Under the (Pre-Raphelite) Influence

This painting on tin plates by Burne-Jones, Morris, and Faulkner is technically sequential art. The Pre-Raphelite brotherhood was all about reigniting interest in the older (and in some cases forgotten) romantic stories. One thing that I've noticed about several other artists of this movement--Rossetti, for one--is their use of patterns as backgrounds or design elements. Though not a common practice in today's sequential art, it can be a useful tool to create interest in the gutters (the space between the panels). It can also be an interesting addition to a piece that has some sort of tie to medieval art, which was what the Pre-Raphelites loved to do.

In this detail of my work-in-progress, I decided to give it a shot. While the story is ultimately not one connected to medieval art, it's more of an ode to the Pre-Raphelite movement. The piece also has Celtic roots, so I figured that a Celtic knot might be appropriate. Though, a fair warning to artists that might try to do Celtic knots in their work: it's time consuming and very difficult to wrap your head around!...though I suppose that's the point.