Plans and Previews.

Just a few little sketches and bits and bobs for a children's book I am writing. These are very much rough character ideas, and people will likely end up looking somewhat different. I also am leaning more and more toward not inking the final drawings. They'll be coloured too, but I've not decided on the final medium yet. (As ever you can click on the images to enlarge them).

As you can see, I often make little notes by drawings, when planning them. 90% of them aren't actually constructive at all. The smudged out writing is all plot stuff. 

Also, here's a quick preview of something I'm doing for Hallowe'en. I accidentally exported the image in black and white, rather than colour, and it ended up looking like this. I thought it was rather cool, and quite different from the "proper" image.: 

Adventures in the Airtrade.

I don't really want that to be the title of this comic, you know, but every time I try to think of one it keeps bubbling up. Annoying.

You'll note that these are very spartan, very white. I intend to add tones, but that's for another day. A day in which I know how to add tones. Also these are literally the second, third, and fourth comics I have ever drawn. I'm not making excuses, after all, this is purely for my own enjoyment, but just so that you know.

Also my lettering is abysmal. This will also be fixed.

Also...Well, you get the idea.

(click on them to make them bigger, if you want)

More to come, obviously.

The next post is almost certainly about birthdays, and birthday doodles. 

O Newton, release this apple from its earth shackles.

You will have seen from the previous post that amongst my rough ideas for the children's story was a dirigible/airship. This was originally intended to appear in the second part of the story, although I'm not so sure that it will necessary happen that way anymore. In any event, my mind flew off in a different direction once the balloon came into play, and I started planning a very different story. 

I'm not going to give anything away, but maybe you'll like some of the idea sketches. 

As a drawing, this isn't very good, but I liked the character straightaway. At the time she wasn't going to be used for anything, but was drafted in once the idea formed. 

I went with the bottom one in the end. 

Fleshing out hair/clothing ideas, and getting the personality completely wrong at the same time. 

Next time: the first three pages. Sort of. 

Sit down by the fire and I'll tell you a story.

I love stories, and writing, and the sheer act of storytelling. Love it. I write an awful lot, usually short stories, but I've a few longer projects. That said, it wasn't until very recently that I tried my hand at the noble art of comics. I would like to show you my very first attempt; a single-page nostalgic story about going to my dad's cricket matches as a child. I seem to have mislaid it though. As a cover-up here's a little planning sketch I did for it:

Doesn't tell you much does it? 

Here are some other basic sketch ideas I've done for a children's story I'm going to be writing. I think it will be more an illustrated story than a comic. Obviously these are very rough.

I've not actually even begun working on this story, so you might be wondering why I've bothered to share these. Well, the doodles for this rather lead into my current story, which I'll write about next time.