Style Experiment

Another nerdy post... but it does have relevant artwork!
In fact, that's kinda the point of this one. I've been trying to post it for days now... but it's lengthy and I've been rather busy doing insane hours at work @_@ (last post if you care).

Okay so.
While drawing my main character, Miss Tavé Deveaux... the same way I've been drawing her for years.... I discovered she could really use some work. Design-wise.

Granted that there shows my awful drawing skills from early high school. XD But still. Even in her later incarnations, it's just not working. For such an interesting and exotic personality that I've written her to be... her look is suddenly rather boring to me. Not only this, but the look and style I had fallen into rendering her with is pretty bulky and inefficient. Great for illustrating; but if I plan to make this a comic (ie: drawing characters over and over from various angles...), my style needs some streamlining. And not just on a character-by-character basis.

What I am trying to avoid, though, is changing my style completely. People have pointed out that my current style and look is unique, which is awesome. X3 But I really like it as well— I don't want to lose some of my trademark elements, but sadly, there are some problems with certain things.
Now I could sit and pick apart my own art forever (which I will try my best to avoid, lol), but I suppose some examples are in order. Here, have an experimental Tavé.

Before you sit and wonder what's different (beyond the obvious), a lot of my character design knowledge went into this experiment. I do actually claim to draw for animation, so I applied many of these principles in the redesign:

• Simplified anatomy
• More expressive features
• More aesthetic shapes
• Stronger silhouette

As an added challenge, I tried for repetition of shapes in certain elements like her eyes/glasses, eyebrows/hairline (yeah, Tavé has rather thick brows, lol), and quite obviously her hair. The little curly-cue dealy I want to carry into things like her clothing and maybe poses, as it's awesome base a character on a central shape like that. I could see her posture as... swirly. Lol.

I am hoping this is an okay look, however... Because this is still a fantasy comic. It just feels to me that the magic can be lost if it looks too... toony? Hmmm. See now... this is where I need feedback. XD I might cross-post something to this effect in my deviantART journal, since there really isn't much traffic here. <.< *ahem?*

Anyway...
I hope I can keep this up with my crazy working hours, lol. I would really like to draw and experiment more, but I've not had the problem of finding time for it in quite a while, lol.

So stay tuned.

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Eureka! (Writing Mumbo-Jumbo)

(inb4 the week's up! LOL)
Warning: Literary Nerding ahead.

I solved my plot problem.
Arcs. Duh.

I'm not sure why I was trying to think in such a linear, 3-Act fashion, lol. Likely because when I was trying to write this, the novelist in me took over and that traditionally how stories are written.
But because this is a series of events that all lead up to a master plot... it should be broken down into arcs. The perfect solution. *facepalm* I feel silly for not recognizing this right off; but I am glad I've finally started thinking like a comic writer and not such a set-in-stone novelist. Plus I DID say this was going to be webcomic. Soooo.... really, wtf, Me? Get it together.

So. Story Arcs. This will be so much fun.
To tell the entire story (which will still be a pretty long ride, heh); I've broken it into 6 or 7 major "chapters," it looks like; with each being either a large arc itself, or consisting of several smaller arcs.

NOW.
The challenge will be telling two stories at once; as there is an underlying plot being recounted by a main character as the main plot goes along. The mini-plot and main plot later begin to intertwine, until the reader discovers how the two are connected just as the characters do. Perhaps it's been done, but I personally think this makes for a deep and interesting story and can't wait to give this type of storytelling a try.

Now here is where I would attempt to ask for input; but I am quite aware that this blog only doesn't exactly have hordes of traffic, lol. I will present my musing anyway.

So... a really good story still, to some degree, follows dramatic structure:
Cheesy enough; I do still stick by this. It's kind of a given. My musing is; how does one effectively break up a SUBplot to be inserted into a main plot without shattering this model and STILL having it correspond with the events of the main plot? XD
Ironically, it would be easier if I were still going with a linear structure. But now my "linear" design has its own little peaks and valleys (like the model) in the form of arcs. So now I have to find graceful ways to insert the subplot in ways that it's [at least somewhat] parallel... but still in order... without losing readers. @__@

Like I said. This will be so much fun.
I hope you didn't mind the nerd in me coming out this rambly post... but boy am I excited.
Also... I DO have artwork to possibly post; but you have to wait for eet. Hehehehehe. Meanwhile, have another chibi character. This is Soleia. Yes, I know; she looks VERY familiar. *tease tease*
Stay Tuned!

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