Issue 41: Sample Pages and Sketchbook Pages
Revealing the secret project details and working on loosening up in my art!
Hello hello, friends and good folk!
Happy October, y’all! And my apologies for the impromptu break! I started out September with plans to work on a bunch of things that needed catching up on, and then all the fatigue from the last few months hit me like a bag of bricks lol. I decided to take a quick break to recharge.
Lately, I’ve been inspired by all the art by Raahat Kaduji I recently put up on my walls. I’m determined to get frames for more of the amazing art I have from my favorite artists this year, and I knew Raahat’s was the first I wanted to showcase. I adore her work so much! It’s definitely been an encouraging sight to see, and it’s also helped me pick up my traditional art supplies more these days, too, which you’ll see is a bit of a theme in today’s missive.
(Also, not pictured in that photo are all the mystery blemishes and filled-in holes our walls have that I edited out 😂)
THE BIG NEWS
Remember those lil peeks and teasers about a project I was working on that I couldn’t talk about? I can finally talk about it!
So in June, a publisher approached me and asked me to illustrate a Middle Grade graphic novel with a disabled main character, which I was very excited about! I immediately went through the process of hunting for an agent (hence my representation announcement a lil while back) and geared up to potentially work on this project.
After some more discussion and a few weeks later, it turns out that the publisher was actually asking me to audition for the role, requesting three sketched sample pages with how I might create the art, along with designs for the main characters.
Like a lot of artists I know, my sketches are… not the easiest to get the full picture from 😂 So I decided to make the art as close to finished as I could (minus the coloring, etc.), leaving only the final panel in the sketch phase to demonstrate what they could expect from me.
I turned in my pages last month and waited for their verdict. And unfortunately, this time, the verdict was no 🥲 They were looking for a more cartoon-y look than I had presented, but they said they loved my work still and encouraged me to submit to them if I ever pursue a kidlit project of my own. The editor I worked with was lovely, so I will definitely take her up on that if I ever do!
Anywho, I can’t share many details about the project, but I can share my art with you! I’ve censored the script since that’s not my IP to share, but hopefully you can get a feel for the vibe I was going for here still 😄
Do you see the tiny lil star-nosed mole there in the bottom right corner from my last newsletter? 😂
It was a fun experience to work with someone else’s script in this way, bringing my own twists and ideas to it, and I’m glad that this comic will exist even without me working on it. It’s wonderful to know there’s gonna be more disabled kid representation in comics! I hope it opens the gates for even more in the future 💖
IN THE STUDIO
Lately, I’ve been trying to change my thinking about how I make art. I get frustrated with how slow and stiff I am, and I think a lot of that is how wrapped up I can get in making something look “right” or look “beautiful.” And it’s so suffocating!!
I really admire artists who are less precious about their art process, and I mean this entirely as a comment on me overthinking, not an accusation of them underthinking/not caring about the quality of their work.
I like how they seem to treat each piece like an experience or an experiment, not worrying about whether it’s “perfect” (which doesn’t exist anyway). Their pieces turn out so expressive and beautiful and interesting in all the best ways, and they make a lot more art than I do that way. I want to do more of that and do less stalling over minute decisions that ultimately aren’t worth the delay in finishing a piece.
I’ve also been yearning for the physical art realm a lot lately, too. I love the accessibility of working digitally, especially with the early stages of a work which frustrate me quite a bit, but something about the feeling of a paintbrush on paper is absolutely unbeatable. The tactile feedback I get from the process and being able to hold the end result in my hands is something I’ve missed so much these last couple years.
I really want to explore more with texture and being loose, too. It’s something I adore in other people’s works, but I’m always a bit shy about figuring out how to include in my own. That changes this year!!!
I’ve come to realize that in order for my artwork to have a looser quality, I need to be looser when I make it. I have to let go of the urge to make my work “perfect” (which, again, doesn’t even exist).
So last month, I made more time for my sketchbook just to play around. I also needed to clean out my gouache and watercolor palettes, but I hate cleaning off paint just to toss it. So I thought it would be a great creative limitation to only use paints I already had on my palette to work with.
Some of the results I liked quite a bit like the image above. Others, like the one below, …a bit less so, but that’s okay! 😅😂 I still enjoyed the process, and I like certain elements in it that I’ll revisit.
To help address all these struggles, I’m working on changing my thought process while I create. Instead of asking myself, “Does this look correct/perfect?” or “Does this look beautiful?” I’m asking myself, “What happens if I do this?” and “Does this look interesting?”
Interesting is a lot more fun than beautiful or “perfect” to me! I think I got caught up in reference studies for a while there and got too focused on making sure that I was able to show that I knew what I was doing, but I feel I’ve grown to the position where now I need to break all those things and explore what I would like to do, however that ends up looking.
I think my next challenge will be overcoming, “If I try this, I’ll ruin it.” 😂
I’ve been watching vlogs by mixed media artists whose work I admire to help me stay motivated and to give me some insights into how I can incorporate their techniques into my own work. Just wanna shout them out real quick— I’m so grateful for their work! Raahat Kaduji, Sophie McPike, and Hannah Flanagan.
FINAL CALL FOR NIF SUBMISSIONS!
If you’re a Co-op member or if you’re a member of the public with an event proposal, don’t forget— today’s the last day to submit your comics and events! The deadline is at 2:59 PM Eastern Time, and we would love to see your work! 💖
SHORTBOX COMICS FAIR
The ShortBox Comics Fair is officially back for 2025! I haven’t had time yet to go through the exhibitor list of (if my counting was correct) 146 people to find the Co-op members participating yet, but I’m hoping to get that in the October 15 newsletter!
In the meantime, please help me prepare an obituary for my wallet 😅 I love this time of year; getting to see the incredible comics that the exhibitors have made is an absolute treat every time!
RECENT READS + FAVORITES
The latest updates for Recent Reads are up on the blog!
And here are some of my favorite things from the past few weeks:
Eating: Pinkberry for the first time in a decade! lol Original flavor with granola, pineapple, and coconut
Watching: Bodkin, One of Them Days, and The Pitt
Experiencing: Flights of Foundry
How about you? What have been some of your favorite things lately?
Hope this week is kind to you 💖 Thanks for reading!
