My sister Kia and I were running a KickStarter to help fund the beginning of our new webcomic, Seeing Him.
AND…
It did not meet the goal.
To be honest, Kia and I weren’t really sure whether this project would get funded or not. We were hoping for the best, whatever the best may be.
Now that the KickStarter is over, I think, for now, it DID turned out for the best.
I am sad our comic cannot be made right away.
However, we did learn the following things from this KickStarter:
People WANT to support indie comic creators (we did, after all, raise a little over $500. We didn’t get any of that money because KickStarter is an all-or-nothing fundraising system, but people were still willing to contribute money towards our project!)
People WANT to see more positive trans representation, especially for trans men.
People are more altruistic than we are lead to believe.
And digital rewards are way more popular than I thought they would be.
Kia and I are going to take these lessons in and plan our next move.
We are hoping to fund raise for the project again sometime after New Years, and perhaps…
Lower the asking goal.
Offer more/only digital rewards (so we don’t spend our funds on making rewards for the backers, therefore justifying our lower goal amount and getting the comic made faster and sooner)
Offer more ways backers can be included into the comic, because MY GOODNESS during the campaign the $100 reward to be drawn as a recurring character got sold out FAST.
As soon as Kia and I have a plan, I will let you fabulous readers know so we can try again and, hopefully, succeed.
Thank you to everyone who shared Seeing Him on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and elsewhere on the internet.
This post is the first in a week-long blog post update extravaganza! (It’s when I update my blog everyday, Monday through Friday, just for this week).
I just finished a new illustration in colored pencil! So to celebrate, I wanted to show the progression of how I made it and the tools I used. And at the end of the blog post, you can see the finished piece.
To start, I grabbed my Prismacolor 72 piece colored pencil set (which I had left over from my first ever art class in college. Hold on to your supplies, students!) and an 9 wide inch by 12 inch pad of Strathmore Toned Tan paper.
Once I got those, I drew the black and white version of what I wanted to color. I sketched in (lightly) where the shadows would lie with my trusty F hardness sketch pencil. I use that pencil for all of my drawing and sketching.
Then I go over those lines with my mechanical pencil, which I believe is a B hardness in lead, so it’s darker than the F.
Next, I color over the whole sketch with a white colored pencil. I do this so that…
I don’t lose my shadows
I have a layer of colored pencil between my pencil lines and my actual colors, thus
making my art much cleaner and less muddy.
Once the white is laid down, I lay down the brightest colors I’m going to use, and color from light to dark.
The first layer of colors end up looking a little like this:
Click to enlarge.
It’s not the prettiest…yet.
Also, I did not use light peach straightaway for the skin tone. I laid down the highlight color, which is a mix of Cream and Beige.
Alright, so I drew the light colors first. What next?
The shadows!
Click to enlarge.
I really wanted to try and find colors that would compliment Roxie’s hair, which is why I went with fuchsia industrial piercings, dark blue gauges, a purple camisole, and an orange-yellow tank top.
Also, use the color wheel. It is your friend.
I got this sucker for around 6 or 7 US Dollars at a craft store in college. (Click to enlarge). One side is tints and the other is shades.
I used this to help me find the complimentary colors mentioned above, and it also helped me find what colors to use for shading.
So at this point, I have colored the highlights and the shades. There’s just one layer missing…
Oh I know! The mid tones!
I took the colors I wanted for the mid tones in each area, which went a little like this:
Mohawk: Spring Green
Shirt: Canary Yellow
Gauges: Cloud Blue
Camisole: Violet
Piercings: Magenta
Skin: Light Peach
Teeth: Cool Grey 20%
But after I colored the mid tones and finished out a few minor details (like the teeth), I noticed that the shade tones got lifted up a little.
So I went back over the mid tone layer with the shades again. Which went like this:
Mohawk: Dark Green
Shirt: Dark Brown
Gauges: Ultramarine
Camisole: layers of Violet Blue, Ultramarine, and Indigo Blue
Piercings: Mulberry
Skin: Sienna Brown
Teeth: French Grey 60%
Then I added some neutral tones like brown in the linings of the mouth.
