April *＊✿❀Secret Sketches❀✿＊* Batch #3

Hey there, here's the third batch of secret little sketches for the month! I'm really excited to share this one with you because we've got a good variety of work--both projects and personal, and some process work as well. Usually there's a caption under each image as you scroll through in gallery view, but this time I decided to explain here in the text box, because there's a lot for us to talk about. 

In my first ever secret sketches post I did a lot of elaborating on each thing item (including what was going on in my head), and although the format has changed, once in a while I'd like to get back to that style of more in-depth and conversational sketch sharing!

Images 1-5: Crops of something you are probably somewhat familiar with now (😉)--all of these are from some recent pages I have sketched for Twelfth Grade Night. I won't give too much context for what exactly is going on in these scenes, but to be vague we have a special moment between Vi and Orsino and some live action roleplaying with Vi's new friends--Toby, Maria, Andrew and of course, Olivia. 😏 The last image is a full-page illustration for transitioning from act two to act three. There are only a couple full-bleed illus in the book, so it's exciting when I have the opportunity to do one and embrace the DRAMA of it all.

Inevitably, some scenes prove to be slightly more challenging/dry for me to illustrate (or rather, the subject matter doesn't speak to my tastes as much?), but it's VERY rare to find that with Arden High so far, because the authors Molly and Stephanie have provided me with such awesome textual imagery. Both Molly and Steph have written books before, but we're all new to graphic novels! You would never know it thanks to what they have provided me. I'll have to double check with them and see if someday I can share some pieces of the script that I'm working directly from. It's a real page turner and has made me chuckle aloud a few times (as well as blush), and I really hope the completed graphic novel will do the same for you! 

Image 6: I'm getting a little antsy to actually color and fully flesh out the TGN kids, so I took it upon myself to quickly sketch our favorite twins, Vi and Sebastian, in some period costumes (despite the fact that the story is modern). Nothing quite like a sexy little period-wear. I want to play with this idea some more, especially regarding Orsino's already poetic/gothic/punk/victorian inspired wardrobe. (Just imagining him in a billowy white frilly collar and long black coat with a high-waisted leather pants and heeled-boots moment....!!!) Anyways, for this specific image I used reference of two separate people standing in top-down camera perspective and mashed them up to the best of my ability.

Image 7: Another book that I have been in a bit of a break period with until this past week was Mushroom Rain, the nonfiction illustrated mushroom book, in poem format! This project is super relaxing for me, as it is a subject matter I am super familiar with and the client has been really open to all my ideas! I wanted to give you an idea of what revision looks like for this one. The top sketch is what I originally gave the director and author based on the author's text. The feedback I got after that is in the yellow box--asking me to add some squirrels and ants alongside the human. The sketch on the bottom is my revised version based on that feedback! Soon it will be right on to the finals with this book--yeaahhh!!

Image 8: What I mainly wanted to show here was some very clear piece planning. It's rare that I am able to do full illustrations for my own enjoyment because of my schedule and energy levels, but when I was on a run one day, an idea of an illustration hit me that I just had to get out. On my run on the Swamp Rabbit Trail (The swamp rabbit name is everywhere in Greenville, and imagery of rabbits is equally as present), I kept playing with the idea of a town-specific Kaiju. I imagined this giant and terrifying rabbit tearing down the famous Greenville water towers, busting through the converted mill buildings, all the breweries spewing their local craft beers. It was kind of cracking me up, because it felt like some sort of Greenville satire (perhaps Portlandia had some effect on me) and I am certainly keen on making fun of this city. All that being said, I sat down to work on the drawing later that day and really wanted to perfect the composition so I did sort of an in-depth thumbnail, which you see on the left--And the final product on the right. 

Images 9-10: Just some silly/personal stuff. First one is me screaming at my friend M because their mullet is looking so very cool right now. Final image is a mash-up of a couple sketchbook things, all drawn after a couple glasses of wine. Pens used here were pilot V5 precise, Muji blue 0.7 pen, and a borrowed Kuretake marker pen from a friend. 

Ahh.

I love talking about what went into the art. I could probably just keep going and going, especially about some of those graphic novel sketches. In June I'd love to film a video going panel by panel and explaining what the thought process was for each one, including the script material. I'm looking forward to that idea...and I hope you are too!

Appreciate you. Have a wonderful May. I'll see you in June! Much love,

-JG