Stitching Butterflies is Far from Finished

I completed the Stitching Butterflies book dummy... or so I thought.

Turns out there is a contest out there for illustrators not agented or published who are writing stories about diversity.

I'm entering of course! SB is all about two girls with diverse backgrounds, two different points of views and different interactions with the world. These interactions clash until they realize they are more similar they than thought.

Do I think I'll win? No, I don't, but I'm sure going to make sure that I try my very best and I make SB the best I can make it.

 These three images never seem to go away
or be completed. I want to make them perfect
but I need to move on (I need 6 completed pages!) So my next three I must do in a short amount of time. Everything MUST look SPLENDID, fantastic, it's gotta be a like a delicious cake where all the ingredients as a whole make people want to consume my cake. This is the next one I'm completing. I hope I can do this fairly quickly!

And in other news, I'm trying to complete a book dummy for Hello Robot by completing Dani Duck's book dummy challenge. Oh yeah, it's also INKTOBER and next month NaNoWriMo and the last Tomi competition is due in December.

I have a lot of projects...THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR.

Completed 2nd Draft of Book Dummy

Drum roll please...

*DUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUUUU*

*PSHEEEE!* SMASH!

Okay, got too excited. I've never thought of how to write the sound of a drum roll...

Anyway, the 2nd draft of Stitching Butterflies book dummy is complete! Does it need tweaking still? Oh yes. Definitely, but I'm not going to let the incompleteness of a book dummy get me down. In fact it's better to not have fully fleshed out details sometimes with a book dummy. Fully prepared manuscript? Yes. Full, completed illustrations? Yes, but not the dummy. The agent or publisher might think you don't intend to change anything which isn't so as many things should be changed in the process.

Alright, so long SB for a little while! I've gotta start working on Lues and Sues. 

Book Dummy Update

Another post on this, really? Will I ever finish this thing? (HAHAHAHA...ha)

Anyway, the book dummy saga continues. I'm nearing the end of my second SB draft with it being critiqued (with most of the ones critiquing being confused) and have to say that my type of writing is very comic book-esque as a lot of the time I use only dialogue and onomatopoeia.

I don't want to change because the manuscript is a little confusing without the illustrations!

So for me this dummy is extremely important for Stitching Butterflies. I wrote about it on the wordpress. You can find some helpful links in there, as well as here and here. In fact, subscribing to these blogs help too.

Some pieces! Part of the reason this blog exists lies in the idea that an artist has to fail over and over and over again just to get what they want inside their heads on paper.  Still, that may not even happen.

Can I get what I want SB to be on paper? 

Book Dummy update!!!

Working on Stella piece. I'M MOVING SLUG PACE ON THIS ONE.
At least I'm moving, even if it's slow. Perhaps I'm moving so sluggity slug slow because I'm trying to match the previous Lily piece and making sure that everything is consistent.

I still could get a move on it though...

Another positive thing about yesterday was I kinda figured out the last page spread of the dummy here.

Still needs a WHOLE HECK OF A LOT OF WORK (the perspective of those buildings are god awful) but it is better than what I had before!

Moral of story...eh, PROGRESS and maybe slow and steady wins the race?

Nightlander Update

Here are some of the chat chat 

girls and their shadows.

I'll have the Laylaworm on here too.

Soon I'll add Layla to this bunch.

Anyway, just a character design update!

Update on Nightlander

I'm afraid to say I've been more interested in making Nightlander lately than I have Stitching Butterflies (well maybe, this could be me simply procrastinating on re making the book dummy to a professional level...yeah...it is.)

So I figured I might as well give an update on it!

Been working on getting to know the characters and their shadows. I NEED TO WRITE MOAR. Yes, MOAR.


I started out with the different faces of Chel. No, I didn't add her animus to this list but I will later, or tonight if I need to procrastinate on Stella's final illustration a bit more. In Nightlander, I'm trying to include a lot of Jungian psychology within the life of a teen girl who is learning how to cope with her mother's death, dealing with her father's alcoholism, and figuring out the social scene at school. Oh yeah, and she can see the shadow or monster within each person. The definition of monster is loose in this particular comic, as a monster isn't always evil.

