💫 Secret Sketches + Freezing Payments for DEC! ❄️

If you listened to my recent podcast (which by the way, reading your comments in response to that made my week...I love comments🧍) you'll know that I was considering taking a break from patreon in December. It is my birth month, my final month to finish book one of Arden High, and then time for a much needed holiday break. No action is required--you simply won't be charged for next month! :-) Payment and content will resume January 1st--we'll see each other on the other side of the new year!

Instead of a gallery post, I thought I'd embed some images from what I have been working on here in this mini-newsletter. Most of it is--shocking!--ARDEN HIGH: Twelfth Grade Night stuff. I've hit a huge milestone with this book, and I say this because I have just approached the final setting/scene (act 5!) which is the TWELFTH GRADE NIGHT DANCE!! 

I have been seriously looking forward to lining and coloring this section of the story; not only because it is where the climax happens and we get some seriously Shakespearian drama, but the colors will be a lot of fun to play with--lots of purples, pinks and blues. I am directly referencing Lil Nas x's SUN GOES DOWN music video, as well as the colors of the bisexual pride flag. This is one of those books in which I want fans to pick it up and KNOW that the lighting/colors were not an accident. They are very intentional. 

I feel like I may have posted the outfit ideation for the characters' dance looks, so I apologize if this is a repeat to some! 

I had a pretty easy time choosing what the characters would wear because they all have such distinct senses of style and personalities, but our soft-goth-punk prince Orsino in particular was one I really wanted to have fun with. 

I pitched the outfits to the authors and we all decided that look number one with elements from the other two was the way to go. I'm very excited to draw his sheer lace frilly undershirt with his velvet suit and little dangly earring. 

Everyone has fun little moments in the dance scene, so no matter who your favorite character ends up being, they will get a moment in the sun. Lucky for me, I love all of these kids equally. ;'-)

I've grown fonder of designing environments after working on this graphic novel. I used to hate them--I avoided backgrounds at any cost. And honestly, I wish I had more time on this project just so I could put more energy into each and every environment...I find myself wanting to change some of the earlier-on environments of the school's interior, so I might end up tweaking them before I send in the final. This school will continue into the next (and maybe more) book(s), so I really want this high school to have some solid backgrounds that I can stay consistent with!

Sometimes I'll be watching a movie or show set in a high school and I take note in my phone like "episode 3, good reference for high school hall interior" etc. And this music room was inspired both by music rooms I found on google images and elements from the music room in Sex Education. I feel like the exterior of that school also really fits with Arden High's aesthetic as well!

Today I'll be working on pages 125 and 126. I finished up page 124 this morning as I also finished up my re-watch of Legend of Korra. I have cried 4 times today...we'll chalk that up to stress and Korra. 

It'll be time for a new icon on my social media soon now that it's not really Gourd-Season anymore. I thought it would be appropriate to draw myself in a similar vibe to my Arden High style, holding the two things that I seem to be holding 95% of the time now, which is my apple pencil and a to-go cup of coffee. Like I have talked about before in this video (13:30) , I have trouble drawing myself. My own features confuse me--and yet, I don't have this problem with other people(??). But I do feel this is a decent representation of me. I'd like to finish this for my birthday on Friday, as a little treat to myself...or something like that. 

That's all for now, but I can't wait to see you again after the holidays. We can celebrate the completion of book one, along with the new hot fresh year of 2022. Thanks for being here, thanks for your support, and thanks for being a cozy corner of the internet for myself and others!!

-JG 🧍