Labels: creating manga

Couture Sketches

These are the original character sketches from “Couture”. Since I had such a short time to work on it, the planning is not detailed at all, and what I did probably broke most of the rules when it comes to proper character design. I didn’t draw a full body sketch of any of the characters, and I barely planned what they would be wearing. I knew more about the details of their personalities than how they would look. So when starting on this project, I was a bit worried about how everything would turn out.
Nakita Williams
 
This is very brief character sketch for Nakita. For each character, I only did the front and side views. I guess I was hoping that the other face angles would work out as I created the story. I wanted her to be cute, but yet, kind of boyish in personality.
Hayden Grace

Hayden was the most difficult character in the entire story. From the start I knew he would have this spoiled, but remorseful and sweet kind of personality. But I absolutely did not want him to be like Ian, the main character from another manga I’m working on right now. So the first thing I thought of was drawing his hair way short to make him different. So I started out drawing the pages with Hayden sporting this short buzzcut.
After doing 4 pages of him looking like this, I could not take it anymore. His look didn’t synchronize with his actions very well, and I felt disconnected. I had to redesign his hair. So now he has a spiked, but still short hairstyle that fits him.

Katie Grace

Glamorous, rich, and conniving all wrapped with a loving smile. That’s what I wanted for Hayden’s mom. And as I worked on the pages, her hair just became more luxurious. In this first sketch, her hair is much flatter.

And these are all the sketches for “Couture.” As for Mascara, those sketches will probably never see the light of day. They are epically bad! >_<
I guess next I’ll be writing a post as an answer to those questions about why I decided to create manga, and where I get my character ideas.