The last step was VERY LIGHTLY adding Black on the edges to help delineate shadow.
Finally, at long last…
FINISHED! Click to enlarge.
This portrait is finished!
Looking at it, there are still some errors that I notice (like her nose), but I have to say…
This is the first colored pencil piece of art I have made in a little over five years. I think I did alright. It’s not the best, but it’s not the worst. With practice, I’ll get better.
So what do you think? Should I do more portraits in colored pencil? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
In other news, the KickStarter for Seeing Him is wrapping up, and, to be honest, I don’t think we’ll make the goal.
But that’s ok! Kia and I have been talking behind-the-scenes and we have a few ideas for what to do next. I’ll be able to share them with you soon.
The KickStarter for “Seeing Him,” the new webcomic made my Kia and myself, will end on December 15!
I made a video for the KickStarter on my own YouTube channel, which you can watch below:
We’re still not near our goal! So if you can, please donate and spread the word. You can get cool rewards like posters, stickers, or even a chance to get drawn in the comic.
But the best thing about funding Seeing Him is that you’ll help bring a story, featuring a trans man, to life.
Because there need to be more stories about and for trans men.
Again, the KickStarter ends December 15!
Here’s some art to show what the webcomic will look like when and if it’s funded:
Click to enlarge (and read).
In other news, I’ll be updating my YouTube channel much more often. Hopefully the next update will be the blooper reel for the KickStarter video. After that, there’ll be a video showing off a sketchbook I finished recently.
For the rest of December, I’ll be finishing up the KickStarter, making commissions, and wrapping up presents. But the webcomics I do will still update regularly!
Here’s another crazy thing I’m doing: starting Monday next week, I’m updating this blog every day, from Monday to Friday.
I’ll be showing never-before-seen sketches, posting more videos, talking about comics (maybe even discuss some comics history), and who knows? Maybe I’ll write a blog post you suggest.
Leave suggestions for next week’s blog posts in the comments below!
Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you on Monday.
The second video, which will upload soon, will be a video Kia and I recorded for our KickStarter. OR WILL IT?
Speaking of the KickStarter…
It’s Katy and Adam! The stars of “Seeing Him”! (Click to enlarge)
There are less than 6 days left and we need your help.
The KickStarter is to help fund the first 42 pages of our new webcomic, Seeing Him. It’s a romantic comedy starring a trans man named Adam and a nerdy lady named Kate.
If you back the project, you can get cool rewards, like an ebook of behind-the-scenes sketches (and an extended version of this interview), being drawn into the comic, and more!
The following is an interview I had with the cast of Seeing Him, which is currently on KickStarter raising funds to launch it online. There’s also an extended interview, but you can only read it by claiming it (and other swag) as a reward on KickStarter.
Interviewees: (From Left to Right in the image below) Kate, Adam, Julianne, and Greg.
Click to enlarge.
KELCI: So what’s your day job?
Kate: I am a small business owner.
Adam: I’m a doctor. Specifically an OB/GYN.
Julianne: I’m a personal assistant to Ms. Betsy Brookes. You might have seen her face on benches around town. She runs the number one realty agency in Nagadan.
Greg: I teach high school Spanish at Charles Strite High. Go Hawks!
What are your hobbies outside of work?
K: I like to hang out with my friends. Play video games sometimes. Plus, in the winter I like to crochet and sew things.
A: Every other Wednesday we have league bowling. Greg and I are on the same team. I also go to the gym a good bit. Sometimes I go out to the movies.
Juli: Outside of work I like to do puzzles and books of brainteasers. I also like to watch horrible TV movies sometimes.
Greg: Well I do a few after-school groups as the faculty leader. I teach sign language and I manage the sci-fi club. Completely non work related I go bowling, I hit the gym, and I like to cook. Particularly baking.
Have you always lived in Nagadan?
Kate: I grew up here, but I went away for college.
Adam: My mother and I moved here when I was 2. Since then the only time I’ve lived anywhere else was when I was in med school.
Juli: Born and raised here, but then I went away to school. That’s where I met Kate. We were roommates freshman year.
