Drift
The hard part of the production process
Today I’m tired. So tired. For a number of reasons beyond my control, I’ve had 3 projects all have their delivery dates collide at the same time; basically right now.
The book is my priority, so that has come first, but then I’ve had to fit the other two projects in around it. Which means working evenings and weekends, and jumping between projects at various milestones on the book. This is exhausting, as it leaves me no breathing room at all.
It leaves me feeling like crying but unable to cry. So what choice do I have but to crack on. Maybe play some drums for a bit, call my brother. Those things help. Cracking on even helps because the problems arise when my brain slows and lets the sludge spread and strangle me. Best to just keep making those ‘to-do’ lists and work through them, enjoy the process.
The good news is, everything is nearly finished all at the same time. So I’ve nearly done it. I think I may collapse into a heap next month though.
The fun bit; the book. I’ve inked everything, and placed all rough speech and narration, and I’ve finished doing the rough colours on chapters 4,5 & 6, and I’ve been working on designs for the front cover too. I’ve finished the pencils on the cover, so it’s time to ink and colour that too. I’ve also finished inking additional splash pages for each chapter, for consistency and atmosphere. I’ve also been planning the rear cover, endpapers and spine. I think I may be a control freak, I just want it all to look and feel cohesive.
I’ve also made contact sheets of each chapter’s rough colours so I can see it at a glance. Here’s a version of one of the chapters, pixelated to avoid spoilers.:
.This is where I try to note any potential issues with visual readability, clarity of characters and storytelling. Do the colours match the tone, and is the colour story consistent and as good as it can be? If I struggle to make out a character when viewing it at this size then I probably need to fix it. Every hurdle that could slow down a reader could disrupt their flow and hinder their enjoyment of the story.
Anyway, that’s it for now. Off to crack on, I guess.
Send me strength!
Aw Joe, it's so horrible having deadlines collide and having to work on multiple projects at once, I know that brain sludge feeling all too well! Are you at the point in the artwork where you can get lost in a good audiobook? I find that helps time move along and distracts from the pressure of deadlines. This comic is going to be a flipping masterpiece! I can't wait to see it! And you deffo deserve lots of time off after reaching the finish line :) xxx
You’ve got this mate! You’re so close to the finishing line and it’s looking great (from that colour sheet at least :D)! Make sure you do allow yourself some downtime once it’s all calmed down. Recharge and be proud of what you’ve achieved