Christmas presents

I made a lot of Christmas presents this year for my family. Let's begin with Daddy's.

My Dad loves the ocean. He really loves it. So I trekked up to Half Moon Bay (Specifically, Pigeon point) and took some pictures in the early morning. It was a good day.

The pictures were fun to paint, as I haven't done acrylic in a while. They are 4x6, so pretty small. And I painted on vellum, so I had to keep the paint thin, and let it dry well. But it was easier than I had anticipated, so I was very happy with the result.


Then there was my sister. She's in the process of getting published, and I am one of her personal editors, using my perspective as the reader audience she is aiming at. So I've read the draft, and emailed her copious numbers of recommended changes. But the key here is that I have read it and been completely enthralled. So I picked a scene I liked and drew it.

I have to say, that I got really tired of the bricks by the end of the drawing. They turned out amazingly, once I had shaded them. Sorry the finished products isn't here--I didn't remember to take a picture before giving it to her. I'll get one later.

And for my brother, who is in medical school, I bought a bear and made it a little doctor's coat. I got it a little stethoscope too! Stu loved it, and got really excited.

Sewing is one of those things I love to do, can do rather well, but never have time for. I was worried this wouldn't turn out well, but it really did. There is a little tag in the back and the button has velcro, and it has a little tail coat!

And that was the extent of creative gifts. Well, except for my other sister, whom I made a book for. It's available here.
Happy Christmas, faces!

Writing

Half of the reason I want to be a graphic novelist is because I love to write. I always have a few stories I'm working on, and recently I've been so inspired, it's ridiculous!

As of today I have 15 stories sitting on the back burner, waiting for me to finish my current piece. I have them arranged by the format I wish to convey them: novel or graphic novel. Of the 16, 6 are GN ideas, 3 are novel ideas, and 6 could go either way.

I categorize them based on how descriptively detailed they are. If they have a lot of detail and description required, I go with Graphic Novel. If they are straightforward enough, I go with Novel. If they could be easily explained, but also make an appealing GN, then I decide later.

If I wasn't in school, I would work on more than one of each at a time. But as it stands, I work on one GN and one novel at a time. My current novel is finished in its first draft and needs revisiting. The GN is Collide, which is going online as I update. As you know.

And that's how it is.

Finals

School frustrates me sometimes, when I feel like it's in my way. Of course, it isn't, because it's a goal of mine to get at least 1 degree in life. But it requires a lot of attention sometimes, and that prevents me from doing other things. Like writing and drawing.

But it's cool. I can handle it. It's finals right now, and I won't be able to draw until they're over. Again, frustrating. I never wanted to be one of those artists who skips a few updates because they have too much on their plate, but it's part of choosing to be an artist. You don't pick up a pencil and become famous instantly. You work hard, and do other things to stay alive. Going to school is what I do now, so that I can work later and stay alive to keep drawing.

I can't wait for finals to be over next week so I can draw again.

I'll leave this here.

Kate Beckinsale

Practicing drawing realistically.

What I really need to do is take a life drawing class. I know it would help me by leaps and bounds.

Anyway, this is another attempt to change and improve my art style.

Another branch on the tree

I think of my journey towards becoming a published graphic novelist as the life of a tree.

This little nut fell off of something and buried itself into my brain, and then one day I looked in the mirror and saw a little tree growing. And since then it has weighed heavily on my mind.

Spending the next years learning how my own process works was frustrating and difficult. I had no one else's standard to look at. I didn't know how people went about drawing graphic novels at all. I started following the blog of a webcomic artist (who is no longer drawing the comic, but is writing it) and she would post shots of her work table. I tried to absorb as much of that as I could. As I absorbed, little branches began to grow.

I tried to come up with original ideas, but they felt super cheesy to me, so I couldn't work on them seriously. I have a lot of "first pages" and can't even remember where that story was going. My first attempt is in a sketch book from 7th grade and it spans 4 pages. It's super cheesy and bad. >_<

When Collide came into my mind and began to wrap its tendrils around my brain and dream tree, I knew something big had come into my life. And it scared me because I wasn't ready! I wasn't good enough at art, and had no idea how to make a GN yet.

