Washed Out

So, I'm mostly doing this post to show you guys some of the style tests I did. I experimented a bit with doing Sumi ink washes, pen work and pencil work in various combo's. Here are some sample's of Cosette's head done in different media and why I didn't chose them.

The one at the top was done strictly in pencil and Sumi ink. Much heavier emphasis on the Sumi ink. I like the feeling of shadow this brought to it, but ultimately I decided not to go with it for a few reasons. Mostly, it was because of what I lost with it. It did great shadows, and I've seen ink handled with great subtlety, but frankly, that is a subtlety that I lack when I must work quickly. Also, I felt that it got rid of some of the ability of her face to emote. It makes some delicious shadows, but that's what her whole face becomes made out of. The subtle lifting of an eyebrow, or the hint of a sneer or smile that I could easily and quickly draw in were

simply drowned out by these tones.

Also, I really had to water down some of the ink to get the shallower lighter tones and I think it would be difficult to keep them at a consistent tone. The water heavy inks also kept eating the paper I was using. There are papers that are really made for ink, but I don't really have the budget to but the amount of that kind of paper that a comic would require. This is kind of a low cost venture out of sheer necessity.

Then I have the picture below that that was made up mostly of marker ink and pencil. It's too clunky and the emotions get lost in all that grey without ever providing the rich shadows that the sumi ink did which may have justified its use.

So pencils and inks were really where it was at in the end...I think this is what's working best. It's so much harder to be certain about this than I had ever thought before.

Oh, and also enjoy some scribblies I made while the ink was drying of a horribly historically inaccurate Hélène (which is what the bride's name has become most recently.) on the left side is a scribly of a dress I wanted very much, but which the store only carried in XS...anyway, if Hélène were a modern girl, she would totally want that dress. These were done with some of the heavier pens I ink with.

On a fun sidenote, "The Flesh Failures/Let the Sunshine" from "Hair" really make me want to draw the groom, and I don't know why!