Hi all! Big day today!
The concept art for the first issue of Siblings of Steel is now complete! I also reviewed the issue’s script and made the final edits, and tomorrow I will start thumbnailing! As I said, big day. So in today’s update, I just wanted to let you all know where we are at in the process and where we’re headed. As I said, I finished the concept art and script edits and will start thumbnailing tomorrow (the day after tomorrow since life will be getting in the way tomorrow). I plan on doing the thumbnails over 21 days, with three consecutive passes. Each one refining the art of the previous. After that, it’s time to get started on the finished art/ lettering and formatting. This I hope to have done in about 30 days. Now it’s essential to remember that I’m still very much new to this, so don’t be surprised if the process takes longer than expected. And I want to get the first four issues done before releasing it.
Also, in this update, I would like to give you a look at some of the concept art I came up with during the making of this issue, as well as give you a brief description of the plot of Siblings of Steel.
SoS is a cop drama/action-adventure series set in the far-off Forsy empire. The story centers on two Forsy, Phren and Yoselin. Who are cops that go around the universe solving crimes. It’s a little bit Clone Wars, a little bit Castle. And each arc, Phren and Yoselin are off to some new far-flung corner of the empire to solve a new case.
Tain is a bustling metropolis full of advanced tech and gleaming high rises. And it’s the first location we are introduced to in the series.
Here are some of the earliest sketches I did to get a feel for the city and its termite-mound-inspired architecture.
Some longtime readers may remember a similar setting used in the first incarnation of this comic. Ilum was a city from before the reboot. Where Phren was dropped off for her first assignment as a Forsy. Here’s how that city initially looked:
Outside the city:
Inside the city:
And here’s the new and improved version:
As you can see, I moved away from the idea of a central mound in favor of a more traditional city layout, with skyscrapers inspired by termite mounds. I’ve always wanted to do a cool cyberpunk city, and now I have! I want each of the worlds that Phren and Yoselin visit to feel unique. And a bug city felt like a great place to start.
Pictured: Top; the inner city spaceport where Phren and Yoselin first land. Bottom; the scene of the crime they have come to solve.
And finally, here is a look at the newly redesigned heroes of our story, Phren, and Yoselin:
Thanks so much for reading, and thanks to everyone who follows me on my YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. I can’t wait to get this story out for all of you to read!