After freaking out as to WHY the mc Chelsea, or Chel I've been calling her, can dream travel and see things not apart of this realm, I got to work on characters. I don't know why she can yet! All I know is her mother could do it and that is why her mother died. I have big themes that I want to add to this story, it's just going to take patience and never ending determination.

Anyway, this is Fran, Chel's best friend.

This is Fran's shadow. :) 

Layla, Felicia, Bethany and Pamula. I just call em the Chat Chat Girls.

Anyway, hopefully I'll add more actual comic sketches on on here.

 Maybe I'll start drawing the final Stella tonight? 

More Nightlander Update...and Now I have a Word Press

I have a wordpress now yaaay. My internet is acting funny so perhaps the menu is a bit off at this time but... I can fix it.

I decided to go with a wordpress for research purposes. I used to use blogger for this, but Draw it Again has become just that, me drawing and painting things over and over again, my long process of failure. So hopefully I can organize all research material on this blog (HOPEFULLY.)

In other news, Nightlander has been developing as I've procrastinated on SB (shame!) and now has more content and character development. Is this normal for a PB illustrator/writer to jump between projects, even if it means to jump from a PB to a YA comic novel thing? I'll have to research that and put the information in the blog.

Anyway, peace!

AH I FAILED!

SO I failed the April 50,000 word challenge.

That's because I finished my Stitching Butterflies book dummy! YAY!

I'm still working on Nightlander like usual. It'll just be a long term project like I thought it was going to be. If you're interested just go here to see my progress, slow as it is. I supposed you can't write a YA novel/comic in a month (or at least I can't.)

After making my book dummy, I began a final illustration to go along with the dummy. This process was similar to my others: lots of  sketches, final sketch, acrylic painting, digital painting over acrylic, and I'll do a final acrylic after the digital. Here's the process:

Took me a week of frustration, but I got it eventually. Next final I'll do...

NaNoWriMo in April? Sure

I'm doing it again...writing 50,000 words in a month.

Well I hope so anyway.

This time the goal is for NightLander. I completed Lil' Red but I think that was just a novel test run to see if I could stay dedicated (I did! I surprised myself!) Anyway, I REALLY need to get this story out for my own personal reasons. Also, if I write it out I'll have a more stable outline for the story rather than just random scenes that pop up in my head as I draw pieces of comic.

Camp NaNoWriMo  is just like the November one except its for people that want to do the writing trauma all over again! (yaaaay)

Will I succeed?

Can I keep up with the tumblr?

Tumblr Sketchbook Comic

Update on tumblr sketchbook comic, NightLander.

Been working on this project for about two weeks now. Slow moving, but as I scribble down shapes  for the comic and write notes, scenarios seem to pop out of nowhere and I come across some interesting compositions I could potentially use later.

I was also apart of The Rose Petal Review, a website that features the creative works of teens and young adults going through different types of mental illness.

My goal for this project is to focus on the peak moments of someone going through an anxiety attack or depression. It's a tough goal to accomplish especially when showing those who do not have any kind of chemical imbalance, who may not completely understand all that is involved in a panic attack or days, weeks, months, years, of depression.

I'm not quite sure how this comic will turn out, or if it will become the YA novel that I wanted it to be, but I'll keep up the quick pace of jotting down ideas and of course, drawing them over and over again. 

Characters are Useful to a Story Right?

Still behind! Who else is?

I'm also very behind on PiBoIdMo, but I believe I've met a breakthrough in my story and as I'm figuring out characters for Lil' Red, I'm also learning more about the characters in my PB manuscripts. Characters are the main focus for PB and Middle Grade manuscripts as the reader MUST connect with the characters to enjoy or even pay attention to what the plot is or whatever the moral is for the story. As a reader I have to connect with the characters or else even I won't pay attention to the plot, unless of course the author's writing is so fascinating that I forget about characters (usually doesn't happen.)

