Torch Girl

The wonderfully talented writer, Samantha Nona (whose name I butcher because I mumble so much when I speak) asked me to draw one of her original characters.

Torch Girl is a superheroine who, while competent, might like to be captured, tied up, and hypnotized a little too much to be effective against certain types of villains.

This drawing was a world of fun and a challenge.

You see, I haven't really done any traditional inking in a long while. So, the opportunity presented itself and I went "you know what, fuck it, let's make a video". And here we go.

Which is a good opportunity to show you the whole process about how this came to be in the first place.

IDEAS

The first attempt at this illustration was a bit more... ambitious, should we say. Full suspension bondage, a properly entranced face. The ropes biting into her skin, weight clearly being held by the taught hemp.

Yet, no matter how many times I drew this I could not get it right. And I drew many, many versions of this. In the end, I was getting so frustrated I had to change tactics. Mea culpa - should do more lifedrawing on pen and paper.

Lately I only draw scenes from when I travel, but I digress.

So, we had to change poses.

LET'S TRY SOMETHING ELSE

If you've ever wondered "Oh, I wonder how his line art looks like", here it is. Loose, flowing lines. Lots of sketchy shaping to get an idea of where things are. The body parts I can't quite understand yet, like ankles and knees, getting a single pass.

All in all, a very organic approach.

My problem with this pose was the loss of that wonderful entranced stare from the original idea. However, here there's a bit more resistance, like Torch Girl is going "nuuuu" at the villain mastermind holding her captive.

In hindsight, that sort of changed, didn't it?

Smiling, joyful, relaxed. She lost and she's very happy she did.

Here are my final pencils. Some minor diferences between parts, again, feet and hands. Overall, you can still see how I construct shapes and find locations for certain add-ons like her boots and gloves.

Honestly, I think the highlights on the legs are better here.

You live and learn.

So, finally, after watching the video above, you would've seen the finished product.

A fully inked, A4 page.

FINISHED

I skipped a step, really.

This is AFTER digital clean-up. The inks, well... you can watch the video.

The advantage of multidisciplinary work!

And that's the whole process.

If you're curious, the song used in the video is by Brujmac, and their work is boss. Go and listen to it.

Let me know if you've liked this new approach to content. Would you like to see more in depth analyses of my work, the process and what I make? More timelapse videos and the link?

Let me know in comments. Or if you have suggestions, I also welcome those.