A graphic novel by Wendy Tyrer
All over the world, artists are mysteriously going missing. But Mimi, a struggling art student working at the National Gallery of Victoria isn’t worried about her own safety.
“I’m not a real artist ... yet!” she jokes with her best friend Nahal, as they go about their shift behind the information desk.
After meeting Simon, the sophisticated curator of the Master Portraits exhibition, Mimi is unwittingly pulled into an extraordinary adventure. What she uncovers will challenge everything she knows, and force her to make a life-changing decision.
Reviews
"This is a terrific graphic novel tying fantasy and reality together and posing big picture questions, like what is real life human connection worth? Should you struggle in order to make your reaching your dreams so much more enjoyable? And could you leave behind all of your family and friends if you were presented with everything that you had ever hoped for?”
Rob, Managing Director of Lamont Books
“As soon as PERENTIE saw the opening pages of this gripping adventure, we knew it was something special.”
Bethany Loveridge & Rochelle Stephens, Publishers, Editors, Authors
"Set against the inspiring backdrop of the National Gallery of Victoria, The Curator is a young adult graphic novel by author and illustrator Wendy Tyrer that delivers a gripping adventure laced with mystery and intrigue. “
Chloe Bleakley - Freelance Book Reviewer for Books+Publishing
"Author–illustrator Wendy Tyrer takes readers through that rippling portal and into a world of art, intrigue and magic in The Curator, an adventurous debut from new graphic novel imprint Perentie Press.”
Tamuz Ellazam, Manager of Readings Kids
"The Curator ultimately leaves readers aged 14 and over with the reminder that art cannot exist in a vacuum. It is a story about connection, the power of friendship and how art impacts us all.”
Chloe Bleakley - Freelance Book Reviewer for Books+Publishing
This graphic novel is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.
The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)
This story is set at the NGV, and features an imposing waterwall at its entrance. It consists of large panels of glass, with a thin sheet of water cascading down to a grated drain below.
The process
It started with a script and some scribbles. Then I created a rough layout of the whole story, dividing the pages into panels. Each panel on a page is a different illustration.
The images below show progress from the first rough sketch to final image. As I'm building up the sketch I play with the typography to make sure all the dialogue flows and fits. The last stage is colouring and setting the type.
