Character Art
I commissioned art!
The artist, ChocologicalArt, was fantastic to work with. I hope you enjoy the visual representation of these characters that I realize I never properly described in this first draft.
Head to The Mit and The Billows - Chapter 1 to dive into their story with me!
Author's musings:
Comissioning art can be a struggle. I've been really excited for this surprise for WEEKS.
This has been you local Trash Panda, finding joy in art.
This is great! I'm curious, is this how you envisioned your characters or is this based on the artist's interpretations? (Now, I'd be set if I could only get my kid to draw some wizards for me. She's a great artist, but I think she's shy about having her work posted.)
Honestly, I can't picture things in my head. I really rely on artists to show me what it is that I'm writing. I can provide details I think will go together aesthetically, but really I just toss that at an artist and say "Have fun!" What I can picture and see is personality and the feel of a character, like Ardy being open, bright and naive, and Love's joy and protective affection. It's always cool to see those sorts of things in the details of poses that artists choose, and then those finer details that I can't see are alongside it all...I am in awe of visual artists. It can be hard to get over that fear of showing something creative to the world. It took me forever, but life's too short to be held back forever. I hope to see some of her work in the future!!
It's the opposite for me; I know what my characters look like. But it's always up for interpretation by the reader. I will encourage my 14-year-old to develop concept art for my world. But, unfortunately, it's that darned Critical Voice---it says the nastiest things to aspiring creators.
Offer a reward? Like a commission. Either an allowance or a trip to a favourite place? I'm not sure, to be honest, I'm lost when it comes to kids. I don't have any and have no idea how to interact with them. I do hope she can learn to ignore the voices that say nasty things.
I'm not beyond bribery. It's been working well for the past 20 years so far. Thanks for the idea!