Picture book - Coloring pages 11-12

Well! Here we are at the last two pages of the Kitten in the Orchestra Pit picture book. Maas and Amalie finally found each other. These pages are still unfinished, and though I like how they're coming out, I'm still not quite satisfied with either frame, so I haven't moved on to colored pencil or the second layer of pen.

At this time, I turn to you, any readers out there, for advice on what to touch up on these final frames before I put on the final layer of pen and colored pencil. Thoughts? Ideas? Impressions? Feel free to leave a comment.

To check out the rest of the progress on the picture book, look at my Picture Book label (at the very bottom of the post).

Picture book - Coloring pages 9-10

Well, here we are again with more illustrations of Maas in the orchestra pit. This week I was able to finish frame 9 - and I love how it turned out! The layering of color on the tuba took longer than expected, but the overall effect of the tuba and napping kitten complement each other so well I can't complain. 

Frame 10 is coming along nicely, though I'm not sure if it's finished or not. This page is going to be the scene where Maas is dreaming. I like how the color scheme turned out, but I think I'd like to add more of a 'dreamlike' quality to the page before moving on. I'm considering doing this with more shadowy purple lines, but I worry it will be too busy.

Picture Book - Starting Back Up (pages 8-10)

So! Here we are with more picture book. This week I finally finished coloring frame 8 and started the pen work for 9-10. I'm actually really happy with how #8 came out, which is somewhat surprising. I had a lot of trouble deciding how to set up the picture when I was first sketching it, and then all the variations of black were troublesome, but when it's all said and done, I think it's one of my favorite frames so far.

Here's page 9. I really like how the pen work came out, and the proportions are just what I wanted, giving a sense of scale to both the kitten and tuba. I can't wait to color it!

Finally, below is page 10, the kitten's dream. It's still half pencil, and trying to work with all those lines (straight or otherwise) has been a little frustrating.  Nevertheless, I still have high hopes for this frame, so I guess we'll have to wait and see how this one comes out.

Messing Around and Adding Color - Elantris Chibis and pages 7-8

Greetings, loyal fans! Welcome back from Christmas break. Today I bring you tiny, cartoon depictions of Brandon Sanderson Characters and pages 7-8 of my infamous picture book. (Which will hopefully be finished in time for 2017...)

Title: Elantris Chibis

Size: 12 by 11 inches
Just some pen/colored pencil doodles from Brandon Sanderson's Elantris. Why, you ask? I have no idea. It's fun. I used a list of character descriptions I collected ages ago, which was kind of fun. Left to right we have Raoden, Sarene, and Hrathen.

The challenge of this piece was the typography. I don't normally care for any project that requires Excessive Ruler Use, but I like how it came out. :)

Here's the weekly frames for Kitten in the Orchestra Pit. The timpani scene's not quite finished with painting, so the final layer of pen isn't up yet, so it looks a bit blurry. The photo quality is another factor. Hopefully I'll be back soon with a (finished) better quality picture. I do like how the other frame came out, though.

More to come, so tune in next week!

Picture Book - Adding Some Color (pages 5-6)

Time for some more Kitten in the Orchestra Pit illustrations! We're going back to page-by-page format, and as we progress the pictures get less finished...

I think these frames came out alright, if a bit heavy on the black. I love the gold color the harp ended up with, and I'm happy the clarinets are somewhat distinguishable from their chairs. Next time: Reworked timpani and a kitten close-up.

Picture Book - Color at Last! (pages 1-4)

Well, I've finally started coloring frames. It's watercolor outlined in pen with a bit of supplementary colored pencil.

I decided during pages 3 and 4 to add purple to the floor, and I think I'll continue that for the next pages. The instruments have been turning out pretty well, and I'm excited to finish some of the percussion and woodwinds. :)

Picture Book Update - pages 6-12

This week we get even more picture book drawings. Hooray! This should be the last set of pencil sketches, so next picture book update should have some watercolor on it.

I'm trying a bit of a different format today, combining text and illustrations. So here's pages 6-12

There were chairs again, topped abandoned trumpets and clarinets. One even had a bass clarinet.

But no Amalie.

He looked by the swirling-tubed french horns and spindly trombones. He even checked behind the tympani.

But still no Amalie.

Where was she?

Tired of searching, Maas settled next to the tuba and blinked back tears. Where was Amalie?

Slowly, Maas drifted into sleep. He dreamed he was chasing Amalie through the pages of a concerto.

He woke suddenly when someone picked him up.

“There you are, you silly kitty.”

It was Amalie!

“I’m so glad I finally found you!” she told him, scratching his ears.

Maas was glad too.

