Update: Graphic Novel

I’m doing exclusive updates and behind the scenes content over on my Patreon page, but I thought I’d do a quick recap what I’ve been sharing over there so far this year. I’m making steady progress on the graphic novel that I began writing in 2017. The script got a rewrite last year and since then I’ve been working on character design, page layouts, and the like. I’m more than halfway through the page layouts now—for a 93 page graphic novel it’s been quite the undertaking. While I have a day job that I love, it nonetheless takes a lot of time away from my creative endeavors. Progress is happening, if slowly.

You can follow along and get all the updates and see all the sketches over on my Patreon.

What is the Graphic Novel We Keep Hearing So Much About???

I should have written a blog about this a billion years ago.

This idea came to me in a dream many years ago, maybe five years ago now. In fact, I called it "Dream." The final version is very different than it was at first. In the beginning, this graphic novel was very fantasy based, involving weird alien life & such.

Now, it is the story of three sisters in a vast desert world. After their parents were killed they escaped & are on the run from a cruel warrior queen who wants to make them an example of them to their enslaved people. Along their years-long journey, they meet many different people, learn, grow, & love. Ultimately, they have to decide whether or not they should face up to the queen & free their people or not.

That's the short & sweet version. I'll post more updates as work on the graphic novel progresses.

Graphic Novel Update

If you listen to the podcast I do with my husband then you already know what my plan is for the graphic novel. If not...

I've given up on getting four pages of the graphic novel done a week. I don't know yet what I WILL be able to get done in a week. I wanted to get it done in a year, but I don't see that happening now.

I've stepped back to reassess.

I need to up my technical drawing skills. When I was writing the graphic novel I wasn't really thinking about the art, not the making of it. I was thinking more abstractly about it, composing the panels & pages like shots of a film.  So now that it's come to the making of it I've found that my imagination has reached far beyond my skill level. This is a good thing, truly. But a difficult, frustrating, & painful thing as well. Growth is hard, or it can be.

My new plan is to work on perspective drawing every day for thirty days. I think I'll start fresh February first & finish some other paintings up in the meantime. This was prompted by an episode of Your Creative Push, a (kick-ass) podcast I listen to.

I'm hoping this will force me to get better. Maybe I'll even find that this sort of drawing is something I really enjoy. All I know is I want the art to be worthy of the story.