coming at it sideways

secret sketchbook pages

I’m working on a graphic novel! It’s still quite early in development, so I don’t want to share too much too early. And, just to clarify, at this point it’s a project for school, with aspirations of becoming a real live book when it grows up. No guarantees! But I believe in you, brave little toaster bundle of thumbnails!

When I was in the outlining/scripting phase, which can feel both overwhelming and kind of disconnected from the story’s intended final form, I started keeping a sketchbook specifically for this project.

This sketchbook contains concept art, character designs, research notes, location studies, color experiments, etc. This sketchbook is a way for me to come at this project sideways, to find entry points into the story that feel less daunting than Writing a 200+ Page Graphic Novel Script. This sketchbook keeps me excited about the story and motivated to get it closer to the point where I get to actually draw it.

Without further ado, and with little to no context, here are some teasers! Some appetizers! Some… free samples? I’m running out of analogies

Have some puffins??

I liked these guys so much that I redrew them digitally and got them printed up as die-cut sticker sheets!

this is not a spoiler, this scene never happens in the story! Originally sketched on paper, then I inked it digitally just for like, practice I guess?

another page that was originally on paper, but I redrew it digitally

main character’s best friend, in the story he’s seen exclusively through a phone screen 🥲

Finnur, the eight-year-old cousin (chaotic good)

I literally bought a hotwheels car so I could draw it from all of the angles

this scene is also not canon, and was originally on paper and then I inked it digitally

character lineup!!! Jonas is Berit & Runa’s dad, Magnus & Dagny are their aunt & uncle (Dagny & Jonas are siblings)

toddler fashion 🤌

I am shifting into Thesis Crunch Mode so you won’t hear from me until May, probably!!!