Greg: I moved here after college. I grew up in a little town in the south end of the state. You’ve probably never heard of it. I always wanted to live in the big city though, so when I got the chance, I moved.
Favorite animal?
Kate: Ocelots. They are just too cute.
Adam: Dogs. They aren’t called man’s best friend for nothing.
Juli: Narwhales. The fat unicorns of the sea.
Greg: um. I don’t know. Penguins?
Favorite food?
Kate: Chicken and broccoli. Preferably from Mr. Wong Wong’s in Ostmeadow.
Adam: Mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Julianne: Definitely ham. I love having it for dinner and then getting to have real ham sandwiches all week.
Greg: Butterscotch muffins. Big ones.
How do you feel about musicals?
Kate: I love them but I haven’t taken the time to watch a lot of them. I’d love to see one live one day but right now I just watch my DVDs on repeat.
Adam: Meh. They aren’t the worst thing but I’d rather watch something else.
Juli: Some of them are good. Some of them are godawful. No one is that happy all the time.
Greg: …I’d rather not answer that in an interview. My friends might read this. So, on the record, I’m not a big fan.
Adam responding to Greg: You’re going to stick to that when I know for a fact you own at least 5 original cast CDs?
Adam: My mom. She’s the reason I got into medicine. She’s made me who I am today.
Juli: I don’t have one. I am my role model.
Greg: The teacher from that one movie in the 80’s. You know, the one about the English teacher, they call him captain? That guy. Oh and Professor Y from the Y-Guys comics.
What is the nerdiest thing you have done?
Kate: I went to a comic convention dressed as Madame Majesty once. It was really fun.
Adam: Does being on dean’s list in college a lot count?
Juli: Kate made me dress as Monsieur Majesty at a convention once, but it turned out really fun actually.
Greg: I regularly played Orcs and Oracles with my friends in college. We had a campaign last 3 semesters once.
The following are questions about which of the options you prefer:
Ketchup or mustard?
K: Ketchup.
A: Mustard.
J: Neither. Mayo.
G: Ketchup.
Dandelions or dandy lions?
K: Dandy lions. All day.
A: Dandy lions would be a sight to see.
J: Dandy lions. All day.
G: Dandelions. I don’t want to make someone dress up a lion. Sounds dangerous.
Pancakes or waffles?
K: Why not both?
A: Pancakes.
J: Pancakes.
G: Waffles. Not the frozen ones though, real, homemade waffles.
Cupcakes or muffins?
K: Cupcakes.
A: Cupcakes.
J: Muffins. Cupcakes have too much icing on them.
G: Cupcakes.
Small gatherings with close friends in your living room or big dance parties with lots of people?
K: Small gatherings with friends.
A: Smaller gatherings are more fun.
J: Definitely big dance parties. I can meet new people that way. Plus show off my moves.
G: I like big parties, but house parties rather than dance parties. I like to be able to hear people.
Santa or the Great Pumpkin?
K: Great Pumpkin. Hands down. If I believe, he will appear someday.
A: Santa. I never did understand the great pumpkin idea.
J: Santa. He shows up more consistently.
G: Santa. I like how excited all the little kids at the mall are to tell him what they want for Christmas. If I ever get fat I’m going to be a mall Santa during the holidays.
Dinosaurs or dragons?
K: Dragons. They breathe fire so that makes them cooler.
A: Dinosaurs. The real life dragons. They actually lived so it makes them cooler.
J: Dinosaurs. I was really into them when I was a little kid. I even had a little stuffed T-Rex.
G: Dragons. I wish that scientists would splice them in the lab so that we can have fire breathing air travel. That would be badass.
Nerd or geek?
K: Me? I’m a geek.
A: I was always called a nerd, but I think I’d rather be a geek. They seem to have more fun.
J: Nereek. Everything is better when it’s a hybrid. Cars, dogs, ligers, everything.
G: Jock? But if those are my only options, I think I’d go nerd.
The KickStarter is barely to $300, and we have 10 days to go. If you can contribute, awesome! If you can’t financially donate, donate by using your words and telling everybody about it!
Thanks for reading, (thank you for contributing to the KickStarter), and I’ll see you again on Tuesday.