Speaking of characters, every character has a basic archetype. According to Carol Jung, who created the archetype concept and was amongst the other early 1900's psychologists who dug into the human psyche with dream interpretations, everyone has a handful of basic archetypes that they've fallen into. Same goes with characters in a story. However, not everyone is a cookie cutout of stereotype, even Jung didn't think this way as he says within his writings that the archetypal list is a never-ending list of personalty possibilities. This little article got me thinking of the archetypes of my characters, specifically the idea that it's not what the character does, but why the character does what they do.

More Update! and a Useful Article

There was a moment today while I was at work trying to come up with a picture book idea and I said to myself, "It's really hard to think of something creative in a lab environment...wait, did I really just day that? What am I thinking! There are plenty of fun and kooky things to write about in a lab environment!" Then funny enough I grabbed a sticky note and began writing, "It was a dark and gloomy day, a dark and gloomy day for a lab assistant. It was a dark and gloomy day for a lab assistant who is an owl? It was a dark and gloomy day for an owl's lab assistant who just had to come to work and stumble around in the mud because of course it has to be thundering and lightning for this lab project to work...whatever that is."

Out of all that blabbering...I still looped around to Frankenstein. Whoops. I also like owls. Yeah it didn't go well, but that's okay! Maybe it's day will come...

I made it past 12,000 words (12,355 as of now) and if I write at least 1723 words every day this week, I will be caught up.

In the meantime, I've been wondering if I should update my cargo website as it seems pretty dead because I put a lot of my focus to writing this month, or if I should just buy my website instead. My friend in an online critique group posted this article here  about the don'ts when it comes to building your website and making it easy as possible for publishers, art directors, agents, and just pretty much anybody to navigate. Good reminder, maybe I'll work on my website...next month.

Made it Past 10,000 Words (and the start of a color sketch)

I made it over 10,000 words! Yippee!

I'm still very behind though, but I know I can make 50,000 by the end of the month. In the meantime,

I've started color planning the contest piece in photoshop so I can start the oil painting for it tomorrow.

I feel like I've been working on this piece forever, but it's coming along. I'm pretty sure my boyfriend Sean will be happy once I've finished this piece too. (pretty sure he's tired of me going, 'could you look at this one? What about this?' haha) 

Now for today's excerpt:

After a long, grueling math session with the ever-so-boring Mr. Perry who had a pet peeve about electronics and made everyone empty themselves of any such things on his desk to be picked up after class, next was science with Mrs. Rosas and to the misfortune of Mel, Ben was in class with her along with Greg and their friend Devon.

“Meeeeel! Sit with us!” Ben said excitedly as Mel rolled her head back to look at the ceiling.

“Oooooh they made you take your hat off” giggled Gregg as she covered her head with her arms. “Well at least your hair adds height to yah a bit, still short though.”

The classroom was by far the most interesting to look at. Environmental science was the what the class was called and many posters of animals and forests covered the walls. On the shelves looked like animal bones and some other items Mel couldn't quite see.

Mel flew passed Ben, Greg, and Devon were and sat down at a table she noticed the girl with the book on the bus sat. She was still reading then looked up and waved hi. Mel waved back and for the rest of the class time pretended to be preoccupied re-reading the handouts Mrs. Rosas gave out.

The rest of the day went by in a haze. Mel ended with Mrs. Penny’s English class where she promptly handed notes with certain parts highlighted in a color code and encouraged the class to buy color note cards and highlighters for homework and discussion classes for furthering everyone’s organization skills all the while Mel kept thinking, this is going to be a long year.

When Mel got home she found Ari, the babysitter, re-watching the Once Upon a Time episodes on netflix. “Oh hi Mel! Your mom just left and won’t be back until late tonight so I’m watching Lue.”

