This Totally (Almost) Happened (Part 1)

OK, so I like to elaborate, sometimes exaggerate, maybe perchance fabulate (as in fabulist) when I translate real life events into drawings, so I think I am going to try using the title This Totally (Almost) Happened when drawing such misadventures.  You will see in the page below that I will be leaving some room to fill in the blank as to the date on which the events transpire.  I include an image of the thumbnail sketches to show that what I initially come up with extremely "bare bones" in nature.  I think I actually decided I wanted the format of 1/3 title, 2/3 panel, then 2 panels and 2 panels (5 panels of art/text total) and then made it fit into that space, which could have failed miserably.  I don't recommend doing that ever.  I think the best way is to really flesh out the script until it is finalized, then start translating the pictures you see in your head as you read your own script.  Then you can start playing around with how many panels and in what transition.

This sketchbook measures 11" x 14", so you can see that thumbnails on the right are pretty small.  I find that it is easier to take what is in your brain and fit the real basic lines of the scene into a much smaller space.

Above is the non-reproducing blue colored pencil sketch.  I have taken my mini thumbnail sketches and tried to enlarge them into the larger panels, trying to keep the overall look and proportions.  So, how the space of the figures and text boxes are similar, then it is a matter of filling in the details.

Here is the finished pencil sketch.  I've made some changes, added some details, and you might be thinking, "this does not look finished", which is true, but early on I decided that I would do this with ink and brush, so the pencil sketch only has to be "finished" enough" for me to move on to the brush stage.  I never stay exactly in between or on the lines with a brush anyway, so there is no use in making the pencil sketch super detailed or finely lined.  There is going to be a lot of play when it comes to the brush work.  If I decide that I would use a pen, I would go in and do a lot more detail, a higher quantity of lines, shade in black space more precisely so I could trace over every line with the pen.

Obviously, I have left out the text, because I am going to add that in on the computer.

Next post will be the final inked, scanned, text-added product.