STS-56: More Scifi Sketches

I promise this will have a name beyond "scifi comic" eventually, but for now, that's all it is. Most of what you see are my (Graham) sketches and designs, since I'm doing the pencils on this project, but every so often Caroline does a sketch of her own, and that's what we're showing today. A couple of sketches Caroline did of one of the main characters of the comic, one in pencil and the other just in pen.



No updates yet on when, exactly, you'll get to see the comic pages, but I promise you they're coming! Until then, as always, our webcomic Of Stars and Swords continues to update weekly and is nearing the end of Issue 4 of the story! And you can catch up there on the website or on Comixology!

STS-55: Summer Seren

Summer's almost over, but we've got a summer sketch for you! Caroline decided she just had to draw Seren enjoying the summer. So here it is, done in crayon! Enjoy Seren in her usual cheerful form.




Speaking of Seren, Of Stars and Swords Issue 0 and 1 are available for sale on Comixology now! There are also DRM-free versions available in our store on the sidebar to the left, as well as a newly compiled version of The End with new lettering!

STS-54: Scifi Character Design Update

We've been focused on Of Stars and Swords here on the art blog lately, but I'm still quietly working on a scifi comic. An 8-page short is nearly completely penciled, along with multiple scripts written, so things are coming. For now, though, here's a look at some character designs as they've evolved in the working.

You can see the original headshots of the main cast here and then a full lineup of the cast here.

First up is a color test on that previous lineup. Everything here is still in various states of flux, even in how some of the characters are designed on the whole. So certain characters might look completely different when the comic itself is out! Click to see a larger version!

Next up are a couple of sketches that Caroline did. These are her takes on the four main characters, with a fairly heavy redesign attempt to one of them. It is very possible I might be adapting some of her ideas into the final character designs...

STS-53: Demon Designs

What would a fantasy story be without monsters? Of Stars and Swords has been a slow burn in that direction, but now we've got demons! There's not much to see in the comic pages just yet, so how about a look at Caroline's design sketches?

In other Of Stars and Swords news, you can now buy Issue 0 on Comixology! The other issues are coming, as well! Speaking of that, Issue 4 begins on June 26!

STS-52: Winter Wear

This is in reaction to this page, where Marguerite updates her wardrobe to something more appropriate for snow and Chloe calls foul.  Graham and I were joking about it one night and I had some free time at work the next day...

So here's a crayon and ballpoint pen doodle of Chloe, if Marguerite had given in and decided to help her out.

Yes, that is a bow.

STS-51: Megacon 2013

This was our first year getting a table at Megacon, after years of just bringing our portfolio and bugging pros.  Graham even had his own portfolio this year, full of pages from his sci-fi comic!

Commissions:

One of the best things about having a table is that the cosplay comes to you:

I'll leave you with this Strange group:

STS-50: Goblin Design Sketch

Look at that! Finally up to fifty blog posts!

For this one, I give you how Goblins look in Of Stars and Swords. Caroline and I talked this one through a lot before she tackled the design, but we both came from the same direction. The idea was to make this a recognizably goblin-like design, but not to copy what, say, Lord of the Rings had already done. So we've still got the big head, small body setup, but Caroline went with a few different ideas here: three fingers and toes, legs that reverse slightly at the knee, and somewhat bat-like ears.

And, of course, Caroline made him cute.

STS-49: OSAS Underground Designs

Half of the group of heroes in Of Stars and Swords has journeyed into a fairly standard fantasy location: underground tunnels and roads. For reference, the scene at the waypoint begins here, Issue 3 - Page 5.

The location where most of the action would take place was a waypoint, like a small village between cities to provide a place for travelers to rest. For reference, one of the first things Caroline did was to put together a nice little overhead view of the waypoint so we knew the area.

Overall, it's really just a simple crossroads with buildings carved into the four corners. So it didn't get too boring, we put a huge column in the center, carved with runes as a road sign of sorts. You can see the height and shape of the column at the bottom of this page of sketches.

We also didn't want things to just be boring rock and columns, so Caroline and I talked things over a little bit, and then she went crazy designing creatures of various kinds and tons of plant life for the environment. The sad thing is, a lot of these little guys we just don't have a chance to show, but it helped to get a feel for what the underground world is like.

STS-48: OSAS Mage and Priest Designs

Recently in Of Stars and Swords, we've introduced a new city with a political system built around a group of Mages and Priests. The idea was that everything in running the city was divided equally between the two groups, and so we needed designs for how everyone would look. Beyond some very minor suggestions from me, all of this was Caroline as she tried to find some less than traditional influences for how to dress the characters.

First up are the designs for the two groups of city guards. So far, we've only shown the Priest Guards, and you can see them fully colored here on this page.



Next, we needed the two leaders. These are our really important characters that can't just be blank faces, and Caroline really had fun with the pair while still playing off the guard designs. And next week, when Issue 3 of the comic starts up, you'll get to see both of these guys right away!