Author notes

666

usedbooks

on Dec. 18, 2008

Trevor brought up the discussion of layers, so I thought I'd share my rather crude art creation process with you. My original scan is in pencil. I change the contrast and darkness to give it an ink look and then remove all stray marks. I replace or enhance important outlines with vectors and delete or change shapes and textures as needed. Then I add flat color to a semi-transparent layer and enhance the color with shading and highlights. After that, I add a layer for extra lighting/dark effects. I usually end up with 3 to 5 layers. – It usually takes me two days (squeezing the work into my "free" moments") to do a colored page.

ghostrunner: Sage words.

DAJB: You'll get another color page just after Christmas. ;-) This is a short chapter.

patrickdevine: I realized awhile ago that the "waking up" plot device is common across my writing for specific characters. Seiko wakes up quite a lot in this story (often to strange scenes).

Peipei: He has been guarding her a bit off and on. His role as "rescuer" has been taking form lately. Luckily, he also happens to live in the woods out here, so they were on "his turf."

Tantz: I believe you. You're always a step ahead of me. XD

amanda: Oh, you Texans don't know cold. XD I can't stand heat myself. 65 to 70 is good for me, and I don't put a jacket on until it drops into the 40's. But I imagine that a dip in the river on a brisk night makes the heat a bit more welcoming.

trevor: It takes me a couple hours to color too, but the whole digital process takes much longer. I'm pretty clumsy with everything too.