Yes!!! :D

[sigune]

I'm absurdly excited about this picture.

There are two reasons.

First off:
I fixed the character design for Gawain :). It's quite ridiculous how long it has taken me to do that - it's probably mostly due to my absolutely chaotic and unprofessional approach towards comic making. I haven't got character charts or anything, and until recently I never quite considered that things like costume designs for each character might be useful :p. In the meantime, I have changed my mind. There are things like consistency and recognisability to be considered. Also, if a costume is going to be worn regularly, it might be worthwhile thinking through the design to make sure it's not too complicated :).

So here is Gawain. I have adapted his hair to the style I have in mind (see Florie). The costume I gave him for the first part of the story is very Irish. He is wearing a long-sleeved tunic (called leine), and over that, a ionar or vest with short sleeves. This vest is fairly heavy, made of leather, and serves as protective gear instead of chainmail (which is very heavy).

I kept the design of the sword very simple. The weapons are difficult, actually. I don't want a fantasy look for them, but it's hard to find designs from the 6th century. There are plenty of Halstatt and Le Tène Celtic swords, but these are positively antiquated by the 6th century. There are some great Saxon and (later) Viking weapons to be found, but their style is wrong. So Gawain ended up with a practical, simple sword that looks neither recent nor antiquated *g*. (I'm still worrying about Excalibur though. But maybe it's okay if that sword looks old-fashioned. It's been forged by fairies after all.)

The shield is a round Irish shield. It's rather fortunate that Gawain's emblem from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight does not look conspicuously medieval on a Dark Ages shield :). I can easily maintain it throughout the story, even when the setting changes.

Second:
I have pretty much established the style that I want for the comic. It's what you see in this picture :). So I guess I will be inking after all, but with (brown) Faber-Castell PITT pens instead of Staedtlers. They allow for less detail, but that's not bad, because it forces me to simplify and I think that's a good thing. And even though cabepfir has warned me a thousand times about how time-consuming watercolour is going to be, I like the look of it so much that I'm determined to give it my best shot. I'm increasingly enjoying the use of these paints, too, so I want to see whether I can pull this off.

I know I'm very slow - too slow for a professional, I guess (and then I'm not even talking about my skill level). But though I sometimes get frustrated by how much time I need for everything, there are always moments at which I feel that things come together, and then I am reminded of why it's worthwhile for me to take my time. This is one of those moments. I know I'm on the right track, and things will work out in a way that I can be happy with. I was looking for something, and I have found it. Now it's a matter of making it work for an entire comic :P...

I am determined to start on The Sword of Kings (by way of test case before I tackle the 200+ pages of The Darkest Hour) this week. Wish me luck :).

Comments

[branquignole.livejournal.com]

This picture looks gorgeous. Awesome perspective too. :)

[sigune.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much!

Sometimes, just sometimes, things work out ;).

[neke.livejournal.com]

It looks wonderful!

[sigune.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much!

[poultrygeist99.livejournal.com]

Hawt! I love it!

[sigune.livejournal.com]

:D

Thanks!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

GOOD LUCK!!! *giant hugs* This is a lovely drawing, and as always, I can't wait to see/read more!!

[sigune.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! Your support is very important to me :). I'm such a slowpoke, I expect everyone to lose interest and walk away...

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

What I love about it? The perspective. That downward view is very striking, and so are the colors. Gawain's costume is wonderful, too!

[sigune.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! I can't believe how long I took over that costume... But at least I'm happy with it now. The others were ugly :). I guess it came down to reducing it to its essence and just thinking about what might be comfy (I can't stand those impractical costumes you often see in fantasy designs :p).

The perspective is one I need for the first page of "The Sword of Kings", and I kind of like its drama.

[todayiamadaisy]

Good luck! I'm really looking forward to seeing the results.

[sigune.livejournal.com]

Thank you :). Your support means a lot to me!

There will be blood

[cabepfir.livejournal.com]

YES!

Ah, it's great to know that there's at least someone who considers me as obnoxious as I intend to be ;)
Please now go to add panels, balloons and more blood.

As for watercolour question: I fear I've never worried about lightfastness, so I cannot offer much help :/

Re: There will be blood

[sigune.livejournal.com]

You don't? But what if one of your pictures goes on display? I usen't to worry about it either, because no-one ever commissions a watercolour from me, and all my watercolours are kept in folders. But when I auctioned "Oh, Aching Heart" for Haiti, it struck me that I often use colours that aren't lightfast, and that if this picture would be exposed to strong Australian light, it would fade. So I actually warned the buyer about that... Your Oscar/Bosie and Gawain watercolours I have attached to the doors of my art cupboard, on the inside, because I don't want to keep them stowed away, but I don't want them to be directly exposed to light either. Now they are in the kind of place where some men keep pin-ups of scantily-clad women, but... *g* At least I get to look at them a lot, and they're safe :).

Heh. You're not obnoxious at all. You know how highly I value your judgement. Your critiques always make sense. But sometimes I'm torn between sense and, I dunno, a kind of idealism? The look of this picture is the look that I want. I know this; that makes it difficult to ignore it for the sake of speed. At this point I don't think it is at all realistic for me to expect to be picked up by a publisher, ever. I'm resigned to the fact that I'll always need a day job, which means I can't prioritise my comic, which means I'll probably never arrive at routine and speed, which means it's not realistic to expect publication, and there we go again. But it does mean I'm free. This has its drawbacks. So I intend to exploit its advantages. Such as, taking the time I feel I need.

Okay for the panels and such. I'm on it :).

Re: There will be blood

[cabepfir.livejournal.com]

No, really, I've never worried about watercolours lightfastness, probably because I've never experienced fading from a watercolour. What I have personally experienced are drawings done with markers that disappear with the sun and also fountain pen drawings that become pale shadows of what they were. But as for watercolours, I don't personally remember any of these mishaps.

You know, I have bought this http://clap-san.deviantart.com/art/Kiss-the-Autumn-127739116, the original, for mere 60 € shipping included (from Vietnam!) and I would have gladly spent thrice the sum for it. And I placed it inside my cupboard, too, along with other posters (no naked men, however, even if you just gave me an idea).

About time: there are also authors who employ three+ days to complete a single page, don't despair ;)

Re: There will be blood

[sigune.livejournal.com]

Clap-san... *sigh* I don't know how he does it. His watercolours look so bright and delicate and perfect O_O. And, apparently, not at all expensive. Gah.

3+ days? I'm sure I can do worse! Then again, maybe I won't have to re-do every page every time... :P

[authoress-susan.livejournal.com]

Oh, my! He IS gorgeous. What a cool perspective too. I want more!

[sigune.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! There will be more, that's a promise :).

I'm glad you find Gawain pleasing to the eye - though not perhaps as much as Merlin's Gwaine...? :D

[authoress-susan.livejournal.com]

Well, Merlin's Gwaine, Lancelot, and Arthur are pleasing...but so is your Gawain!