We are thrilled to present this interview with fantasy artist extraordinaire Ciruelo about the Inheritance Cycle and the creation process of The Official Eragon Coloring Book! Set to release May 2nd, 2017, it features over forty original drawings by Ciruelo. Christopher and the artist closely collaborated to bring Alagaësia and its residents to life in the pages of this unique coloring book.
Based in Sitges, Spain, Ciruelo has illustrated works for the likes of George Lucas, Wizards of the Coast, Ballantine, Tor, and many others. He also contributed two drawings to the Collectors Edition of Eragon! Check out the Q&A below and don’t forget to preorder your own copy of The Official Eragon Coloring Book!
What was your reaction when you found out that you would be creating the artwork for The Official Eragon Coloring Book?
I was very excited since I really love the whole Eragon universe. The long
time friendship with Christopher gave us the opportunity to have discussed a lot about dragons and fantasy, and I certainly enjoy creating art related to his inspired writings. I have depicted Saphira in many occasions and have already created a good relationship with her. Also, I knew that the exposure of such a book was going to be huge due to the success of Christopher’s saga, and that’s always tempting.
Of the drawings you did for the coloring book, which one is your personal favorite?
I think I like Saphira and Eragon Swimming the best. It’s a relaxing moment in the story and I like the scene I depicted because they are just hitting the lake surface and that makes the drawing very dynamic. Or perhaps it’s because I already imagined the whole picture in vibrant colors.
What was the most challenging image to draw for the coloring book?
I think it was Roran Wrestling the Urgal since it was hard to find the right angle to show them properly. In this case I did several drawings to have them check by Christopher until I came up with the right one. In fact, Christopher was very picky with the sketches I was sending him, not only because he knew all the details concerning characters and settings of the story but it was due to his expert artistic perception since he is an artist himself. But this, far from burdening me, it helped me to get a higher quality on the drawings.
What do you resonate with most in the Inheritance Cycle and how did you bring that to your drawings for The Official Eragon Coloring Book?
The thing I like the most in the whole story is Magic and the way it surrounds every situation, character and place. Of course I love the Inheritance Cycle because of Dragons too, as they are the main subject matter in my paintings.
Which Inheritance Cycle character would you like to be, if you lived in Alagaësia?
I would love to be the wise and ancient elf Oromis, master of the dragon
riders.
