I have been away from the project since the summer (it’s now January), for one or another reason. Getting back to something after a while always presents its challenges.
Luckily, I left off at the end of a chapter, so I can start somewhat fresh, and in this case “Chapter 6” is a transition… actually a single-page, single-image chapter, so not a bad way to ease back into the process (and to drawing in general).
Basically, it’s a graduation “photo,” to mark the end of her “youth” and into the next phase of the story. I looked at some circa 1900 graduation pictures for reference:
Some sketches:
I don’t want to belabor this process, especially getting back into it after so long. I like the looseness of the sketches. But I also want the eye to go to “her” in the scene. I have an idea!
First, I draw the whole scene, at a small size (about 50% of the size of the pages I’ve drawn so far):
She’s the second from the left, top row.
Now I draw her, at much much larger scale:
And I insert that drawing into the group, reducing to fit the alloted space:
I didn’t draw enough of her torso to fit the space I’ll have for her, so I tried it again:
But, I liked the face on the first drawing better (don’t you??), so I digitially combine the group drawing, with the face from the first try and the body from the second. Plus some other digital folderol to darken the shadows on her robe:
Et voila! Lunatic, chapter 6!
