Community Spotlight is a regular feature which highlights amazing fan projects in the Remedy community. For 2018 we're switching things up a little with each month having its own spotlighted fan and fan project. For our March feature I'm excited to talk to Beavers-Lodge, a talented artist whose focus lately has been on the Alan Wake series.
Each morning I have a routine which consists of a cup of coffee and a look at the community activities which have taken place overnight or that I might have missed the previous day. This includes things like tweets, fan art, videos etc, and nothing makes a morning quite like finding newly uploaded fan art by talented contributors. Beavers-Lodge is exactly that; their paintings are simply stunning with bittersweet sketches and delightful watercolours which has stayed with me since I first saw them.
When it comes to the artwork itself, Beavers-Lodge uses traditional tools in a way which complements the feel of Alan Wake and the heart-felt, hand created atmosphere of Bright Falls. But it also conveys an almost illustrative look, as though they were sections out of the Departure novel. The artwork of Rose and Rusty especially look peaceful and joyous, a reflection of what is described in the pages. It's a really cool and unique tribute to the games, and the pieces are absolutely gorgeous. It's also no wonder that the work has also caught the attention of Remedy who featured it on their social media channels for their previous "#fanartfriday" tweet.
We spoke to Beavers-Lodge recently about their work and joining the Alan Wake community.
I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. As a kid I would draw characters and tell little stories with them. My passion for art comes from this: I see it as a way of telling a story, whether it’s in a painting, a comic, an illustrated book, etc. I find as much interest in classic art as in graphic novels or children’s literature, and have studied a little of each.
How and when were you introduced to the Alan Wake series?
That was in last November, through Tumblr. And thanks to this great artist and blogger Gruvu whom you’re already familiar with. Gruvu reblogged some pictures from the game (sceneries) and posted their own fanart of Alan. There was a beautiful small American town surrounded by forests and a lake and this grumpy-looking character drinking lots of coffee, and that was enough to pique my interest! It only took me a few days to find out what the story was about and be really into it.
What specifically about the games inspired you to make your Alan Wake art?
I was really touched by Rose and Rusty’s story. It was very secondary compared to the main storyline, and yet there were just enough elements to make it so moving. We see them both in the first diner scene, but the most important part of their relationship is told in the manuscript pages. I wanted to illustrate the things evoked in there, like the fact that they used to dance together. Then I just imagined all sorts of scenes from what their life must have been like. Including them reading side by side (I wanted to show Rose reading one of her favorite books!) and Rusty giving Rose a bouquet. For me, this kind of characters and relationship are all about the poetry of everyday life and simple things, and I enjoy that.
Thornton and Mulligan make me laugh a lot. They have this running gag in which Mulligan always ends up grabbing the radio from Thornton and speaking in his place. In stressful moments, when Alan is lost in the forest again, they are comic relief, literally! They’re not shown in-game and I don’t think I’ve seen any fanart of them, so I really wanted to draw some. On January the 1st, I decided to combine their running gag with a “Happy New Year” announcement.
If it’s anything like the trailer seen in Quantum Break I sure would be interested. I think every episode of the Alan Wake series has been really great at reinventing its own genre. If Alan became part of a detective story like the ones he used to write, and maybe faced his own character Alex Casey, that would be really intriguing.
I would love to hear from all the Bright Falls folks too, and Barry and Alice of course. And some answers! Is Agent Nightingale the new face of the dark presence? Has Rose recovered from the events of the first game? And what about Thomas Zane, I think his story isn’t over yet and he still has a part to play in all this.
A huge thank you for the interview, Beavers-Lodge!
You can see more of their work on their Tumblr page, HERE!
