WOnder is something we all feel every single day. we wonder about what tomorrow is going to be like, how the things we eat are going to effect us, why we do certain things that we probably shouldn't. OR we wonder about more theoretical things like what life is going to be like in 100, 1000 years, what the future of technology is going to be like, and the big one being the meaning of life..!
then there are the things which can mentally effect you like how the actions you make towards a loved one are going to effect the relationship, how to make someone understand you better, whats going to happen if i say this thing to someone.
WOndering is adventurous for the mind and body, it can be positive or negative, it can never come into effect. its essentially a 'what if?' generator.
Brief 5 'the wonder of books' is a great one for me, as It is already something i am interested in, and then giving me the chance to put it into a form i wish to use in my career.
astronomy is one of the oldest forms of natural science, and its still constantly being questioned and researched. there's so much out there we still don't know about or that we do know about but don't know why they are there or how they work.
then there are the things which can mentally effect you like how the actions you make towards a loved one are going to effect the relationship, how to make someone understand you better, whats going to happen if i say this thing to someone.
WOndering is adventurous for the mind and body, it can be positive or negative, it can never come into effect. its essentially a 'what if?' generator.
Brief 5 'the wonder of books' is a great one for me, as It is already something i am interested in, and then giving me the chance to put it into a form i wish to use in my career.
astronomy is one of the oldest forms of natural science, and its still constantly being questioned and researched. there's so much out there we still don't know about or that we do know about but don't know why they are there or how they work.
https://www.astronomy.com/science/why-astronomy-is-considered-the-oldest-science/
the brief description we are initially given says that the book is over a 24 hours period of seeing 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets, given that this graphic is '24 hours...' and the rotations around the map show 2 lots of each number 1 to 16, i'm going to assume that this is the orbit. to be realistic to the book, i think it would be a great idea to draw out a part of each hour of the orbit, vary is between sunrise and sunset, or even daytime/nighttime. but make it so each section is based on where they are over the earth, so for example, on hour 11 they go over parts of canada, so it would be cool to draw an aurora borealis 'as seen from above'. Unless the book says otherwise (i will have to read it to find out).
edited one of the pen drawings in simple colours, tryng to get emphasize the objects more, give it a bit more personality too
This is a small conversation i have come up with between two astronauts int eh space station. kind of hinting how they miss home but also how they are content with the life they are living. they like their mundane everyday tasks they do everyday etc..
Astronaut 1 - You ever think about how the same thing happens every day, over and over? Like, we are just floating here in an endless sea of nothingness, and yet every moment feels... full.
Astronaut 2 - Yeah. It’s like, we are in orbit around and around the same place, but each time we pass over earth, it looks different. Small shifts, like the way light bends around the horizon, the familiar is always changing.
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Astronaut 1 - We have our routines, our checks, and balances, put the suit on, make sure the airlock is sealed, float down the hall for the daily tasks. It is all predictable, yet nothing boring. Every routine feels more like a purposeful maneuver.
Astronaut 2 - It all feels lighter when we are weightless right? Nothing is weighing us down. Even the mundane stuff. Like packing a bag, but there’s no gravity. Everything just floats along.
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Astronaut 1 - And we float too. Between each moment. Its not just the tasks that feel weightless. Its time too. The passing of it. Its not the same down there – everything here feels stretched, like we are suspended in the middle of a slow, quiet breath.
Astronaut 2 - There's a beauty in it, the rhythm of the breaths. A lot of people will think that its boring, all the quiet. But to me, it feels like the quiet is just another layer of the music. Subtle constant like a hum beneath the stars.
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Astronaut 1 - I guess that's the thing though right? Everything feels so long, so distant. But at the same time, you start noticing every little detail. Like the sound of the ventilation, the way our clothes fit, the pattern of the light on the walls at different hours.
Astronaut 2 - Yeah. We are surrounded by such unknown, but somehow all the small repetitive things have a calming effect on me. They’re like anchors in a place with no gravity, in a void. Keeping us attached to home in a way..
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Astronaut 1 - I like that.. Anchors in the void. Even if the tasks are the same, they never actually feel the same. I’m always learning to live in this place again, like the stars outside, the same, but every single time in a different place.
