For page 60 I used a simple G-pen to replace the fuzzy pencil ink. I like the pencil-look, but I believe that I’m more likely to maintain a consistent style by sticking with simple ink lines.
My strategy is now to replace my “painterly” pages with simple line drawings. As for coloring, I’m using the bucket tool to lay down the base color, then using multiply and lighten layers to apply the shadows and highlights.
I decided that Tuca would wear the first gas mask I drew for him. The Nausicaa mask looks too much like the lungs of a small animal, which is not the thought I’d want to enter my readers’ minds. Now I’m off to work on page 41.
Speaking of pages, there are 75 pages in this, my third book. That’s about 30 pages more than are in the first two books in the series. My next work contract begins August 30, giving me about 35 days to complete the next 30-plus images, add the dialog, process everything in InDesign, and publish. No amount of can-do positive thinking can deceive me into believing that I can meet that schedule.
Whenever I find myself dealing with a tight deadline, I think of all the time I spend enjoying interesting challenges such as learning how to paint reflections on face mask lenses. And then I think of my impossible schedule and wonder if I should spend more time developing a simpler cartoon style. And, yes, I have been working on that project in my sketching time.
