Looking at the Midway Process

This week we'll be looking at the midway process of developing an illustration for one of the short stories called, "The Cold Front". After I sketch out a few ideas I choose one thumbnail to develop more. If you remember the sketches I posted up last time you'll find the thumbnail I decided to develop on the bottom right hand corner.



I decided the simplified gesture would work for what I had in mind.

Next I developed a value sketch of what the finished image would look like. Keeping the character separated from any background elements I thought would help give the image more of an isolated feeling.



The next step was to burn some paper to incorporate into the final image, which you'll find out goes along with the story when you get the chance to read it. After several sheets of burning I chose the better looking burnt paper and scanned them in.



Next, I draw the final image, then scan it into the computer and manipulate it until I get something I like. But you won't be able to see it until the website is up and running.
Thanks for stopping by.

Meet Supriya

Since I got a nice chunk of writing out of the way, I decided to move on to character designs. Because I’ve usually already got a pretty good idea of what my characters look like, Jose and I decided it would move things along if I went ahead and sketched out the characters (Rather than us having to go back forth with him designing something, and me saying, “Eh, it’s good, but how about making it little more like this,” and him redesigning it, and me saying, “Well, I was thinking it would be a little more like that.”)

That said, here are some pages out of my sketchbook and a peek into my process of designing characters.

As a former aspiring costume designer, I always start with what a character is wearing. The first new werewolf story to be posted on our website is going to be set in 1971. That meant I had to flip through some fashion books and scroll through some google image results. I picked 1971 because it allows me to take a little from the 60s as well as the 70s. Best of both worlds!

The character, Supriya, is one of the protagonists. She’s a butt-kicking, cleaning-up-the-streets, good-guy (gal) werewolf like Justine, but she also enjoys being a girl. She has a very feminine look and prefers wearing stuff like this her down time.

Then it comes time to design the face. Just as important as working out the features of the face is capturing a couple of key expressions. Supriya has a bit of a disdain-toward-the-world attitude. (And a Twiggy sort of hairstyle.)

Look out! She means business.

A clearer drawing of the dress I decided would work best for chapter one, with hair and jewelry. Since I was a kid, I’ve had the habit of drawing costume designs without faces. I used to also never draw hands or feet, so you know, progress!

An action shot to show some movement of her clothes. Also, weapons! Those are personalized fighting sticks. They’ve got a few tricks up their sleeves so she can do a lot more than just hit monsters upside the head with them, though technically she should be wearing gloves because they’re made of silver.

Thanks for checking in with us. More later!

Preliminary Sketches for Short Stories

Hello all,
As Cacy mentioned before we will be posting new material every other week to keep you coming back and interested as we work diligently on new stories in preparation for the website.
This week you can peek into my process of creating images that go along with two of Cacy's short stories. The bottom and middle pages are from the same story and the top page is from another short story. Each story will be composed in a different format, experimenting and pushing the boundaries of how text and image can be viewed together. At times the format might not work together but just maybe enough compositions will be attempted that a remarkable piece comes together.
Well, that's it for now and don't forget to come back in two weeks for another installment by Cacy.

What To Expect Next

(As we begin to post updates and sneak peaks, our first post – and website preview – “Justine” will move further down until it’s gone, but never fear! “Justine” will always be available and easy find by clicking the tab at the top of this page.)

Did you enjoy our story “Justine” so much that you’re perched on the edge of your seat dying to know when the next installment will be?

Oh.

Well, are you at least wondering what’s next?

Just a little?

A teeny bit?

Maybe an itsy-bitsy inkling of curiosity?

Thanks. We’re flattered you’re interested, and thus Jose and I don’t want to leave you hanging while we’re getting the website together. So from time to time we’re going to update you on our progress and unveil some sneak peaks along the way. We plan on launching the website this coming spring and so have set fingertips to keyboard and pen, pencil, brush and various other implements to paper in preparation for what will be a some really cool, fun, exciting comics.

Besides writing away, I have found other ways to be productive. This past weekend I went to a shooting range. The opportunity presented itself as someone I know who works for the government doing something that involves knowing how to use a gun (No, not a spy…or is he?) was going. I said to myself, Well Cacy, if you’re writing about characters who have to carry guns to protect themselves from the various non-human threats that exist in plenty around them, maybe you should know what it’s like to shoot a gun. So I went.

It was loud and scary. In case you’re wondering what it’s like to shoot a gun, or to even be at a shooting range for that matter. Much louder than on TV (of course, that’s what they always say), and much louder than I remember from that one time this one guy shot this other guy across the street from my junior high school while me and my classmates were working on pre-algebraic equations. Ah, childhood memories.

That recoil was something else, too.

I stopped after my second go-round. I felt I was pressing my luck as it was and that at any moment the gun was going to explode in my hands or that the slide would slice my finger off. (That was a great pep talk my gun safety guide gave me!). I was a good shot though. Hit the target pretty consistently in the vital areas. (So don’t mess with me, you!)

So that was me doing research for one of the series that will be on our website, this weekend I'm giving archery a go! (Though it may or may not have a relevance to anything I'm writing for the website.)

Anyway, Jose will be posting something himself soon, and it’ll probably be cooler than my post because he has those nifty artist skills that enable him to be all amazing with the making art stuff.

I hope you enjoyed our story “Justine,” and that you’ll continue to check in with us from time to time to see what we’re up to.

Justine

Thanks for taking a look at Jose and Cacy's first official comic book-slash-web comic collaboration, the super exciting awesome-o werewolf story we titled Justine. Consider this a preview of our coming website.

We hope that after reading "Justine" you're excited about what's to come, and that you’ll check in with us from time to time to see what we are up to. The website will have a couple different series, lots of different stories and is coming this Spring, but until then we'll be posting updates and sneak peaks of the awesomeness we're toiling away to bring you. We can't wait for you to see it!