Picturebook Update - pages 1-5

This week I have some drawings in the new style for the picture book. They'll eventually be in pen and watercolor. :)

Picture book drawings - page 1

Title: Kitten in the Orchestra Pit - page 1

So here's the official start of my picture book. A fluffy kitten peeking around the door.

I'll be back later with more.

Picture Book Text - Kitten in the Orchestra

So! I've finally decided that I'll be doing my 'kitten in the orchestra' story for my picture book. I've rewritten the text so that it's shorter and more straightforward. 

Ahem. This is Kitten in the Orchestra featuring Maas the kitten and his friend Amalie. Please take your seats and enjoy.

Maas poked his head into the dark room. It looked empty. Where was Amalie?

---

There were all sorts of interesting things in the room. Bouncing across the floor, Maas found something long and smooth. A contrabass.

---

He walked further, finding sets of smaller, similar instruments.

Groups of cellos. Several violas.

---

An entire forest of violins, with a scattering of woodwinds on the border.

Where was Amalie?

---

Soon Maas came to a towering, graceful harp beside a huge piano. He batted at the strings, and the resulting dust made him sneeze.

(page 5)

---

There were chairs again, topped abandoned trumpets and clarinets. One even had a bass clarinet.

But no Amalie.

---

He looked by the swirling-tubed french horns and spindly trombones. He even checked behind the tympani.

But still no Amalie.

---

Where was she?

---

Tired of searching, Maas settled next to the tuba and blinked back tears. Where was Amalie?

---

Slowly, Maas drifted into sleep. He dreamed he was chasing Amalie through the pages of a concerto.

(page 10)

---

He woke suddenly when someone picked him up.

“There you are, you silly kitty.”

It was Amalie!

---

“I’m so glad I finally found you!” she told him, scratching his ears.

Maas was glad too.

More pencil drawings - Meeting Brandon (part 2) and picturebook sketches

Title: Meeting Brandon Sanderson
Size: 10 and 1/2 by 12 inches
Here's the finished version of the pencil portrait I was working on last week. It's my parents and I getting our picture with the most amazing fantasy author of all time: Brandon Sanderson. It was pretty fun to finish this up, and I like how it turned out.

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Next up is some storyboarding for another possible picturebook.

Working title: Never Lose Your Seven League Boots

Size: frames are roughly 2 and 1/2 by 4 inches

After last week's plot-less story, I decided to start writing first this time. Theoretically, so that I'd actually have a plot this week. I forgot to take into account the fact that every time I try to write dialogue it immediately turns into plot-derailing banter. Every time. So that's why pretty much every frame is of talking.

This plot took some work to come up with. After consulting multiple online plot generators and then ignoring most everything they said, I came up with a story about a grumpy, pen-stealing sprite named Quinn who loses his winged seven league boots. He and his (human) friend Johanna go on a quest to get them. Also, there's vanishing spells and Latin. So yeah.

I think I like this story better than last week's, seeing as there's a plot, but I would have to cut out an awful lot of banter to get anything to happen. I do like the characters though. Banter does that to me.

Starting Pencil Drawings - Picture Book Sketches and Meeting Brandon

Working Title: Meeting Brandon
Size: 11 by 14
This is a drawing I've been wanting to do for a while. It's the time my parents and I met Brandon Sanderson (my favorite author of all time). I decided to draw out where things go, and then start filling in the spaces, like a coloring book. A black and white, non-color coloring book. :P

I decided it would probably be for the best if I started by drawing (filling in? shading?) myself, as my drawing talent usually needs to warm up a bit and only gets better as I go longer. Unfortunately, the picture I'm working from is rather blurry, so it's unclear where exactly my hair ends and my shirt starts. Yup. That could be a problem.

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These next pictures are from my sketchbook, and are an experiment/rough draft for a picture book I'll hopefully be creating later this year. I'll be playing with several different storylines over the next few weeks, so this is the first of a series.

Working Title: Adventures of Harper - Rough Draft
Size: Each frame is about 2 and 1/2 by 4 inches.
...So the story behind this story is that I wanted an excuse to draw a wombat. And I wanted my protagonist to be a toddler. Those were literally my only criteria. ...Which is why this story currently has no plot.

And the wombat hasn't even really shown up yet.

Anyway, for any and all humans interested in my plot and worldbuilding, this story takes place in southern Australia. My little toddler is named Harper. One day Harper was going on a walk through some (Australian!) woods with her parents when she got noticed a lizard. (A tiny, baby monitor lizard that will one day grow to be somewhere between 8 inches and 10 feet long depending on the species). Distracted, she is left behind by her parents.

Theoretically, next she'll make friends with a giant wombat, and pass the time with him until her rescue.

What will happen next?! Will Harper be lost forever? Will her parents come back looking for her? Will the wombat ever make an appearance?! Tune in next time to Adventures of Harper to find out!