Astronaut 2 - that's true. We are small celestial bodies in our own right. We keep orbiting the same things, the same motions but there's always something about it that catches us off guard.
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Astronaut 1 - I think that's what makes mundane here, feel so special. We don't have to chase big moments, they sort of just.. Happen around us.
Astronaut 2 - And when the say ends, and we close our eyes, it’s like drifting into a new orbit, never the same but always guided by the stars
this is mainly just a conversation to get me in the idea of these two people having a conversation, its good for me to find a clear starting point to them make rough visuals off of, even if they don't particularly correlate.
this is mainly just a conversation to get me in the idea of these two people having a conversation, its good for me to find a clear starting point to them make rough visuals off of, even if they don't particularly correlate.
I decided to take the larger and edited drawing i did, and experiment with page layout.
I want this book/graphic novel to feel like its giving a message to the audience, about finding and appreciating the smaller things in life, even if they are as simple as making something exciting that doesn't usually get depicted that way etc. I think using space and astronauts is a great way to approach this as they are quite literally in another place to literally everyone else. They have a minute by minute routine everyday for as long as they are up in the space station. Abide by all the rules they are given. its not a fun trip, Its more of an mission for them. a set of continuous tasks.
I don't want to give the characters names, as i find when they have names you give them a whole personality and presence in your own head, and so taking about away essentially that label, it makes it easier to place yourself into the mindset they are having.
Id like it to still be clear that there are just two of them having the conversation, a more enthusiastic one and a more pessimistic one. So representing them by colours in the text is a good starting point.
I want this book/graphic novel to feel like its giving a message to the audience, about finding and appreciating the smaller things in life, even if they are as simple as making something exciting that doesn't usually get depicted that way etc. I think using space and astronauts is a great way to approach this as they are quite literally in another place to literally everyone else. They have a minute by minute routine everyday for as long as they are up in the space station. Abide by all the rules they are given. its not a fun trip, Its more of an mission for them. a set of continuous tasks.
I don't want to give the characters names, as i find when they have names you give them a whole personality and presence in your own head, and so taking about away essentially that label, it makes it easier to place yourself into the mindset they are having.
Id like it to still be clear that there are just two of them having the conversation, a more enthusiastic one and a more pessimistic one. So representing them by colours in the text is a good starting point.
These are just more plays with composition and 'style'. Most of these are oil pastels, as i find they give a really nice texture as opposed to colour pencils or water colour. It makes it feel more energetic and playful.
There's a noticeable consistency in the patterns i draw across most of my pieces. whether its the way i apply the oil pastels to paper or the distinctive effects i create around certain objects. Each line has sort of become a muscle memory that's developed over time. There's a strong visual harmony in the way the textures form and connect. They each feel connected, as if through the same lens. the way the colours blend or counter one another, or the space i leave.
The point im trying to make is that eventhough i dont have a distinct style or rythme within my work, theres still a clear consistency, yet each piece still feels unique, which i like and i feel like is the way forward for this project.
There's a noticeable consistency in the patterns i draw across most of my pieces. whether its the way i apply the oil pastels to paper or the distinctive effects i create around certain objects. Each line has sort of become a muscle memory that's developed over time. There's a strong visual harmony in the way the textures form and connect. They each feel connected, as if through the same lens. the way the colours blend or counter one another, or the space i leave.
The point im trying to make is that eventhough i dont have a distinct style or rythme within my work, theres still a clear consistency, yet each piece still feels unique, which i like and i feel like is the way forward for this project.
Putting all the images together like so, makes it feel like a story panel. like the adventures of someone who has been and seen it all, explored the corners of space and everything it has to offer.
It could even be interpreted as a sort of gallery wall, moments this adventurer has captured along the way, to keep as memories or reminders.
It could even be interpreted as a sort of gallery wall, moments this adventurer has captured along the way, to keep as memories or reminders.
