s Fate before this since it was the first Chrestomanci book that I’ve brought and caught my interest. I already liked Christopher subtle sassy personality and because of Conrad’s Fate I did research and found out more about this series. I love how he turned out and the feeling that you could say “CHRESTOMANCI” and he comes. I was freaking out stupidly (since I knew it doesn’t end bad anyway) at the drama at the near end of the book.
- This reason is why I LOVE DWJ’s books (the ones I’ve read so far) - THE PLOTS ARE ALWAYS PURE GENIUS! You just go ahead reading her book and it always seems to drag on the whole process of a life, like the actual living part, and would seem like you’re just walking leisurely through when BAM! Here’s where the story is rising in action and you start realizing that that thing mentioned before is connected to something in a larger scale, and that random supposedly boring side character is actually gonna be some help. Everything fits in that breathtaking way that reminds me of life. Y’know? Everything just falls into place somehow and then it all makes sense.
The ending was simple and yet there was that calm to it, like all is well and you may go on with your day as if that didn’t just totally whacked you in the face with Epic-ness.
I’m getting ahead of myself now, thinking about Lives of Christopher Chant and how DWJ has the ability to make everything seem calm and routine for the character and you, but then she throws in circumstance after circumstance and the character grows as the plot thickens. But that’s for another entry.
OKAY so Millie wears one of Christopher’s lives on her hand.
So, headcanon time: it’s slightly warm - not in a sweaty, warm metal sort of way, but rather a drier, comforting sort of warm.
And Millie would know if Christopher ever died because the ring would suddenly grow very cool as Christopher’s final life caught hold, leaving the ring.
Cosimo Chant: It’s not going to be a very satisfying fight, because odds are good that he’s not even going to notice that there’s a fight going on, but sure, fight Cosimo. What’s he going to do, write a strongly-worded note?
Ralph Argent: YES. FIGHT RALPH ARGENT. If you have an angry magical cat, even better. Hours of entertainment!
Gabriel DeWitt: Okay, I can totally see why you’d want to, but stop and consider: a) He’s a frail old man, so win or lose it’s going to look bad for you. b) He is a nine-lifed enchanter. c) He’s got an extremely loyal and competent staff. Really, you’re better off just walking away from this one. (Also Gabriel would like to point out that it’s whom you should fight in and around Chrestomanci Castle.)
Mordecai Roberts: You are not fighting Mordecai Roberts. Mordecai Roberts was never even here. While you thought you were fighting Mordecai Roberts, he was off betraying you to his evil other-dimensional overlords, but to be fair he didn’t really have a choice and he feels super bad about it.
Flavian Temple: YOU MONSTER.
Miss Rosalie: Maybe you could take her? I give you a 50-50 chance. The bigger problem is that picking a fight with Rosalie is the surest way to get into a fight with Gabriel, because she’s the one who knows when all his appointments are. Why don’t you play a friendly game of cricket instead?
Christopher Chant: Cons: Extremely powerful enchanter. Still has a couple of spare lives, so even if you kill him, he’ll just be back. Has the legal authority to strip you of whatever magic powers you might have, and in extreme cases destroy your entire universe. Pros: Look at his smug face. You know you want to punch it. Go on, punch it.
Millie: Why would you want to fight this utter sweetheart? Also, be aware that if you do she will kick your ass so hard that your counterparts in nine different worlds will feel it.
Julia Chant: Your best option here is honestly to lose quickly and hope that Julia is gracious in victory. If you manage to win, you will regret it. She will not forget, she will not forgive, she will find a thousand little ways to make every hour a living hell. Don’t even start with Julia.
Roger Chant: As long as you aren’t messing with his current project or getting between him and a meal, Roger probably can’t be arsed to put up much of a fight. Go on and fight him, just make sure you don’t piss off his sister while you do.
Gwendolen Chant: The only drawback I’m seeing here is that you’re going to have to wait in line. It is a long line. I hope you brought a snack.
