Early Gustaff Concepts

Below are some of my first drawings of Gustaff. These were my initial feelings of what the character should embody. I imagined him as a lanky, animated fellow who has a real charm when talking to people and a total focus while working.

As you can see, these are more detailed and realistic than some of the other drawings I have posted. Since these drawings were made, I have been working to find a nice balance of cartoon and realism in his design to get the most out of his emotions. 

Although I started drawing a newsboy hat on him, I kind of dig the visor.

It is nice to have these early drawings to look back on. They help me keep the initial spirit of the character while I refine his design. In the next post, I will show how the character has developed into more of a cartoon since I started the sculpture of him. See you soon!

Gustaff Maquette

Lately, I have been working on my character design for Gustaff, the repairman in my story. He is a kind, laid-back, yet hard-working gentleman who enjoys his quiet, little repair shop.

Although I like where he is going, I want to make sure I am 100% comfortable with what Gustaff looks like before I commit him to comic book pages. The best way to do this is to sculpt him. Here are some process pictures of a small bust I am making to help me figure out his character:

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I begin by creating a metal armature for the head.

Gustaff doesn't do well with metal detectors.

By this point, I have mounted the armature and begun sculpting.

Having added the mass of his torso, I start to build Gustaff's facial features. 

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Here is the current state of the sculpt. It is still very-much a work in progress. However, I am already discovering new questions about his design and answering others. My next step will be to redraw him in order to  figure out some of the sculptural details. Then, I will finish the sculpture and finalize his designs. 

(I will be sure to give him ears as well) 

The lower images showcase Gustaff with a placeholder mustache and eyebrows. I can still remove them at any time to refine his face, but they are very helpful for visualizing the final product.

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I hope you enjoyed this look into how I design characters. I will be updating the blog with more sketches and process in the near future!

Sneak Peak

Here is a sneak peak at what I'm currently working on. More process and updates to come. Stay tuned!

Also, here's a dog in a chair.

New Project!

Although I have been kept busy with freelance work, I can't help but have other ideas in the process. While I am forced to put them on the back burner, I do try to at least put them down. Here are some concept sketches for a comic, that's right--a comic--I am working on. It's a twelve-pager set in the 1930's that involves a woman bringing a repairman a broken mirror. The script has been written and thumbnails completed, but I am still fiddling around with the character designs. This is a first look at the characters and environments for "Broken" (working title).

These sketches of the characters are very close to what I want. I am still tinkering with small details and proportions. I am even considering sculpting them to make sure I have them fully locked-in. I am considering simplifying them a bit as well.

For a larger project like this, I typically have the idea stewing in my head for a while as I try to finish my mandatory work. As it unwillingly coalesces into what I know it needs to be, I feel the need to draw it but resist because I have other work to do. Then--usually some point around 3 A.M.--I realize I can't avoid drawing it any more. So I get up, click on the light, and let my pencil fly. That is how the following backgrounds were created. I draw quickly and rough, not being overly specific about perspective or details because I am just trying to get my ideas onto the page. Once they are drawn, I can see what I need to refine, and move forward from there.

Antique Store

 Kitchen

Workshop

I will be updating more of this as time goes on. Look for more advanced character studies and refined backgrounds! I'm very excited for this project and glad that I can share it. 

Portrait Study

Since my freelance work keeps me on the computer, I enjoy making a quick traditional drawing for fun every now and then to revitalize me. Then, I can come back to the computer with a fresh perspective and tackle my work. I'm not sure why, but something about using paper and pencil just makes the entire process more enjoyable.

Although this was created from a photograph, I didn't just copy it. Instead, I used the photograph to inform my sketch and emphasized the areas that characterized the person. In drawing, what you leave out is just as important as what you include.

If you can guess who this study was based on, you get 5 bonus points.