Moving forward, i needed to create more visuals. More shapes and patterns that still represent space, but do not all look the same.
some great artists i have found thats each have a running style through their works but could be very stand alone, are (from left to right) RICK qian, very visually appealing and has a vibrant and enchanting colour palette, Ray Dak lam, great use of grain and gradient texture to make the shapes feel separate but still part of the same form, and chrisb marques, patterns inside circles. almost a perfect representation of something i want to achieve, eventhough they are only black and white, theres still so much life in each one.
some great artists i have found thats each have a running style through their works but could be very stand alone, are (from left to right) RICK qian, very visually appealing and has a vibrant and enchanting colour palette, Ray Dak lam, great use of grain and gradient texture to make the shapes feel separate but still part of the same form, and chrisb marques, patterns inside circles. almost a perfect representation of something i want to achieve, eventhough they are only black and white, theres still so much life in each one.
Taking these artists partially into account, I took a large sheet of paper and just had fun, starting off with a wash of blue and green water colours, so when it was cut there was a consistency to each of them, but then on top doing anything i could think of, keeping the colours somewhat darker. also because i was having a lighter background and darker drawings on top, i didnt want to cover the whole thing up, so it may look unfinished but thats intentional.
as you can see bellow, each piece (to me at least) feels like its from the same things, but also quite different, some of course have similarities but that'll make the book feel cohesive too.
as you can see bellow, each piece (to me at least) feels like its from the same things, but also quite different, some of course have similarities but that'll make the book feel cohesive too.
to accomodate these sheets i made, i felt like i needed some more structured drawings to overlay ontop. I say structured, some are and some arent, but all still give that abstract feeling.
Before creating the final pages however, i wanted to make sure the conversation (text) that was going to be on these pages, was what i want it to come across as. the previous one was too deep and mentioned them being in space a bit too much, kind of taking away from the aspect from them just talking about their personal mundane tasks and lives.
SO i got it down to this:
SO i got it down to this:
Person A: Have you noticed how quiet it’s been lately?
Person B: Yeah, it’s kind of wild. You can actually hear the station humming sometimes.
Person A: Right? I keep waiting for something to pop up, some alarm or blinking light, but… nothing.
Person B: Even the air feels different. Recycled, but somehow more noticeable now.
Person A: I mean, I’ll take it. These little puffs of semi-fresh air feel like I’ve won the lottery.
Person B: Honestly, when the air filter works the way it should, I’m just glad. Low bar, but I’ll take it.
Person A: Speaking of winning, I finally got the fridge rotated. Thought we were going to end up stuck with freeze-dried meals for the rest of the mission.
Person B: Haha, I thought we were going to have to start rationing the peanut butter.
Person A: Don’t even joke about that. I’m pretty sure we’re one jar away from a full-on mutiny.
Person B: I’d defend that last jar with my life. Zero regrets.
Person A: Seriously though, I’m still getting used to how much time I spend just… fixing random stuff. It’s like every day it’s something new.
Person B: Oh, for sure. Yesterday I spent two hours making sure the water recycler wasn’t broken.
Person A: Water recycler expert. You should definitely put that on your resume.
Person B: Certified in not letting the crew die of dehydration. It’s a niche skill, but important.
Person A: You know, I was thinking… when was the last time we actually sat down and did nothing? Like, truly nothing?
Person B: You mean float around, stare at Earth, and just be for a bit? Honestly… maybe a few weeks ago? I remember saying, “I’m not going to fix anything for five minutes.” That was it.
Person A: And then the air filter started acting up again.
Person B: Exactly. It’s like this place has a sixth sense for when you’re about to chill.
Person A: Still, I guess I’d rather have a million little things to do than float around with absolutely nothing on the docket.
Here are some tests and plays i did with the text and layout of each page. after creating all of these i was immediatly drawn to the simple, black background and white text with the image, nothing else added. this is a very easy case of, simple is better. the whole point is to relate the conversation going on with the images being shown. And i think this one give that the most. I also wont be playing around with the composition much throughout, and try to keep to keep the text is same positions and images either including that black border or fully covering the page when there is a pause.
So with the final pages, i didnt have an exact way or plan of what i wanted, all i knew is that i want them all to feel similar, and have the outer space, dark colourful feeling. and i think i achieved that in each and every one.
Here they are with the text (and from the final template on in-design, so they have a bit of overlap when saving)
Front and Back cover too
Here is a link to me doing a reading of the book with background sound. My reading isn't the best but the point is more to set the tone for the book and show the pacing as well.