Here is the process I went through while designing additional characters for our graphic novel. Usually the first sketches aren't the best and I need to hammer away at it until I come up with something really good. I want to make sure the new characters I'm designing will work well with my existing characters, which is why I build them next to my other characters. I wouldn't want the new characters to have a head mass that was too big or too small, and I can size them all up next to each other and concentrate on using shapes that will bring variety to the line up. The feedback I get from family helps me to refine the characters even further. Keith and I both liked the girl on the top right the most, but both of my daughters thought her hair was too boring and plain. I did variations on the bottom and then got even more feedback to combine the bangs from one design and the ponytail from another. Voila! I have a character that everyone in my family likes and everyone has had some sort of say in its creation. *I also thought if I could design a younger Tahani from our favorite show "The Good Place," she'd be pretty cute.* For the next character, the inspiration came from a viral video of a high school percussionist... I loved this kid so much! When I saw him, I knew I wanted my character to resemble him. After exploring the shapes with 12 characters I showed them to Keith, who already had a very distinct idea in his own mind of what this kid should look like. (Do you think a bowl cut hairdo will still exist in the 24th Century? Maybe.) I usually work in my art studio, print out the character sheet when I'm done, walk into the kitchen and show my husband. If he reacts emotionally with happiness or excitement, then I know I've found my character. Am I the only one who goes into designing characters with a distinct person in mind? Maybe. Sometimes I draw people that end up looking like someone I know inadvertently. Once I realize it, I usually go all in and make the character intentionally look like the person. It's fun to say, "Hey, Kevin! I put you in my illustration in Highlights Magazine!"
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art is hard...Living a creative life, managing multiple projects, meeting deadlines, finding your muse asleep when you need it to be working with you, fighting the Dreaded Pirate Procrastination Monster... and remaining joyous throughout the process. That's what this will be about: reflections of my life, joys and struggles as an artist. Archives
April 2021
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