LunarSpoon

I am writing this as of the day pages 1-4 are posted~ :3c
Comic pages will be posted on deviantART only! I use a lot of blogging sites but dA is the best way for me to post my story in its full view and quality.
Based on a poll I posted a looooong time ago (which I also agree with), 2 to 4 pages will be posted at a time to keep the panel and page flow going.
Actual info on the comic itself including its story and making will be mentioned as little as possible. I hate having an impression or influence on a reader's experience, so the artist's comments section will be desolate other than the convenient "PREVIOUS/NEXT" links to the other pages in them.
Just to jot this down because it might be obvious, the first four pages are drawn on 11x14 bristol board, but every page afterward will be 11x17. This adjustment is based solely on the experience I've had with these first pages; drawing larger will be an improvement and since I bought a bigger, better scanner I may as well use the room.
Here's some info on the differences if yer curious: artwiki.wikidot.com/comic-book…

That's pretty much all I have to say! I continue to work hard on this story and no matter what you think of it so far, it will only get better from here! Thanks and enjoy!
 

Note: I may continue to add more sections to this as I think them up.

Basic character development tips! I am not a "professional," but I am a pro at going brain-dead when I see the same cookie-cutter character cliches and stereotypes show up too often. Considering that all stories are character-driven, it's a pretty important element to nail down. These are mostly the things off the top of my head when someone asks me about writing.

If you consider it the way I do, we all may just be complex characters written by God, the author of existence. No living thing should be described in just one or two adjectives. There are a few key rules I keep in mind when developing characters and I will make a distinct list at the end of this journal if you want to skip all my paragraphs.

One of my favorite characters of all time in both film and writing is Willy Wonka. His complexity and disposition has served as an inspiration for countless other characters in all kinds of media. Wonka is the original, whimsical, child-at-heart adult character and there are so many facets to him that could be studied, but to me, he is an ideal balance of traits. When I observe his character, I see multiple dualities: innovative vs. imaginative, responsibility vs. whimsy, sophisticated vs. casual, and (particularly) familiarity vs. mystery. Every once in a while, I'll still come back to study the characters that made this story so immortal.

Personally, one of my other big character-writing influences was surprisingly The Grinch from Dr. Seuss. After all these years, many of his characters may feel one-dimensional or childish, but many of them still have a refreshing presence to tell his stories. And if you take a step back, a lot of those childish characters can get pretty thought-provoking... The Grinch may not necessarily be one of those characters, but he was a prime example to me of how anyone can change. He was entertaining above all else: grouchy, clever, scheming, and delightfully unpleasant. We all loved The Grinch before and after he learned his big lesson and in my opinion, that's a decent sign of a well-written character.

I personally find it easier to write female characters. Something about their femininity feels more internally complex to me, like they have the potential to be more emotionally/mentally flexible or interesting (like every Ghibli heroine ever)... But seriously, I'm not a man in real life; I theorize that in my mind, women are already on an equal-status plane to men just because I am one. That's simply my default. We're all human and in reality, we don't think much different from one another.

The main character I've written for my first graphic novel is a 23-year-old female and in nearly every way, she would not change if she were the opposite sex. The same goes for the supporting character, an 8-year-old boy who is black. If you were to alter their sexes or races in any combination on either of them, their core characters would not change in the slightest. Why did I decide to make them the way they are? Because I decided to. Because women and black people exist. Because from a design perspective, it makes my story's cast visually interesting. The only thing that would change their characters dramatically is age but that's a big change beyond sex or race.

I started out drawing everything and anything interesting to me. Pencils, clouds, cats, windows, hands, you name it. Throughout grade school I drew animals and couldn't draw any part of a person to save my life until late high school where I started drawing more realistic portraits to get a grip on human anatomy. Since then, I've been practicing character design for both animals and humans, and at this point I'm currently working on improving all my man-made structures and cityscape design. My personal art style is based on my experiences and influences, including western comic strips, manga, classic animation, and children's book illustrators.

I am strictly a traditional artist. When it comes to digital art (which I have nothing against) I personally do not have the resources to begin learning, but more so, I love the physicality of traditional art way too much. The love for that feeling of specific tools is why my primary medium is India ink and dip "nib" pens. I tend to draw and shade in a "comic book style" which is a look that, I believe, has a sophistication that can stretch across any subject matter. The main shading techniques I use are solid black, hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling.

• If you'd like art from me done in another medium other than ink, let me know in a message and I'll see if we can find an alternative.
• Screen tones are also a great shading option, but my materials are limited.
  
• I do not do color as often. I can do it, but it costs a lot more in terms of resources and time, plus I'm not the best at it to be completely honest (see my gallery or the end of this article for examples). When I do color, I prefer colored pencil or Copic markers. All that being said, if you're absolutely desperate for color, send me a message and maybe we can work out a price. If the art you want colored is more on the simple side, I'm more likely to go for it. See my line art below for alternative coloring solutions.

To be blunt, I may not be the artist for you. The art world is vast. If you have something very specific in mind, try browsing the web some more. Find that special artist who can portray the precise elements you want to find in an art piece. Heck, maybe it's not a drawing you want; maybe you really want a poem, or a sculpture, or a song, or a plush toy--you never know! If you don't have something super specific in mind (or you've already chosen my art from the get-go), there are three levels of detail I can create with prices and examples. These levels act as guidelines so I can get a good idea of how much detail you want as well as what price range you prefer.

• Detail will vary from drawing to drawing based on the subject, light source, and setting (if any).
  
• All prices are mostly based on the estimated amount of time it takes to complete, but also the amount of material used.
  

1) LINE ART: $15 USD
Solid, black, crisp lines. I recommend this if all you want to see is an idea or design in my style without anything fancy. Any small details that are inherently solid black (pupils, animal noses, eyebrows, etc.) will also be filled in unless otherwise stated. With proper permission and credit, I'll also allow my line art to be colored by another artist. Simpler/smaller drawings are subject to lower prices!


2) BASIC SHADING: $20 USD
Basic shading usually involves solid black shadows as well as just the hatching method of shading to establish darker shades. Things that are naturally pure black (like that raven) are more likely to have extra shading to emphasize its darker value. Basic shading is a great option if you want a nice, smooth drawing in a comic book style without going crazy with too many details.


3) FULL SHADING: Starting at $25 USD
Don't let "starting at" scare you; that applies to more complex or larger subjects which may vary by only a dollar or two. Full shading is the work I'm most proud of and involves much more time. Cross-hatching and stippling are added to get a beautifully detailed range of darker shadows and lighter highlights. I highly recommend full shading if you want to unlock the full potential of my inking skill on your request.



EXTRA) CON BADGES: $20 - $30
Convention badges, Furry in particular, are the next best thing to having a fursuit in order to show off your characters. I know I've previously stated that I'm not the best at color, but for badges, I highly recommend it. My con badges are a maximum 6" x 6" and this "package" includes your character fully inked or colored (hence the pending price) on thick paper, cleanly cut out, laminated and hole-punched with an attached key ring, and physically mailed to you (see BONUS below). If all you want is a drawing of your character to be colored by another artist and turned into a con badge by another artist, check out my line art option.






All payments will be made through Paypal or Venmo and must be received in full before I begin drawing. I will send you the link to my Paypal page (or other) in our note. Once I give you a final price for a drawing, it will be final and will not change after your payment. My above prices are firm but not set in stone. They may vary depending on the commission. For example, if you wanted a full-shaded drawing of something tiny and simple, I would probably do it for much cheaper than the line art price.