A New Comic! #ChewieWhipper&Toots

Happy Monday!

I didn't watch the Super Bowl last night. I really and truly strongly dislike football... (I didn't say hate). But I was very thankful for it, as I am every year, because Superbowl Sunday means Melanie's Funday.

I have been working double shifts at the family restaurant on Sundays for at least ten years, if not more. And Sunday double shifts are rotten things when you're a waitress. You get the early risers, who are waiting at the friggin door as you unlock it. Once a month this can sometimes be Drill Weekend, so everyone is in their camouflage. Then the after-churchers, who like to tip with pamphlets and kittens and all the love in the world. Then the usual after-errand lunch rush, which is just about when I usually eat my own lunch, (which I can never do on a Sunday, because I'm too busy feeding everyone else.) Then by the time I reload on supplies and swap sneakers so that different parts of my feet can hurt, the early-dinner-eaters come, and then the regular dinner rush, and then we top it all off with the late-comers who like to stay longer than my patience allows but I grit my teeth and think about art and books instead.

So why was yesterday Melanie's Funday? Superbowl Sunday every year is DEAD. We get a rush of customers before the game, and takeout can be scary, but once the game starts... silence. Ahhh.

This year I chose to spend my time working on a little comic for my cousin, Keith, who is waaay out in Missouri training to be a soldier for five months. I figured he'd like a piece of mail that would make him chuckle, and hopefully not get beat up because of the so-cute characters. But I guess I'll hear about that with his next phone call.

Anyway, it's about a bunch of nutty squirrels, because I like squirrels and we feed them here at home. We have actual squirrel feeders that we put actual squirrel feed and peanuts (unsalted, of course) in. They are so fun to watch, but because I've been so busy the feeders haven't been filled for a little while. And so the squirrels rebel. (The comic ones, not the real ones.) And here they are:

The comics are rough, to say the least. I'll get more practice as I make a few more. It was a good exercise though, to not only give myself a bit of fun for the heck of it, but to also see if I could handle digitally coloring a series of panels in a neat and orderly fashion. This is important because I've been trying to decide how to handle rendering Little Raindrop's final art.

And now I know to stick with watercolor... the real deal. Maybe with the exception of the few blue colors I'll be adding. But for the values and shading, I choose brush and paint. Soooo much easier for me.

So that's that. I made some new art, I posted on a Monday, and I'm off to work on Little Raindrop for a bit. I'm feeling so accomplished! I hope you all had an accomplished Monday too!

Have a good week! :D
~Melanie

Building Characters builds... er, character!

Some of my most recent lessons (for both classes) have been about creating character profiles and character traits. For my illustration class, I chose to work with a little dude I made up years ago, who will be starring in his own picture book in the future. I've got his story all ready and waiting, so when I am finished with Super-Secret Project #1, and perhaps a #2, Bungee Bunny will become Project #3.

Anyhow, in the Introduction to Illustration course we talked about comic art, and the different styles it can be drawn, and how artists tell their stories with pictures.  But the number one thing of importance is your character, who needs to feel real all on his/her own. Our assignment was then to create a character, draw him from different angles, and show why he is special.

Bungee Bunny character art.
Bungee Bunny is the property of Melanie Linden Chan!

(Please forgive the watermarks, but as my little guy is so cute, he will be coveted. Kindly refrain from stealing him from me, because I have big plans for him and I'd rather my dreams not be crushed. Much appreciated.)

We also talked about this in the Book Dummy class; how your character must really be his own self, and look and act consistent throughout the story. Some students chose to draw their characters mimicking a favorite artist, (for example, how would Bungee look if Van Gogh painted him? What colors, textures, or lines would he use?), or picked out swatches of fabric patterns that their character would wear or like. Then we all did character art and turnarounds, although mine isn't quite web-ready yet so I will share it with you soon.

Character art is a great way to get yourself ready for producing a comic book, graphic novel, or a children's picture book. Do one for each of the characters in your story- you won't regret it!