Concept Sketch for new book and other projects

I'm currently working on two, exciting large scale projects amongst my smaller scale projects. Firstly, I'm working on my first 'comic book' slash graphic novel, written - illustrated etc on my own. It is going to be interesting, currently looking at my options on publishing. Storyboards are pretty much done and preliminary sketching is under way. The deadline has not been set in stone as yet but I'm hoping to get it all done before December. The second project is well on its way and getting me excited. Here is a concept sketch done for my new novel set for release and to be published near the end of this year. The sketch is of 'the imperial road' which runs through a huge empire. Some of the main characters travel along the road at one time in the novel, armies march off towards rebel provinces and ultimately some battles are fought on it. This is just the preliminary concept sketch of the road and terrain. Will post some from sketches and completed art from this project from time to time for those who want a sneak peek. Sketched out in Photoshop with brushes.

AArrgghh - I'm officially left handed again!

Here is the backstory: I discovered I was fully ambidextrous by mistake about 7 years ago when I, as a joke, tried to write and draw simultaneously on a board. I nearly fell over when I did it easily and almost faultlessly. Giving the ability some thought, I realized that I am actually left handed but was 'forced' to write with my right in primary school. This made me highly proficient in using my right hand, and from research I did off of the net I understand that the hand you use doesn't matter but how your brain is processing things does. Fine, whoopee but I decided to develop my left hand skills nevertheless because it felt more natural and visual space problems I was struggling with just disappeared when working with my left. I figured that this must be because of the left/right confusion I must have experienced as a child and probably still have to a point. In early days of digital work this was easily seen by me flipping the piece horizontally, I discovered that I was flipping the design in my head and that I could correct it by manually flipping it back over. Weird right. Anyway, working with my left hand was correcting a number of issues; but over the last while I went back to  using my right hand in work because of speed and a lifetime of development made right hand work more proficient. At first It was okay but I have become increasingly more agitated because when I use my right hand space becomes flatter and not as easily to manipulate on the 2d surface. Previously I thought, hey I can use both why not use both then. Now I have come to the point where I realize I have to choose and of course it is going to be my left hand. Some time spent drawing and I've regained my skills on the left and my speed is great again. As for space, things are becoming clearer again. Wow, feeling better. :)

Below is a quick thumb sketch with my right hand. I redrew the same idea out of my head with no reference, like the right handed thumb, with my left hand. Then I redrew the left thumb again with my left for a more dynamic composition. They're just roughs but the difference in processing the ideas from my head onto paper were light years apart.

Above: right handed

Above: left handed

Above: left handed - redrawn

Faerie - sketch more, paint more, do more!

The more we do, the more we fail, the faster we grow.... I'm trying to up my productivity and to let go of pieces instead of trying to polish them up. I think that you get to a point when work on an image will not add anything to the viewers experience of the image. That is probably when you should stop - that is probably 'the finish line'. Here is something I'm letting go, though I'm not promising I won't come back to it ;)

I wanted to create a fairy of a different kind, something mystical and away from what one would normally expect a fairy to look like.

updated 25th July,'12 - Just in case anyone thinks I'm advocating not finishing work here is a post that I agree with completely about starting and finishing (Thanks to Scott Johnson who reposted it on google+). What I am talking about is when to declare a picture finished, I've previously leaned towards polishing every inch of the canvas but that is not finishing. Finishing is a difficult line to draw especially if you obsess and desire perfection (I'm a perfectionist and constantly deal with my ideal versus my 'at that moment skill level' issues). PLEASE FINISH your work but finishing something is a personal line you have to draw and sometimes you have to cut the lines and send your boat out to sea... even if you end up drawing it back to the shore later.  THE FINISH LINE

Screen capture of one of illustrations from 'The Snickitysnatcher'

You can purchase the book, or download a free 15% sample here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/174900

"The Snick Waits" Illustration - part 1 from Ciro Correia on Vimeo.