Secondlina's Panels

Hear that? That's the sound of my brain melting.

Well, no, not really. I got better.

Long story short, you guys know I work both on printed comics, an online comic and some random illustration work (plus my random tech support day job at 37 hours per week).

I was working on "Psychopomps" this week, with the help of putri_nih  and dqbunny . I was working on dialog and storylines and basically doing "thumbnails" (aka small sketchy versions of the real pages) and I realized pretty quickly that "Psychopomps" was freaking LONG. I'm talking 100 pages here. And this comic needed to be finished in two months so it could be presented and sold to the TCAF (Toronto Comic Arts Festival).  Now, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I can draw 100 pages in 2 months. No, really. But only when i'm not working. If I was jobless, this comic would have been draw, colored, printed and wrapped weeks before the TCAF. But since I do have and require a job to live, this isn't going to happen.

Because i'm such a stable girl, this send me in a weird spiraling loops of freaking out. I wanted to finish this comic for the TCAF. I wanted to go to the TCAF to meet a whole bunch of artists friends. I wanted to achieve this.

But yeah. I'm not an idiot. I realize that under the current circumstances, it ain't happening. My editor reassured me that he had no problem with me getting this done later and therefore only presenting it at the TCAF for next year. So I guess 2012 will be my year for comics. I plan on having two wonderful books ready for the 2012 comic conventions.

I wish I had cash that fell out of the sky or something.

I was still going to work hard on the off-chance that I manage to finish in time for the TCAF, but really, I think it would be better if I took my time and produced good pages with good inking instead of pages inked quickly in a fashion that just screams "PANIC". Because inking by hand can look great, but not when you nervously squibble.

I wish I could draw all day and get income that way.

Guess i'll need to work on my portfolio and start applying to agencies for artists and such.

ALSO REALLY GOOD NEWS : Link finally got a job as game designer in a small company. He's finally going to be able to live off his art, after 5 years of trying. I'm so happy, proud and jealous at the same time. This calls for an epic party.

Sorry for unloading on you guys again. But your comments always make me feel better! :D HUGS ALL AROUND!

Have an Alice and Lewis Carroll drawing. This got turned into a colored donation wallpaper for Namesake.



- Isa

 Today was brutal. I was pretty much as unmotivated as I could ever be. EVER. So yeah. I pretty much did nothing all day. Answered calls and emails from worried clients who worry about their system. Then I cleaned for a bit and ate. I my brain just started working again when I sat down at the drawing table. Today, I inked two Namesake pages and designed/sketched/inked/colored the cover for Psychopompes. Yay! I was pretty blocked about what to do with this cover. Sometimes the idea really doesn't come to you. I went thru a few cover ideas...

And ended up with this one. WHICH I ADORE.



What is it with me and skulls? characters seem a little small. I might still modify it... But it's a good start and then some. At least, it serves as a great temporary cover.

So yeah. I'm sorry. I didn't answer any emails today. Or really looked at my f-list. It was a"blah" day. 

Change is needed. Or something.

Blah. Sleep now.

*goes to her blanket cave*

- Isa

To continue on yesterday's post about how my free time most be divided between working my art and anything social or cultural I need to be doing... I feel like my cultural knowledge is going down lately. I used to read books for classes, and even in class (I was bored). I learned so many fun things. I used to keep up with newspapers too. Nowadays? Not so much. The more I seem to work to make books, the less I seem to actually read them. I have a pile of novels and comic books wanting to be read in my living room.

Really Cool Book # 1 - Read me Isa! I will teach you about German expressionism!
Isa - ....grmbl....not now. Busy.
Awesome Book #5 - No, read me! I'll teach you about Lewis Carroll and his life!
Isa - .....Guys, c'mon...
Random comic #3 - What about me? I take traditional characters in a new compelling direction with strange spooky art!
Isa - I...what.....?
Dvd I just bought #6 - DOGPILE!
Isa - Aaaaaauuuuugh! *is dogpiled*

I used to read a lot of books on the way to work. You know, back in Ottawa when it took me about an hour to get there. Nowadays, it takes 30 minutes, and that's including 10 minutes of walking and a switch between the subway and a bus. It's just harder to read.

So I decided to use technology some more. I watch movie when I draw thanks to the computers in the studio and i'm finally trying out Audio Books. Hopefully this will bring my cultural levels up. Or something. I'm beginning to feel pretty stupid when I talk to people. *laughs*

.............................................................................................................................

Aside from that, here's a little peek at "Psychopompes", the printed comic i'm working on. This book is basically based on a story by Sartre called "The chips are down". It's about a couple who awakens in a (highly texturized) version of the underworld and are told they weren't suppose to die. They are sent back for 24 hours to fall in love and fill out their roles has soulmates. I focus greatly on the character travelling thru the underworld to reach the door that leads back to the surface. The characters meet odd and terrifying creatures of all kinds and, of course, death, who doesn't really like seeing her good work being sent back up.

Hopefully this will be good. I have high hopes for this comic.

First page, when the male lead called Lucien wakes up in the underworld, not remembering who he is, or his own death. he'll remember gradually later. That knife he wakes up next to? Yeah, that's how he died. Of course, there was someone holding that knife at the time. XD



( More Psychopompes sketches below cut )

This comic is in french, but i'm going to try to get some english prints too. :)

- Isa