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!

Such unpardonable silence...

Forgive me!!!

It's very hard to keep this updated when you're sick and not making much progress towards your goal. A most unfortunate event, really.

But on the home front, I have finally been getting somewhere. Not anywhere spectacular, but somewhere.

For one, I made my first attempt at entering the RSOM. I didn't finish in time, but I finished drawing the whole thing. I'm very proud.

Secondly, I've been drawing the characters from my big, important story. The one I treasure and covet and will love. And someday, IT will the thing I publish. And I will be very proud. There are 16 or more characters to draw and I have 6 or 7 (maybe 8) drawn.

I shall contemplate putting them up, strictly because I don't want anyone to see them yet. Maybe. I don't know.

Deviant Art and dreams

I finally got a Deviant Art. I have my favorite stuff up there. All of which are here, too.

I also had a very scary dream the other night, where this guy came to my church and introduced himself to me (Scott Tyler was his name). He came back every Sunday for a month, but he was so creepy. Then one Sunday he got a bunch of guys to help him break into a room I was in with my friends. And he got in, and everyone else was taken out. And he told me to kiss him or he'd burn my family up like he did his family. And he took out a lighter and flicked it open. So I had to kiss him. And he threw lighter fluid on me and threatened to burn me up if I didn't kiss his lips. Hateful man...

But I drew him because I kept getting weirded out by him all day.

Hello, Scott Tyler.

Summer projects

During my brief stay on my parents couch, I had an idea for a drawing. I worked on 3 or 4 sketches before I actually made an attempt at it. But I did it. And then some things came up and I was distracted from it until just this past week. And now, it's done.

I like it a whole lot. And I can't wait to color it!

More painting temples

More progress, as of yesterday. Not today--I babysat Brady all day :3 But yesterday. I did lots! Yay! Especially note the flora on the temple terrace, and the lower foliage on the hill.

More painting

I've been painting again. My sister asked for a painting of the Oakland Temple, so, I've been working on it. It may not look like much work, but it took a while to get the colors right, and the lines crisp. So there!

Actual progress?

This character has been floating around my head for the past week. She came to be a week ago Sunday. A doodle, mostly. Turned into so much more... She became who she is. I love how characters do that. If I have to force-feed a character to make them, they are always weak. But when they just appear and show themselves to me, it's awesome.

This girl, is one of those. Most of my characters are. One or two are a little fake still, but I think they'll become soon. I really like this girl. She has such a tragic life. She gives up everything she has to be with someone. She's very lovely, and very kind. And sorely mislead. She wears beautiful clothes (not completely designed yet) and speaks beautifully.
Meet Litote.

Video art

I have made a video! I am actually going to be making a lot more these, too. They'll be what I put up on YouTube. Just drawings, from beginning to end. And if I ever learn how to, I'll also do ones I color on the computer. Then you'll get to see everything, hm?

Therapeutic drawing

It's not the best photograph of the pencil work, not at all. But I wanted to get it up before I inked it or anything.

I was (or rather, "am") feeling particularly down when I drew this. I indulged in some surprisingly heart breaking music and felt inclined to draw something with crisp, simple lines. She came out. Her face and hair was right the first time. Her body was a bit harder to imagine, but it works now.

But because I felt so down, and drew her out, I feel a lot better. It feels so good to empty myself out onto paper like this. It's very therapeutic. Very healing for me.

I wish you could see it even closer-- all the fine lines add so much to her...

UPDATE:

Added the inked picture (colored soon to come)

Character Sketches

Getting used to drawing characters is important. REALLY important. You have to know them through and through because you know that everyone's past shapes them. They will become who they want to be based off of what their past is. And you need to know it. And you need to practice drawing them until it's second nature. I practice drawing my characters nearly every day.

Illustration in Writing

So for the past few years, a friend of mine and myself and have been writing a story. Well, more like, he found out I could write and asked me to write his idea. He claims he can't write and gave me all the info he could think of, which wasn't much, and I went to work. He wanted a fantasy story about the elements and powers, water and fire and wind and such. He also told me, in a rather embarrassed fashion, that he wanted the main character to be like him. Name and everything. So, I started it. I thought of an idea, he loved it, and we expanded it. I bought a sketchbook and filled it with scenes and characters. It actually belongs to him now, but he went on a two year mission for our church, so I'm holding on to it and using it for the story.

So I took some of my favorites out of the book for you all to see! These are old, but are marvelously useful for the story. See, whenever one is writing a story, I believe it is a good idea to sketch out as many ideas as you can. The sketchbook may be full, but I'm still drawing stuff out.

Commissions

I have decided to start taking commissions regularly. I can paint surf boards, skateboards, paintings, do drawings, and probably other things. I think it'd be good to do, if anyone is ever interested. We'll see what happens.