Logo Growth - Part 2, Ideas

No long, thoughts-and-process post this time. I've had a while since the last logo growth entry to think about how I'd like the Heterochromia logo to look. Here are some of my sketches so far, and a recap of the qualities I had brainstormed:

(No, not all my sketchbook pages are as neatly laid out as this one)

Inumerable, Unfinished Landscapes

In illustration, it is the subjects—people, animals, even objects—which are compelling.* They may be animate, show bend, scrunch, stretch, and twist, and may vary from depicted "moment" to "moment." These are the things on which we, as readers or as viewers, focus our attention. Yet, despite all these enticing features, subjects require context. And thus, I am forced to tackle that which gives me something akin to dread: backgrounds.

I have begun to realize that, in order to adequately tell my stories, I must learn to treat the setting as a component as important as character, no matter how much more involved I am in the unfolding lives of my characters. Some of my favorite comic/manga artists are so because of their ability to do just that: Amy Reeder Hadley can whisk us through myriad locations as fascinatingly as through time in Madame Xanadu; Sean Gordon Murphy's urban backgrounds are as gritty and interesting as the characters populating them. These artists, and others (M. Alice Legrow also leaps to mind) are able to create whole worlds, not just sets of characters.

Another Week, Another Missed Update

Sorry for the radio-silence over the last couple weeks. I have indeed been working on the upcoming Heterochromia page, but it features a subject I find more difficult than that of most other pages. I also would have posted more the past couple weeks (with the exception of days spent helping a friend move, and hours and hours spent watching Inception), but approaching Kon Hayai or my sketchbook made me think guiltily of the work I should be doing instead on the current page. And so, the cause of my inactivity, and definitely the cause of it in the past: feeling that the larger project should consume other creativity-related processes, instead of giving each its turn. I'm finally breaking that now, though I do not have much to bring you of my own creation.Mostly I post to affirm my presence--I am not gone, but continue working on what is a very difficult page for me.

I am thinking that the next update may consist of the second part of Logo Growth.

Logo Growth - Part 1, Inspirations

I realize that, with its current, small audience, giving Heterochromia a logo, a "brand," probably isn't of the utmost importance. However, since the intention of doing Heterochromia is to give me a chance to practice doing a comic, I may as well practice the peripherals: branding, web design (which is still pretty weak...), pre-press, design, etc.. These aspects are of interest to me as different design tasks. Designing a logo for Heterochromia has been a particular desire since I took an art class in the spring, during which I created a hand-drawn logotype (among other things) for the state of Indiana (check out my work on my flickr, if you're interested)

Latest Journal, Logo Thoughts

I'll start off this entry with the latest journal I've decorated. This one is for a friend, who is a fan of Liverpool--that bird's their logo, and the back says "Liverpool Football Club." Can't wait to give it to her!

As before, if you're interested in one, they're available in both my etsy and DaWanda shops.

With that plug completed, I'll get onto the topic I really wanted to cover in this entry: the Heterochromia logo. These posts may actually be a bit self-serving: much of my motivation for putting this together is to remember my influences, explain to myself as much as to others the direction I want to take with it. My current thought is that there will be an "influences" / "inspirations" journal, the next will probably be sketches, then some more finished versions until I've decided on one I will use (at least for some length of time). Of course, this is just a plan for a set of entries in the future--for now, I just wanted to share my new journal and my thoughts about it.

(Arf, I hope this entry doesn't seem pointless...)

The Pledge, Again, and Stumptown

And now for the semi-annual blog update. Right now, I'm running hot; updating all over the place, trying to increase my internet activity everywhere, from deviantart to Heterochromia, and have opened up new shops at both etsy and DaWanda. Right now I'm only selling custom mini journals like this one:

Obviously, journals need not only be used for Stumptown and Convention Planning.

This is the sort of casual "resolution" that I make a lot: I promise myself that I will start updating more, will gain more of an internet presence, will really start networking. And almost always, this means running hot for a day, a week, maybe a month, and then remembering that I have a blog and an art gallery about six months later. It's a challenge not to abandon something when you want everything you put into it to be so good (not that everything I have put into either one has been so good, but that doesn't mean the desire wasn't there). I don't want to update this day because I haven't got the energy to write at my best and most poetical, I don't want to update that day because I haven't done anything worth writing about. Are more frequent updates worth a reduction in quality? But it turns out that on the internet, the answer is yes.

Remiss? Maybe. Printers? Seeking.

If you keep up with my comic at any one of numerous other places news about it is posted (my deviantArt page, its own Smackjeeves page, etc) you will no doubt have read about the arrival of my printed copies of the first chapter of Heterochromia:




I was thrilled to receive them, of course, and launched Heterochromia's comic website with their arrival. There and on my deviantArt page, I wrote longish journals about my decision to put the comic online as well as in print. I didn't post anything about that here. Why? Simply because I didn't want to have to write another entry, to be honest. Here is what has been posted at Smackjeeves since I received the printed copies (August 26th):

"To celebrate the arrival of the first prints of the first chapter of Heterochromia, I've decided to also launch Heterochromia on Smackjeeves.