“Looks like you’re watching netflix” Mel said under her breath as she went straight back to her room. Louie came out of the bathroom just in time to jump scare her and rush into a bout of arguing before slamming the door to her room. She sat her hat back on the corner of her mirror and looked at her own puffy-eyed glare. Having no homework allows her fall face forward onto her bed. She looks out the window, seeing the patch of woods and considered taking another walk to her favorite spot. Lifting herself from the bed, she thought of the last time she was there and plopped her head back down, rolling on her back to stare at the old and worn out glow in the dark stars on her ceiling that somehow have stayed up there for five years, she started to wonder if her dad must have used some kind of super glue for them or something other than the putty that came with, but stopped mid thought and rolled to her side to stare at her closet door slightly ajar. Slowly blinking to a close, Mel dozed off and dreamt of trees growing towards the sky, lifting her and her bag full of stars to super glue to the universe's ceiling.

What's on the Other Side?

Bam. The title says it all. The PiBoIdMo for today is the question, "What's on the Other Side?" I don't know what's over there yet, but it's something.

Going fairly strong today, until I lost my note cards I was writing on at work and now I have to re-write almost everything I've done so far... that's okay. I know what to write now at least and I will not dwell on the fact that I'm horribly behind and I will need a full two days of nothing but writing to catch up... yeah right, like THAT will happen haha.

In the meantime, I need coffee or tea or maybe ddr exercising...or I just need to type an updated excerpt. I think I'll do that.

It didn't matter whose side she was on, Mel's butt was just tired of sulking on the bleachers, her feet aching to run around the bases. "Come oooooon!" she pounded her fists.

"We're not having a shorty like you on our team. Greg wants you though." cackled a kid named Ben.

"We don't want  her, she can't hit the ball" Greg spat on the ground, "besides," he kicked dirt over his loogie, "she's token Dog keeper watcher."

"UUUHHHH fine. Y'all can't catch him anyway. Too slow" Mel waved them off.

"Whatever" Ben said.

"Yeah, my turn to bat. No more distractions." The other kids ran out to the field, Mel threw down her red cap, determined to stomp the crap out of but she stopped, sighed, and placed the hat back on her wild haired head where it belonged. She glared over at the panting husky named Dog and growled, "You better not..." Dog stared at her, then his attention focused back on the game. 

None of the kids knew where the stray came from. He was just there one day and happened to sit on the part of the bleachers that some kid tagged with spray paint and a smirk flipped the word"God", tossing the empty can over his shoulder. But to everyone, and to Dog, it labeled the spot for any random teams' mascot. 

PING! The ball was hit over to left field, landing Greg's team a double. Dog's ears perked up, ready for the PING of a home run. The next hit earned a single. As Ben dug his cleats in the ground, pitched the ball, a strike and a base stolen for second. Dog makes a small growl and a little start."Dooooon't" Mel growls back. The batter holds a tighter grip, the pitch, and a last minute change of hold on the bat makes a bunt and another base loaded. 

"COME OOOOON RITCHIE!" yells the team from the dugout as a hefty kid makes a couple tough practice swings. 

"GET BACK! GET BACK!" yells Ben to the outfield. Ritchie swaggers up to the plate. Dog's ears perk up.  

The ready, the pitch,"STRRRRRIIKE!" the catcher yells.

"Let's go batter!" taunt the boys in the field. 

Ben turns around to them, "SHUT UP!" then turns back. 

The ready, the pitch, the perk of Dog ear, "STRRRIIKE TWO!" 

"Come on batta batta batta!" mock the boys.

"I SAID, SHUT IT!" Ben screams as he pitched a wild one that gave Richie a ball and slammed against the back fence. Ben took a deep breath, relaxed his shoulders. Ritchie taps his cleats on the plate. 

The ready, the pitch, the perk of Dog ear, the PING! "NOOOOO" . Dog tears after the little grand slam gold nugget, Mel shouting, chasing after him.

