Ah so sorry for my late reply to this, so much has been going on, I haven't been on the forums since posting this.

@Griffin-McPherson thank you! And I definitely agree with you! I've been struggling with that for a long time, and will certainly keep that in mind in my next projects. Thanks for you feedback!😊

@kirsten-mcg thank you so much for taking the time to do that draw over! And aw thanks, yes I had Lee's voice in the back of my head the whole time talking about shipping, and actually it's still in my head because I want to print this and maybe try to mail it out to some agents. Yes I was working traditionally on these and I was also completing them rather quickly, because I've been really frustrated with my inability to finish an entire story. Again, I love what you did with the "costume" piece in making the background lighter, it really helps so much!

@Nyrryl-Cadiz thank you!😊

@Kim-Rosenlof thanks for the value check! That’s really helpful, I’ve put this one on the back burner for now but I’ll revisit it soon!

@lizardillo awesome! Thanks so much for sharing this! Very insightful!

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I'm making a hybrid story, half words, half comic. Here is an image from the work in progress. I will have to edit the text more, but I'm super excited about the process!

@JoshSchouwstra Thanks so much, I will check those out! And now that you mention the shoulders I can definitely see it!

Love how these turned out!!! 🙂

@danielerossi Thanks so much!

@Chantal-Goetheer I definitely wanted an ice warrior feel. I wanted him to seem like a being you wouldn’t want to mess with yet evokes a sense of awe and wonder. Just like a winter storm.

@ArtMelC so awesome to hear about your transition and momentum! 👏 Subscribed to your newsletter and looking to learn from you - you're inspiring!

@Amanda-Bancroft ~ I realize this post is forever old, but I ran across it while researching licensing and have to know... did you submit? If so, how did it go? Was it a good experience? Any updates would be appreciated!

@Asyas_illos I'm catching up on this thread... praying for continued energy, rejuvenation, and support as you make your way through this storm.

I'm smiling to see the progress you've made and those anthropomorphic characters are SO CUTE!

Other characters I envision - since there is a bunny, why not the good old Tortoise? Maybe he can be a father (slowly) pushing his mini-version too haha Maybe the Tortoise and the Hare are good friends now in their mid-life journey 😄

Excited for what's to come and know that many of us are cheering for you in this moment! 🙏

@chrisaakins this will be an awesome series of illustrations. Super cute!

@baileyvidler I really like 4 (a LOT). But it seems like if anyone can make their smoke look like a dragon, it would be Gandalf. (Bilbo seems to be relegated to smoke rings). Maybe both smoking a pipe with Smaug materializing from the smoke in general?

I do like the composition of 1 and 3, which seem the more favored of the covers in previous comments. But for content, I like including Gandalf as one of the characters on the cover and indicating Smaug with the smoke.

@Rafael-Morales-III thanks! Those were very very challenging. ☺️

@Ari-Sorokin that’s great! Yeah most programs require you to learn both in a major. Mine did and I wanted to go the path you did. Usually you’ll get to specialize when you’re higher up in programs

@Cayleen So cute 🙂

I can see why this is tough to decide—I could see a place for both styles. “A” looks a little more like it belongs in a comic, maybe, and B feels slightly more geared toward a picture book. I will say, though, that even though I see what people mean when they say that “A” feels “blurrier,” it does, at the same time, seem to lend itself well to a humorous, silly story, maybe slightly more so than B, which feels more quiet and sweet.

@Larue yeah for sure... amazing how we help each other, I'll say blind spots are seriously that, I'll speak for myself. I am leaning on crits for this reason 🙂

@Griffin-McPherson Yep I agree with you here Griffin, it is easier to begin from scratch and thumbnail, establish values, create your focus and develop elements from there. I know, I'm in that boat too, trying to learn to not do what always gets me into trouble when a composition just isn't working. It sucks sometimes 😞 But that said, you do have beautiful rendering techniques and I love your textures, colors, and mood...

@Asyas_illos Thank you Asya 😊