Another year full of early mornings and late nights in the studio has just about come and gone. Which means that it's time to take a few hours to reflect on the work I've managed to complete this year. It's difficult to remember to be gentle with myself as I never quite feel like I've produced enough within the year, but I'm a work in progress. Ha.
Visual Storytelling in 2019
The bulk of my work in 2019 has been dedicated to writing, scripting, framing, penciling and coloring TUJEC visual story pages. I've waxed on endlessly in past posts about how this endeavor is a cumbersome one, so I won't revisit that too much again. (You're welcome. lol.)
I will say that composing the pages effectively has been one of the most challenging things I have attempted this year. Out of the 20 or so pages that I produced this year, these few are my favorites.
I chose to primarily use the monochromatic color palette through the majority of chapter one to communicate the main character's state of mind after her sister was taken, refraining to utilize any additional color until another primary character is introduced at the end of the chapter.
While slow moving, and at times incredibly frustrating, I find this work to be very rewarding. It's not my best work and I'm not even particularly good at it, but it's the work that I have learned the most from and that makes it worth continuing into the new year.
Watercolor Illustration in 2019
When I've had the opportunity, I've made time to work on illustration pieces that incorporate increasingly complex gold leaf detail. The pieces that I am most proud of from this year are these:
The reflected light on the lady knight's armor in Airmed and the double light sources, warm and cool, in Bound pushed me out of my comfort zone. While, I don't think I nailed it perfectly, with these pieces, I demonstrated a deeper understanding of light and the way various sources and surfaces are affected by it.
Goals for 2020
My goals for 2020 include:
Finishing Chapter 2 of TUJEC
Exploring light effects from different sources and across different surfaces
Planning and executing my first gallery exhibition
Expanding the number and variety of prints available in my Etsy shop!
Patreon? Perhaps?
Thank you for your support in 2019!
I am deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me in my artistic endeavors this year. Whether you have visited my site, liked, shared, or commented on a social post, paid me for a commission, or purchased something from my store, every little thing helps and is appreciated.
As always, you can contact me through my site with any art-making questions or requests for commissions, or direct message me on Instagram at @msrmcgaughey.