2025 IS HERE

My webcomic came together once I began using dot-grid sheets for my rough comic sketches. Recently learned SecondLina of CROW TIME & NAMESAKE as well as Mishacakes of ELDRITCH DARLING & ALICE And The NIGHTMARE makes me feel closer to this webcomics community I came late into!🥰

Much-needed Updates!

I am Finally, FINALLY, updating my DeviantArt account. And once DA reminded me in an email I have been a 'deviant' with the social media for a decade, I decided now was the time to purchase my CORE+ Membership. 

I already closed my webhost account with Bluehost (it's not them, it's me) and my domain names are still secure for when I migrate. I know who will host me next. I also canceled my Canva account. Will download what's left.

Who would have thought I would become so obsessed with dot-grid (in some cases, titled 'bulleted') sheet paper that I would end up drafting hundreds of comic pages of a nebulous idea from nearly 20+ years ago?

I Was Worried For Nothing...

 I am not trying to make light of my concerns when I began to digitizing my comic last week. 

What I mean is when I started to work on the comic in 2018, I did it manually- pencil first, ink after, blacks put in last - but I realized the story was slow-going , my formatting and my art style kept changing, and the narrative was all over the place... And then a light came on. I began working on the story as I did with my comics back in grade school. I simply did it in pen.

The dot grid pen drafts

And WOW, did the story begin to FLOW. Not just in sequence(though that remained haphazard), but in growing subplots, in narrative scope, and an unexpected benefit: a permanent art style began to solidify...

So what I worried about was since the original draft pages were in pen, how did I fix those? I thought and did trace a number of chapters in pencil. Yet, with the new tablet, erasing, correcting, and editing pen and clearing up what was also on dot grid paper(which I will forever use as it helps tighten my perspective and background/setting issues).

The same page on MS Paint

MS Paint retouch

Original dot grid pen draft

What a difference this Bosto tablet makes! My mom continuously tells me "Good things come to those that wait" and I feel this display tablet was made for me.

As somebody returning to digital art after so many years, and trying to do it the 'right way', which means I used digital art as a touch-up to my manually made artwork and illustrations. 

Now, I'm cleaning up paper and pen work, and will use other software for colors, shades, backgrounds, and settings.

Will continue to discuss my process on this blog and on Instagram: Handdrawnbycarmenjr 

Thank you again for sticking with me, dear readers!