@Meg-Clayburn Oh this is such a great detail, i will try that too, thanks a lot 🌱

Thanks for the responses everyone- really helpful advice!

@Yogita-Chawdhary I feel like it can be a skill learned. I really love going to the library and just picking out a big haul, and pore over details. I love looking at endpapers, cover art, the whole gamut. Lately I've been finding myself looking even closer at everyday happenings and if they'd make a good character design. LOL! People watching! Love it 😁

@Reb-Erlik You're very welcome!

@Mimi-Simon The product of my insanity hahahahahaHAHA

In case you were looking for an actual explanation:

So if you start at the top of the ring and go clockwise, there are 5 different "loops" representing 5 different people's explanations of how the "hero's journey" story structure works. They all turn out lining up wonderfully, showing how this style of storytelling is kind of like.. magic? Timeless? Nearly universal?

There are different styles of stories, but if you're writing a typical one it'll hold specific components. The character will experience an inciting incident that will force them out of their usual lives. Their adventure will have a rise and then a fall of action. There will be a dark night of the soul. Etc.

It's more of a visual for people (me) who have studied these structures, but it's also not a bad jumping off point for someone to go "so what IS Blake Snyder's Save the Cat structure?" and look it up from there. The references are in verrryyy small text so I am sorry about that, but they're all listed in that little paragraph at the bottom for further research.

@jvartandillustration I really like the movement you have here, your character design and choices in shape, lighting, very nice!!

@Yogita-Chawdhary This is sooo good. I was going the harder way by creating an adjustment layer! Thank you for this tip!!! 🙂 🙂

@Michael-Angelo-Go use glaze or nightshade which we should all be using all the time in the first place. You should be relatively safe with that.

@ArtistErin @Jeremy-Ross I've had an art account for my social media on several different platforms over the last decade or so.

Recently I stopped using them for a few months because they were making me feel frustrated and demotivated with my art, and then tentatively poked my toes back into them a few weeks ago with the caveat that they are NOT for marketing, they are just for sharing what I'm doing with my art.

Chasing the respective algorithms and trying to "do everything right" (post consistently! go live three times a day! alternate between reels and carousels! wait to respond to comments until you post your next piece of content to encourage people to engage with your newest post when they see your comment!) will drive you crazy.

I worked for a social media marketing company for a while, and I knew how to do everything "right," but it made me not want to make art. I'd rather make art! They can be great platforms, just tread carefully and if you start feeling the urge to "optimize for the algorithm" rather than "create good art," take a break for a month and come back when that itch goes away!

Thanks @StudioHannah !

And for EXTRA CREDIT I also designed his revolver, which is also semi-cobbled together with old revolver parts and modern plasma gun parts. Untitled_Artwork 7.jpg

@Kristen-Lango thanks so much! This feedback is very helpful

Here are my photos I drew inspiration from:

Bell's spacesuit inspiration:

IMG_6910.JPG

Beast's robot body:

IMG_7107.JPG

Gaston's army spacesuit:

IMG_1917.JPG

Lumiere's robot body:

Screenshot 2024-10-30 at 5.39.53 PM.png

@StudioHannah to be honest with you, I wouldn’t have guessed that this was done on a 4x5 paper given how detailed everything else. But this is your piece, so do what you think is best.

@jvartandillustration You're welcome! Wondering where you're at in this process, it brings me back to my muraling days 🙂 Loved this time of my life... so just vicariously living it again through you if you don't mind!

@Kona-McDonald Thank you!

@Michael-Angelo-Go Messenger_creation_475F9EAF-54FF-4B63-AED2-88ED2877D223.jpeg

Messenger_creation_66F04F83-C212-4187-9D52-61FEA50357BC.jpeg

@demotlj The thing is I'm not sure that exact consistency was that much of a concern. It would be rare to reuse the exact same background in 2 pages, and even then, it doesn't really matter if there are little differences (not like it matters in animation). I'm not sure if this was ever an issue that picture book illustrators of old had to even figure out...

@Nyrryl-Cadiz Yes, you're right about that, thank you for the advice and support! I asked the publisher for a bit more information on what the book will be like, and I’ll decide after that whether it feels like a good fit for me.

@Laurel-Aylesworth

I know this is an old thread, but I'm wondering how your experience getting paid has gone? What does your husband suggest?

It's now been 8 months since my work was published, and I've received two partial payments with the same messages from accounting. I did look at my contract again, and it says this:

Cricket Media agrees to compensate You with a one-time payment of $570 ($310 + $260) and You agree to accept such
compensation as full consideration for the rights granted herein.

Would this mean they are in violation of their contract?

Today, I've started leaving longer posts on Facebook and Instagram about their lack of payment. I also commented on a sales director's LinkedIn post. I just want the remaining $370 that they owe me. I can't even imagine being owed $1800!