THE WILD SWANS
The final character design was based on this sketch, with similar features and coloring.
I used watercolour and ink to create this image. Elsie had to appear dirty, so I mixed together muddy colours that could have once been brilliant and vibrant. I am pleaded that that the design fits the brief but I would like to try it in graphic markers to see if it makes it more edgy.
RICKY OF THE TUFT
Below are my sketches. I used them mainly as colour swatches. I have chosen very bright, primary colours for this story because the characters are from rich Kingdoms. I also think it will allow me to highlight differences in dress to show they are from different places.
below :Ricky.He must be ugly. I immediately thought gangly with ungainly features. I however, opted for 'model' ugly, unusual instead of hideous. I want the characters in this story to appear as though they have walked straight off a catwalk.
Above: Final Image. I am pleased with the composition but the colours could have been refined. If I continue with this story I will limit the palate to three primary colours.
GOLDEN TREE, SILVER TREE
Below: Costume design, I learned from my previous image that I must refine the colour palate. I picked off-gold tones for golden tree, and based her clothes on french Renaissance fashion.
Above: Final image. The characterization suits the story. The style is, perhaps too detailed to reproduce in a graphic novel but could work as front cover or title page. The gold and silver paints are effective and I will experiment further with these in the future.
STAND ALONE IMAGE AND STYLE EXPERIMENT. GOING FOR A MORE ADULT LOOK, TWISTING THE PLOT. THIS IS TWISTING THE PLOT ENTIRELY TOO MUCH AND I AM NO LONGER TAKING ON THE STORY OF THE SLEEPING BEAUTY BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT SUITS MY AIMS. THE COLOUR SCHEME IS SOMETHING I WILL RE-USE, IT SOMEHOW ALLUDES TO AN INNOCENCE THAT ISN'T THERE.
SNOW WHITE ROSE RED: STYLE AND DEVELOPMENT
Below: I started with a pencil drawing, concentrating on form and costume.When I was happy with this I reproduced the image until I found a style that I was pleased with and believed I could manipulate into a graphic form.
Although I like the ungainliness of this image, it is too dark and sketchy, so I tried to clean up the lines and also played about with the character differences. Highlighting them in the image below.
I do not like this image and discarded it immediately as all wrong, it is far too 'anime' in style. I decided to go back to the pencil image and create something more calm and with more white space. The image below is very clean and although there are only four colour variations in the image it still meets the requirements of creating 'individuals' with their own styles. I think the story is behind their eyes, so for this story, my work is done, eyes are the windows to the soul after all. If I develop this story further I will use these characters. I may also use these characters for a different story.
