On a dreary and rainy day an economic mini car pulls up in front of an anonymous professional building. A man climbs out burdened with a tattered laptop bag. He mutters to himself as he walks into the building.
Above is the quick description and original plan for page one. For this simple opening scene I chose to give the majority of the page to the act of exiting the car. Two small frames contain the car pulling in and the walk into the building. The two small frames have rain falling to the left and the main section the rain falling right (I love the idea of creating a texture separation with the opposing rainfall).:
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| Page One Sketch |
As I started inking, I was thinking about this character - the salesman. I love characters with a weakness. I prefer my heroes flawed. Originally, I was thinking his damage would be his gruff attitude built up after years on the sales road; hardened by the disappointment of an ever elusive chased dream. But the challenge I have set for myself with this project is to create situations and characters that inspire passion and lead to extreme and powerfully unforgettable moments. So... I need a source of pain in his life. What better source for current or potential pain than a loved one?
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| Page One First Ink |
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| Page One - Cell Phone Addition |
I decided it would be interesting to set the tone on page one with a farewell to the salesman's wife. I have yet to finalize the dialogue, but my intent is for it to be a bit short and cold - as if his years on the road have led to a tangible space between him and her. They are polite and keep in regular contact but live truly separate lives. This also leaves open the opportunity for the wife to be put in danger in a later issue and the relationship to be challenged with an extreme circumstance.
From here I have become slightly obsessed with rendering. I may have done myself a disservice by spending so much time and setting the tone for a high level of detail going forward. But at this point I don't feel I can compromise on technique. Here is the progress to date:
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| Page One - Ink Two |
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| Page One - Ink Three |
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| Page One - Ink To Date |
As you can see, the main section is pretty much complete with the exception of the rain. The top needs the lot and car filled in, the building windows rendered and the rain added. Then once I complete the bottom frame I have the all important task of choosing dialogue balloon style and font. I hope to be at the point of having to make these decisions by the end of the weekend.
I know I'm only one unfinished page in, but I'd love any input anyone out there has.
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