Sketchbook Update and secret item

Why hello! I generally draw in my sketchbooks but I rarely make a post that is just sketchbook images, things I've just played with or trying out ideas. So here's a post from one of my new sketchbooks.

The other thing is, all of these are done in a new product from Stillman and Birn. I'm not really allowed to talk about what it is but I can at least show the work I've been doing in them. It's gonna make sketching in public 100x easier, and it's just plain a cool new product. I can't wait to get my hands on a few more, I'm almost done filling this one up (I've only had it since mid-June).

So yes, there's a lot of stuff here but I hope you all like it!

All Girl Punk Band

Desperately in need of a name, but here are some character designs I've been having fun with on Instagram, now fully scanned and color corrected. Here are the members and a short bio for each:

Mariah on drums, she assembled the band after getting annoyed with the other bands she was a part of. She's really driven to make music and to make it feel unique, but her enthusiasm wasn't shared by her former bandmates. She's tough, enterprising, and bold, not taking no for an answer and she leads the girls into battle with her amazing drum skills.

Sad-ko, not her real name. She got the name because her hairstyle reminds people of Sadako, the girl from the Ring. She's a Japanese student studying in America and enjoys the loud and heavy sounds of metal. She decided to join up with Mariah because she has more ambition than most people she knows and enjoys performing in front of a crowd. Sad-ko can play most instruments but the bass is her favorite. She'll also leave her bass to play other instruments when they need her for special songs.

Carol Lynn is a country girl through and through. She grew up playing acoustic guitar, hoping one day to make it in country, but has started to enjoy the rebellious punk genre. She's currently clashing with her parents as the world changes, so she enjoys writing most of the melodies for the band. Carol is the most boisterous member of the band, she has no problem rough housing and throwing drinks back, and she will wrestle you down. She will, don't test her!

Amani is a young Pakistani-American woman who probably has ADHD. She is just bubbling over with energy, so to channel it, her parents have tried to get her into music. She's sampled every instrument, but the Flying V her parent's got her for her birthday is her prized possession. She joins the band to play music and also play the solos for the music. Her parents are huge supporters of the band and even go to some of the shows to take pictures for their site. Sometimes her brother is their roadie, when he's got the weekend off from work. Amani vies with Carol Lynn as the most boisterous member of the band, and the two have become best friends.

Makena is the vocalist for the band, coming from years and years of singing in the choir of her church. She's come into conflict with the strictness of the church and is taking a sabbatical from it to explore life and have more fun. Her faith is still important to her, but she also enjoys singing for herself and joins the band hoping for an open place to be herself. She chose pretty well!

Watercolor and Kuretake inks in my Stillman and Birn alpha sketchbook.

Requiem Sonata Ch.2 pencils 11-15

Here's another batch of pages for Requiem Sonata. I'm going to take a brief break from it, although I'm sure I'll still draw it from time to time since I can't really escape it. I have a short story I'm going to try to draw and print up for Heroes Con this. Wish me luck!

Pencils as always in my Stillman and Birn Alpha sketchbook!

Requiem Sonata Inks pages 13-16

So I've been working on pages and other things a bunch lately. I've also gotten more hours at work so my days at a computer outnumber my days at my desk. I'm fine with having a day job especially when it starts really helping me make it through the weeks so comics can come out effortlessly. These pages aren't quite effortless and I think they show it, but still I want to share them. I'm thinking the next batch will be better.

Also I owe a HUGE inktober post. It's almost impossible to keep up with this blog on a daily basis so a lot of my inktober posts went straight to my Instagram which has become my in progress art blog. This one is more scholarly I suppose, but soon I'll compile those posts on here. Or try to. We'll see! Some of these pages were Inktober entries so there is that too.

So these pages are inked with Zebra and Kuretake brush pens primarily. I like using them at this size (7.5x10.5in) over a brush simply for comfort. Holding a brush at this size is murder on my fingers so this is the best way to do it. As usual these pages are drawn in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook, which is a new thing I was trying to keep my comic making mobile. It has its pros and cons but ultimately going smaller was not a bad decision. I feel like I'm getting rid of all of my excess and focusing only on the necessary. This will help when I get back into my 11x17in pages, which I will once the first chapter of this story is in the can.

For now, please enjoy Requiem Sonata pages 13-16!