Difference in Coloration, Changes of Plans

It was a busy school year, being my last in high school, so that's all I have to excuse the lack of postings since the end of March, and the gaps that existed before that. Lots of things have changed for me, but I am still continuing Heterochromia. In fact, I'm making an effort to take it more places now.

For a start, I've finished the first chapter. All the pages are drawn, inked, lettered and toned. Which brings me to the next part, that all the pages which have been posted so far have been redone. The illustrations are the same, I have just found a better style for toning them so that the online pages are more similar to how they will appear in print.

For the early ones, I had been toning each page twice (or more): once for future printing purposes, and once for display on-screen. Screentones which appear fine printed often look hideous onscreen, so it was too tricky a process to try to balance the two in one image. However, I still wanted that "manga" look with screentones instead of grayscale, especially since it was often more visually interesting that way.

Retroactive Insertion and a Little Extra

I've fallen behind on posting the pages on here, so I'm just going to catch up with that. As always, should be doing schoolwork instead...I'll blame that for why I've forgotten to post here. Never mind that I keep my dA account updated...

I added a couple pages between current pages 2 and 3, that set things up a little better. The page numbers from now on will have these pages included (so apparently there are no 8 and 9 pages)

Renewing and Reflecting

Yeah, yeah, long time no entry. School is to blame, not going to rant about it now that it's out. More importantly, I'm back on working on Heterochromia, and decided to make a few revisions.

I realize that it may seem a bit early for such things; after all, only 7 pages have been posted. However, there is a bit of information that I intended to share in that initial conversation (which just ended, essentially) that was not included. It makes more sense to me to go back and add some pages now, when I have a context that easily allows for it, than to try and force it later. It is also more reasonable to slip them in as soon as possible rather than continuing on with the story and backtracking even more.

With the original set up of the story, I was having trouble moving one scene into the next but staying within the chapter--there are lots of events that I know I want to take place, but it wouldn't make sense for them to take place so early. I am somewhat struggling to fill out the first chapter; I know I need things to happen to establish characters, settings, situations, before I can commence telling my favorite parts, I simply cannot seem to figure out how to do that. Extending the conversation is one way for me to do that. After all, Tamino is obviously new to the place where Pan lives (if that isn't as obvious as it is supposed to be, then an extension really is needed, badly) so it is reasonable for him to have more questions than just about her name. I also didn't get a chance to show the interior of the structure seen in the beginning (the rocks)... does it even come across that they've moved inside it? ;; That is partially because I didn't really have a good idea of what the inside looked like (and still don't, in reality).

Delays

It's been a while since I last updated, I realize. All for good reason, I assure you: school-end rush. Time for the English teacher to decide that it was time to make us pay for having a relatively easy year because she doesn't believe in the importance of grades. Time for me to get sick and miss almost two weeks' worth of school (over the course of three weeks, with days of relative health interspersed). Time for a midterm, worth the same amount as the final, on the subject of the unit I missed during those days. Time to have two weeks to work a paper from a no-grade to the highest I can possibly manage. Thus, sadly, time to shirk art.

I'm guessing that if I do upload something soon, it will probably be concept art rather than a comic page... I dunno if I've even started penciling much of page... eight?

Aaaand that reminds me that I haven't put six or seven up here yet, though they've been on Deviantart for a while. I guess I do have an update for here, then.

Page 5

Sorry, too tired today to post anything aside from the page. Enjoy. Right to left as always.

Heterochromia: Page 5
The last of the first batch of pages done in December/January... Although I drew it then, I didn't end up printing it for the preview because it wouldn't fit into the print layout. I mostly worked on it then because I was avoiding working on page 4 >_> Haven't really much to say about drawing the thing because of that, but I did try some new toning techniques... particularly panels two and three, I didn't really have ideas about the tones going into it.
I'd been kind of putting off doing this page since Windows crashed, because it meant getting used to the Gimp. So I get bonus points for that, I suppose--doing it with unfamiliar tools. So it goes, a learning experience, etc etc.

An Unintended Snub

I haven't got time to write much of an entry at the moment, but I realized I had forgotten to post page 4 here (though it was posted in my deviantart gallery)

Remember, reads from right to left (not that it matters much on this page... the higher text is still read first)


Heterochromia: Page 4
Well. That took longer than I'd hoped. Turns out, it's difficult to express romance and shock in the same panel in tones. I dunno if there's enough contrast between the background and the main figures... I'll come and look back later, I guess (though, I might as well just move on and do better in the future instead of going back and fixing little things like that...) I'm sort of surprised the lines turned out as well as they did, because this page got really rushed back in January. You'll notice the lines are a bit thick. Also, my style, at least for drawing hair, changed a little bit. We'll see if that sticks around. Kind of wish I could fix Tamino's face. (Oh, and no--he's not communicating telepathically, I just thought I'd try balloon-less text) Not much (relatively) to say this time -- guess it's just been too long since I drew it, and I'm starting to get my toning routine down.