So I spent another 4 years writing, rewriting, and completely editing the story. When the story was at a point I could feel satisfied drawing it, I began to working on background stories and developing cultures and histories. Those things changed the story, too.

And now I have finally begun to draw the story. I know how I work. My pattern is set. It'll probably change, but for the better. I also know that this is only the first draft of the story. I want my art to be SO much better and full of finite work. I don't think I want it in super manga style. I love all the comic styles from Marvel to big eyed shojo, so I don't feel biased. I want my comic to be in a detailed, smooth, expressive style.

It's not there yet, but I'll get there. I look at my hands and see the capabilities within the veins and layers of skin and muscle. I'm not afraid anymore.

Now begins the skill honing. The comic will continue and I will begin the intense training of my art. I expect it will lead to swift changes in the comic art, but that's why this is the first draft.

It's not perfect and it will change.

Site changes

I'm planning on tweaking the comic site up. I'm not sure what to do, or when I'll do it. It'll probably be a long process, spread over a few weeks, with changes going up as I finish them. Not so much a big sudden change.

[ ] Design background/color scheme
[ ] Collect sketches and drawings for gallery
[ ] HTML galley
[ ] HTML characters (Add Rhaina and pix)


There are things I want to add when the comic is more popular and I have lots of people to get involved with.

-Chat box
-Polls
-Forum
-Fan stuff (when I get some)

I'm enjoying the hard work this entire project entails, as it keeps me busy on the weekends and between school assignments.

Ever progressive

So, every day I work on pages for the coming updates. As long as I remain ahead, updates could be as many as 2 pages.

Like this:

Monday-2 pages

Friday-1 page

Monday-1 page


And then, if I finish another page before that Friday there, it changes to this!


Monday-2 pages

Friday-2 pages

Monday-1 page


Because then everyone is happy. :D I'll probably make it so I have to be even more ahead, though, so I'm not always pushing against the time. Maybe I'll make it so I have to have at least 4 pages extra done before I change a single update to a double... Yeah.

But I'll try to make my Fridays double updates, and leave Mondays as singles. That's a good idea! #^_^#

Yeep!

I have the domain!! It's there, the first few pages are up.

:D

http://collide.smackjeeves.com/

I'm proud of me!!

ARG!

It's always something, y'know? Always!!!! DX

Those 8 pages I did turn out crappy when I scan them in and try to spiff them up. It's been irking my chain.

On the bright side... I decided to trace over them with ink. It's been looking a lot better. Here's one of the pages, penciled.



It doesn't even look so bad here. But when I start touching it up with lettering and such... Blah. BLAH. I might try a few other things.

Impact in 3... 2... 1...

I'm 8 pages into my GN. 8 detailed, pages. Yesterday I drew three pages in a period of a few hours. How's that for crazy! And today I drew a really detailed, difficult page. Of course, page 9 is going to be INSANELY hard. I'm kind of afraid of it. But I'll start it tonight. Line work first.

So I'm doing the project in pencil. I shade the pages and get the lines I want, and then scan them into the computer for tweaking.

Wow, 8 pages. That feels like so much... And yet, there is SO much left to go. And just in the first chapter alone, there are something like 50+ pages. AHHHH!!!



There's a snapshot of how my bed looks while I work. And some of the work itself, in unfinished form.

Forgot to share

I know I was so good on updating you with my progress on that painting of the Oakland temple and then I suddenly said nothing. But I did finish it!

See??


I finished it months ago. Over a year ago, actually. It's now hanging in my sisters house. Nice, huh? I'm proud.

In graphic novel news, I've been drawing it. My baby. I have! I'm working hard and it's look great! Hold your breath for me!

*grumble*

D-don't say anything. Nothing at all!

Since the last entry. I drew lots and it was fancy.

Then my hard drive died just this December. And everything I loved and held dear went into some void in the deepest reaches of the underverse. I cried. Probably.

I have ideas galore galavanting about in my head, but a sprained back limits me severely. Yes, I have sprained my back. Lame in a bucket.

Plans:
-Robot girl
-Winged person
-Lava Lamp People (sketches for that WILL come up here soon)
-Uh... probably other stuff.
-Bees!

Get excited for the bees. I sure am!