Janet Chant: She doesn’t have any magic, and her most notable talents are figuring things out, turning a phrase, and looking pretty. You could take her, but you’re a jerk.
Cat Chant: See Millie, but like times ten. Do you want to be locked away in a pocket dimension forever? Do you want to be turned into a tree so hard that even Christopher can’t turn you back? These are among the things that could happen if you manage to make Cat angry. Do not touch Cat’s horse. Do not touch Cat’s griffin. DO NOT FIGHT CAT.
Joe Pinhoe: Joe does not give two shits about anything, except maybe Marianne, and that’s a maybe. Joe fights dirty. Do not fight Joe.
Marianne Pinhoe: So remember what I said about fighting Joe? Marianne has been fighting Joe since she could crawl, not to mention her dozen boy cousins. You think you can handle Marianne? Please.
Klartch: HE’S A 300-KILO GRIFFIN ARE YOU ACTUALLY STUPID.
Based off an ask of andthensomelion’s who recommended a whale in a Chrestomanci dressing gown which I morphed into Chrestomanci in a whale in a Chrestomanci dressing gown dressing gown which erupted into Chrestomanci giving Millie a Chrestomanci in a Whale in a Chrestomanci dressing gown dressing gown dressing gown. I spent a day and a half on this. My life is in shambles.
I’ve been reading the Chrestomanci books by Diane Wynne Jones and I’ve just read Charmed Life,The Lives of Christopher Chant andThe Pinhoe Egg.
So have some digital and sketchbook doodles! At top Cat things from Charmed Life (also featuring VerySerious!Chrestomanci!Christopher) and then a bunch of doodles from Lives of Christopher Chant. Just Christopher and one Millie.
I want to draw some stuff from Pinhoe Egg, like Marianne and Cat in the attic but I’m so busy ;_;
Drew this a while ago. I imagine that when Chrestomanci starts to take Cat on jobs (when he’s a little older) he gets really frustrated about how Cat dresses. Cat’s super down to earth so I can’t imagine him wearing anything fancier than a button-down shirt of his own accord (as a result Tonino gets all the clothing Chrestomanci forces onto him).
charles refers to his weird half-remembered dreams of the old world as chocolate mousse in his journal because they are equally rare and insubstantial
nirupam and estelle date for a week a few months after halloween because everyone seems to expect them to, which leads to them coming out as gay/bi respectively in a coffee shop after staring at each other in silence for 5 minutes because neither of them are romantically attracted to each other at all
nan’s story about a world where guy fawkes actually did something wins an award for a historical fantasy writing contest. this starts off her successful writing career
dan and brian almost get expelled for filling the school swimming pool with shoes on april fool’s day
charles realizes that he likes nirupam romantically when he’s 16. he freaks out very quietly and doesn’t tell anyone until nan asks him if he thinks that she has any chance with estelle. they start meeting up frequently to discuss their hopeless crushes, which makes everyone think they’re dating which makes estelle and nirupam confused and jealous
charles and nirupam start dating after dan makes yet another joke about charles being gay and he finally gets sick of it and tells him, “demisexual and homoromantic, actually” and nirupam finally gets up the courage to ask him out
nan and estelle start dating after estelle realizes that nan only writes romantic poems about girls and so she kisses her
estelle becomes a riding instructor
charles starts a charity to help neurodivergent kids with magical abilities because he knows how hard it is to grow up like that and have no one to help you
theresa is a very successful plastic surgeon
nan buys a very pretty silk dress, this time in a color that suits her
nirupam and charles adopt two kids
charles, nan, nirupam, and estelle still always gets together on guy fawkes night for a bonfire every year
Chrestomanci was coming up the marble staircase in a wide, flowing dressing gown that was partly orange and partly bright pink. He looked like the Emperor of Peru.
Hey so, haven’t posted in a while. I wasn’t able to draw much recently for various reasons.
I’m trying to ease myself back in now by colouring this thing. Also, using a different colouring method to my usual. I’m really liking it, it feels a bit more organic and reminds me of how I used to work with markers.