--

Pages 5, 6, and 7 have also been completely drawn and inked, but I haven't toned any of those yet (or added the lettering and things...) Look for those soon, although they may be delayed in coming due to certain research papers I haven't started writing yet. >_> I hope to post again between then and now.

A Return, with Gifts (of a sort)

As predicted, things were not as manageable at they appeared to be. I had hoped it wouldn't take me this long, even being realistic about the amount of free time I would have to finish these pages, but obviously my hopes were not fulfilled. Better that I take a break and renew my interest than to do the pages dispassionately, I think.

That said, here they are finally are: the first pages of Heterochromia. Each of these pages, by the way, are under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works license: you can share, just remember to link ^_^

Also: Pages are read right-to-left, in the style of "unflopped" manga.

That Little Distraction

Well well well. School certainly has gotten in the way, hasn't it. I apologize for the long absence, but unfortunately have nothing to offer in penance. Heterochromia's essentially taken a break in the development process, and the pages have stayed at more or less the same state they were when I released last journal's progress figures. In truth, most of the humans on those pages have been drawn, just not... the aliens or backgrounds. Somewhat of a mental block, there. However, because I am oh-so-clever enough to combine schoolwork and pleasure, I am now obligated to finish the first four pages by the end of winter break... January 7th, about three and a half weeks from now. Sounds manageable. We'll see. So much else to do.

Before I Forget...

As seen on my white-board (translated from a salmagundi of French, Japanese and English):

"Page 1:
Pencils - 30%
Inks - 0%
Lettering - 30%
Toning - 0%
--------------
Total - 15%

Page 2:
Pencils - 78%
Inks - 65%
Lettering - 50%
Toning - 0%
--------------
Total - 48%

Page 3:
Pencils - 3%
Inks - 0%
Lettering - 5%
Toning - 0%
--------------
Total - 1.25% "

I'll let you cipher it out.

An Empyreal Return

Well, I neglected to post from France (although in all honesty, I had plenty of opportunity) simply because I had little to update. Let it be known that I did start writing for SeaFox... which, I am reminded, I still owe an explanation post for (for easy reference). Nonetheless, it was real writing this time, not just plotting--something I haven't done (on paper) for too long. I find it difficult to write, however, without a thesaurus or at least a dictionary nearby; not because I feel I must "spice up" my writing with fancier words, but because I often think of words of which I can recall only one sound and the meaning (thus a thesaurus is helpful in that I can look up the meaning and work backwards from there by sounds). When I write without one, the page is dominated with circles marking "filler" phrases to be replaced later. Not to mention strike-throughs of ungodly length for lack of backspace button (assuming I'm writing on paper, with my new French fountain pen).

Off

Off to France for me. Just thought I'd mention... Picking Heterochromia back up after putting it down for Finals. I even checked some writing books out of the library. Good signs, good signs.

Don't expect an update again till at least July. Unless I post from France. We'll see.

Dilemmachromia

I really have no time to be writing this. But as my friend mentioned the other day, "The best writing is done when there is no time." (Okay, so it's not an exact quote, but he should be happy I'm making his message poetic.) But I thought I should check in.

My current dilemma with Heterochromia (it should be noted that I adore being able to link to one page to give a basic explanation) is deletion. I've made it far more developed than I ever wanted, and now, I simply have to get rid of some things. If I keep those things, it simply isn't my original story anymore, it isn't the direction I want to take it. But that also means throwing away material I worked hard on (or, really, saving it for later use in something else). I just need to take a few steps back before I can step forward again, hopefully in the right direction this time :)

On a different note, when I get around to making Heterochromia, I know exactly what the different volumes will be called:

May Will Be Better

Yeah, yeah. A whole month went by, and not one post. I'm a bad person.

In truth, though, I just haven't made any big plot developments, nor any more half-finished concept art to show or anything. At the beginning of the month, I was really rarin' to go... Had the Copics all charged up, ready to color, but then... I just didn't finish anything. And then I kind of went off of Heterochromia because too many plot things weren't working. I didn't get stuck, but I just had to completely overhaul some of the ideas, which I just wasn't ready to do. Especially since I had nothing to replace them with.

I'm over that now, thanks to a combination of lovely HUGE headphones, Death Cab for Cutie (Plans), and sci-fi writing books. Maybe a little Dickens (Oh A Tale of Two Cities, thou art a cruel mistress... "what plate and jewels would tarnish in Tellson's hiding-places, while the depositors rusted in prisons..." Genius.