Okay, that was probably more than I intended to share but oh well! Gotta get back to writing.

OH I'm REALLY Behind Now!

Only 1000 words laid down on the page yesterday. At least the first 700 words were flowing easy, but I could not for the life of me get to 1667 words last night.

What I did manage to accomplish was another PiBoIdMo idea and I got started on the final sketch before the oil painting of lil Red.

Because I like this image so much, I make make a final piece of artwork out of it. MAYBE, and it might be a picture book haha.

As for the Lil Red piece, I need to find a better way to scan! It is pretty big, square but big. Gotta find better ways to scan this one. 

I WILL post again tonight (I didn't post last night, I blame American Horror Story ) and type up another excerpt.

OI, another day of creativity. 

Over 2,238 Words and Counting

I don't think I've ever written so much in such a little time that wasn't a research paper on an artist or some sort of interesting fact. It's day two of NaNoWriMo and PiBoIdMo. So far I have over 2,238 words and counting for Lil Red and three different ideas for picture books. 

Here's an excerpt from the first draft, the hardest part to get out.

Mel tears through the woods on nights when the stars' light can't reach the forest floor, crashing through warn paths made during the day. For years she's flattened, molded the pathways to fit her own feet beating the earth. If she had been paying any attention that night, the crunch beneath her feet would let her know the floor was littered with glass bottles, taking the spots where only decaying leaves would lay. If she was paying any attention she would have heard the loud "Pooowhhrr" and a few more gun shots after that. The sound of pounding feet and angry breaths filled her ears and fueled her need to find the spot crowed with bushes, eating whatever moon light managed to get it's way past the greedy leaves.

Mel reached the bushes and crawled her way through, plopping down, blinking away furious tears. She begun pulling off bush berries and leaves, tearing them apart, tossing them in the already decaying pile beside her. Crunching of leaves forced her to stop the destruction and peek out. A plastic bag floats by like a small ghost. "Wait, I thought I heard...shouldn't he?" Mel whispers to herself and crawls back to safety.

The sun wakes Mel sleeping on a mound of torn berries and leaves. "Why is he not here?"

Yes, I sent out Stitching Butterflies

I've been very busy lately (got a full time job in a lab testing inks woo hoo!) but other than that I've become a reviewer for children's lit! My bio isn't on the website yet, but it will be soon so I'll post that. Positively thrilled by this as I throughly enjoy critiquing what others do that I love.

Also...I sent out Stitching Butterflies to David Fickling Books for their Inkpot contest and I'll post these on here because, oh yeah, this blog is called "Draw It Again" and I definitely should show my lovably agonizing process.

To keep anyone who reads from suffering as much as I did (or as much as my mate Sean did...) I'm only going to post half the process in crappy iPhone photos. Bad photos, but it gets the point across.

THAT is just half of Stella's.

THIS is Lily's.

I wish I had documented better, but that is a lesson for next time! 

12X12 Challenge

I just decided to do the 12X12 challenge.

Two years ago I'd never called myself a writer. Then I asked myself, "well why not?" My idiotically strange answer to that question was, "because I can't write."

Well I did get through college and in high school I graduated with over a 4.0 gpa... I think I can write. Oh my grammar and spelling may be way off but I KNOW I can at least make some kind of sentence that tells some type of information, wether it be important or not is completely based on opinion.

Not only am I an artist, I AM A WRITER TOO.

There I said it. I would have never had the guts to say that two, three, four and beyond years ago despite my sketchbooks soaking in inky scribbles of poetry and storytelling along with the sketches. I wouldn't have said it because I lacked confidence. Oh I still let myself know how stupid I am every now and then and I can't say that I'm a good writer, but now I don't make idiotically strange statements like "I can't write" anymore.

It's also time to have people criticize my prized writings that I think can make it in the world. Let's face it, if I can go through the torment of an illustration critique then I can go through a writing one.

I'll say it again...

I AM A WRITER TOO

not just an illustrator.